I am looking to create an image backup of Proxmox. I already have VM Backups but I would like to not have to reinstall Proxmox should I have a hard drive failure. I am hoping for something that I can just copy back to the new drive and then restore the VMs. Can I just copy via SFTP a list of folders and files? IS this even possible?
Backing up a proxmox server
- Thread starter Drax
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Why you not use RAID1 (HW, ZFS or Software)? Then you do not have any downtimes and can replace the Disk without trouble. Normally a 120GB SSD would more than enough for PVE and they Cost around 25 EUR.
If you running an Standalone Server, this might be no Problem. But if you ran a Cluster, i would recommended this.
If you running an Standalone Server, this might be no Problem. But if you ran a Cluster, i would recommended this.
I want to have an off site copy of Proxox as installed. that way should the server be destroyed, I can replicate the server as easily as buying a new one and restoring the files to a fresh linux install. I currently run everything on one large drive. Not ideal but this is how the system was configured. So that is why I want a backup copy so I don't have to pay somebody to reinstall Proxmox on a new box. I expect that this drive will fail at some point as it is pretty old.
Proxmox is (Debian) Linux so you may want to Google "Linux backup software". If you used ZFS for your install, you can take a snapshot and send it to a file.
The issue with just copying files is that the system won't be in a crash-consistent state and you won't be getting a copy of the Master Boot Record (MBR). If you can tolerate some down time and are comfortable in Linux, reboot the system with a Rescue CD (eg. SystemRescueCD) and do something like:
Which could then be restored to a same size or larger drive with:
The issue with just copying files is that the system won't be in a crash-consistent state and you won't be getting a copy of the Master Boot Record (MBR). If you can tolerate some down time and are comfortable in Linux, reboot the system with a Rescue CD (eg. SystemRescueCD) and do something like:
Code:
cat /dev/sdX | pigz -c > mybackup.img.gzWhich could then be restored to a same size or larger drive with:
Code:
pigz -d -c mybackup.img.gz > /dev/NEWDRIVEYou would have had to manually select it (it's not the default).Hmm ok, How would I know if they used ZFS to install it?
just backup to a storage device all the backups from you pool, and after that you can just restore you machines. IMHO, it's useless to try to backup the hypervizor software, when you can simple install on a backup server eveything and you should be ok for running and for restoring you services. best practice is to store copies on a FTP or SMB server, just copy to another server and you have seamless restoring solution via a rsync script. Simple and fast, that's how i do it in my environment. I have machines that if they are down, it's a problem.
Thanks. I have backups of all the VMs. However I don't want to have to pay to hve Proxmox installed on a new server or a new drive on the existing server. Just trying to see how to best create a backup of proxmox that can just be copied to a new machine. Maybe it's not posible.
What you want it's not really an standard approach to backup and restore examples - you need only the VM's backup - not the whole hypervizor. Think the hypervizor as a warehouse - you don't need to move the warehouse - you just move your equipment to another warehouse - not really possible for the warehouse to be moved that way. In all the cases that i worked with proxmox everytime i wanted another test i would just hit a new install on another server or on the same server, but have the vm's backups on a SMB or FTP server - FTP is faster as far as i saw - if you need time critical transfers.. Do you have a proxmox support license ? do you think you will lose the support for that server ?
Anyway, good luck.
Anyway, good luck.
where do you have your proxmox server running is is cloud ? colocation ? it's not a local server ? if you depend on somebody than you need to make sure you have another server ready to be working with your configuration.
It is in the cloud on a server I own in a DC. Thanks for the input. I do have somebody at the DC that can assist. I can have a new server configured and available within 20 min. The issue I am wanting to avoid is not having to reinstall the Proxmox app. I am wanting to be able to run a restore on it. Then simply restore my VM backups. With the connection speed of the backup to the server I should then be able to have everything back on line within 1 hour. If I have to to reinstall the Proxmox app, then that pushes the time out too far and becomes and expense that I would rather not have, and having to rely on somebody to install it.
just a question : Don't you have full IDRAC or ILO Access to the server ? if you had that you could backup everything and reinstall it yourself. IDRAC and ILO it's a saver for time and money when you need hardware access to a colocated server .
Try this way, maeby you could save some money. At least if you don't have physical access to the server.
By the way : if you have the server in a DC, you should have a server that's not predisposed to hardware failures. Just saying.
I was thinking of making a DC in my town, but i would need some clients, just some business ideas and lots of time..
Try this way, maeby you could save some money. At least if you don't have physical access to the server.
By the way : if you have the server in a DC, you should have a server that's not predisposed to hardware failures. Just saying.
I was thinking of making a DC in my town, but i would need some clients, just some business ideas and lots of time..
search for this. this should get you headed in the right direction. I can't post links since apparently I am a new users.
Back Up (And Restore) LVM Partitions With LVM Snapshots
Back Up (And Restore) LVM Partitions With LVM Snapshots
If i undersand what I read, those are just backups of the Virtual machines. I already have that. What I am trying to do is back up the proxmox installation so should the server crash, I could just restore the entire server minus VMs and then restore the VMs.
No you can do a LVM snapshot of the root partition of your proxmox server and then backup that snapshot (of your root partition) with dd or some other tool.If i undersand what I read, those are just backups of the Virtual machines. I already have that. What I am trying to do is back up the proxmox installation so should the server crash, I could just restore the entire server minus VMs and then restore the VMs.
Hello Gents,
Here is the solution for you which i will be putting in my infrastructure as dedicated server: https://fogproject.org/
FOG is a great server to backup your OS and then be able to restore from IP.
Thanks
Barry
Here is the solution for you which i will be putting in my infrastructure as dedicated server: https://fogproject.org/
FOG is a great server to backup your OS and then be able to restore from IP.
Thanks
Barry