2-4 Backup SSD System
Learning Objectives
This section helps readers master the system backup workflow on the NVIDIA Jetson platform—specifically backing up the NVMe SSD on a Pandora device. After completing this section, readers will be able to:
1.Understand the principles and importance of system backups to ensure data safety and recoverability.
2.Use dd to back up Pandora’s NVMe SSD to an external USB storage device or a second SSD.
3.Perform disk mounting, optional compression, and basic verification steps.
4.Diagnose and avoid common backup mistakes.
5.Build a foundation for future system restore or migration.
This document provides practical, hands-on guidance suitable for both beginners and advanced developers.
System Backup Guide (Pandora)
Pandora devices (Jetson Orin Nano / Orin NX) support full system image backup. This allows users to restore the system state quickly and protect important data and configurations.
Preparation
Backup Requirements:
1.Pandora device: Jetson Orin Nano (4GB/8GB) or Orin NX (8GB/16GB)
2.External storage: USB drive or a second NVMe SSD with capacity ≥ used space on the original SSD (recommended ≥ 128GB)
3.Free space: Ensure the destination has enough space for the backup image
Uncompressed image size is roughly equal to the source SSD capacity
Procedure
Step 1: Insert the External Storage and Check Mount Status
1.Plug the USB storage device or a second NVMe SSD into Pandora.
2.Open a terminal and check disk and mount information:
lsblk -d -o NAME,SIZE,TRAN,VENDOR,MODEL,SERIAL,MOUNTPOINT
Example output (two NVMes + USB):
NAME SIZE TRAN VENDOR MODEL SERIAL MOUNTPOINT
nvme0n1 128G nvme SAMSUNG MZVLB128HBHQ-00000 S4XXXXXXXXXXXX /
nvme1n1 256G nvme WDC WDS250G3X0C-00SJG0 21XXXXXXXXXXXX
sda 128G usb SanDisk Ultra 4C53XXXXXXXXXXXX /mnt/usb
Step 1-1: If the USB Drive Is Not Mounted (Format → Re-plug)
This step applies when the USB drive is not auto-mounted because the filesystem is abnormal/corrupted/unsupported and cannot be recognized by the system. Typical symptoms include: no mount point after plugging in, lsblk -f showing an empty or unknown FSTYPE, or system logs reporting filesystem errors. In this case, formatting (which erases all data) can restore the USB drive to a usable state.
⚠️ Warning: The following steps will erase all data on the USB drive. Verify the correct device/partition (e.g., /dev/sda) to avoid formatting the system disk.
1. Confirm the USB partition name (example uses /dev/sda):
lsblk
2. Format the partition as ext4 :
sudo mkfs.ext4 -F /dev/sda
3. Unplug and re-plug the USB drive.
Step 2: Back Up to USB or a Second SSD
⚠️ Critical: Before running dd, ensure the system is NOT booted from the disk you are about to overwrite. Writing to the active system disk can corrupt the OS or freeze the system.
1. Confirm where the current root filesystem is mounted (safety check)
findmnt -no SOURCE /
- If the output contains /dev/nvme0n1p..., the system is running on nvme0n1
→ DO NOT dd to /dev/nvme0n1. Boot from a rescue system (USB or a second SSD) and then run the restore.
- If the output shows /dev/nvme1n1p... or /dev/sda..., the system is likely booted from another device
→ You can restore to /dev/nvme0n1 (still verify device names with lsblk).
2. Important: Before running dd, double-check the target path (e.g., /mnt/usb or /dev/nvme1n1) to avoid overwriting the wrong disk.
2. Back up to a USB device (Example output file: /mnt/usb/pandora_backup.img)
sudo dd if=/dev/nvme0n1 of=/mnt/usb/pandora_backup.img bs=64K status=progress conv=fsync
Notes:
● if=/dev/nvme0n1 = Pandora original SSD (source)
● of= = destination (file path for USB, device node for SSD)
● bs=64K = block size to improve throughput
● status=progress = show progress
● conv=fsync: force a final flush so data is committed to the target before dd exits
Estimated time: typically 10–60 minutes, depending on SSD capacity and hardware performance.
Step 3 (Optional): Compress the Backup Image
(Only applies when backing up to a .img file on USB)
gzip /mnt/usb/pandora_backup.img
This produces: pandora_backup.img.gz
Step 4: Verify the Backup File Exists
ls -lh /mnt/usb/pandora_backup.img.gz
Step 5: Restore (Write Back) = Reverse of Step 2
⚠️ Critical: Before restoring dd, ensure the system is NOT booted from the disk you are about to overwrite. Writing to the active system disk can corrupt the OS or freeze the system.
1. Confirm where the current root filesystem is mounted (safety check)
findmnt -no SOURCE /
2. Restore from a USB .img back to NVMe (example: /dev/nvme0n1)
sudo dd if=/mnt/usb/pandora_backup.img of=/dev/nvme0n1 bs=64K status=progress conv=fsync
3. Restore directly from a compressed .img.gz (recommended)
sudo gzip -dc /mnt/usb/pandora_backup.img.gz | sudo dd of=/dev/nvme0n1 bs=64K status=progress conv=fsync
⚠️ Notes and Reminders
1. System stability during backup: Avoid writing to the source disk during backup (recommended: stop heavy services, or use single-user mode / disable GUI if applicable).
2. Device path validation: Always confirm source (if) and destination (of) using lsblk. Never accidentally write to the source disk (/dev/nvme0n1).
3. Storage capacity: Ensure the USB/SSD destination has enough space (uncompressed image ≈ SSD capacity).
4. Restore concept: You can restore the full system by writing the image back to the target disk using dd.
Further Reading