Skiphomedir option WHM backup configuration: to allow effective external disk-based backup

As a systems administrator I would like to have an option to skiphomedir within WHM backup configurations so that I could utilize my external image-based backup software without the need of creating duplicate backups of homedirs when using WHM backup parallel, but still be able to utilize WHM backup's other great features, such as SQL dumps (so everything, except the homedir backups). It is also important that this option should not effect the backup interface the user's use in their cPanel admin (that should backup their homedirs on user request like usual).

--------------------------------------------------------------

Hi!

I have a problem that probably many of you face.

I want to use the automatic backup feature of cPanel, but my users have lots of data that are being backed up by virtual image backup software anyway from which I can make file based restores (so it makes no sense to create another backup of all that data...).

So actualy I don't need their homedir contents, but I would very much need their MySQL and PostgreSQL dump files, because that's something that is worth creating, since backing up the dir-files is not the same.

I know that pkgacct has the --skiphomedir option, but I do not plan to create my own little script that either works or not in the future. I would like to stick with cPanel's builtin method, but surely there must be a good solution for the same future as "--skiphomedir".

I also do not like the idea of creating my own SQL dumps for this purpose, because I have already done this in the past, and it is not as reliable as cPanel's solution. Also cPanel notifies me of errors through e-mail etc.

Oh yeah, I found a method, I put "*" in /etc/cpbackup-exclude.conf, but the problem is that when I do this, the users loose their ability to create full backups from their control panel, because their homedir will be skipped at that point too, causing them to have a false secure feeling...

All I would need is that we have the option to allow "skiphomedir" within the WHM Backup Configuration, that's all.

Thanks,

Daniel