Anyone have any input on backup/restore for gentoo?

[dogghaus]

I'm seriously considering replacing all redhat boxes on the company network (we don't use windows servers) with gentoo due to redhat's new microsoft-like licensing scheme. The only doubt I have is the time it takes to install gentoo; in case of a server crash, it may take a while to replace the unit (the company is not large, a small biotech that relies completely on the IT infrastructure for production). Our current backup/restore process is as follows (please don't laugh, it's primitive):
- replace defective equipment
- load generic linux os
- replace directories (/etc, /var, ...) from tape backup
The entire process took about 3/4 hour, well within requirements. The same would work for gentoo, but the intial install would take longer, which is not acceptable. I would like to refine this process, perhaps having a dedicated backup server. I have tried mondo-mindi, but it did not seem reliable. Our IT budget is very small, almost in the negatives (I spend a lot of time on ebay), so I would prefer an open-source solution. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[BiggJ]

https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=117292&highlight=backing
https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?p=744292&highlight=gentoo+backup
https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?p=729735&highlight=gentoo+backup
https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?p=722804&highlight=gentoo+backup

--J

[dogghaus]

Thanks for the input J, I downloaded the partimage > systemrescuecd. Haven't tried it yet, but it looks perfect.

Sorry about being lazy and not searching the forums; to tell the truth, I'm not used to forums being this comprehensive (maybe helpful is the word?).