Every hour backup is very CPU-expensive

[Sasha]

Hi, guys.
Is this the robust approach to run backup on lxc-container every 1 hour?

I have 2 containers, but backing up to PBS number 101 (~10G) very expensive! In the same time backing up number 102 (~25G) looks suitable.
Please help me to figure out that! Where to dig?

 

[Chris]

Hi,
the Proxmox Backup Client will have to read and chunk the full data on each backup run, I suspect that this is the reason why you see the high CPU load. You could try to reduce the number of max-workers in the vzdump performace configuration as described here https://pve.proxmox.com/pve-docs/pve-admin-guide.html#vzdump_configuration to reduce load.

Another approach would be to utilize a VM with dirty-bitmap tracking, which is much better in backup performance, since only dirty blocks have to be backed up.

There is ongoing work to improve the performance for container and host backups in the future, see https://lists.proxmox.com/pipermail/pbs-devel/2023-November/007059.html

 

[Sasha]

Appreciate for advices!
Anyway, would You clarify for novice, is hourly (half-hourly) backup job (PVE GUI section Datacenter-Backup) for container a robust approach to have a close-to-production back up?

 

[juancarlo2596]

Appreciate for advices!
Anyway, would You clarify for novice, is hourly (half-hourly) backup job (PVE GUI section Datacenter-Backup) for container a robust approach to have a close-to-production back up?

how big is your production?

 

[Sasha]

The lxc-container that needs to be backed up as often as possible has compressed PVE's vzdump file about 11G.
The same container reported by PBS in datastore content as 58G size.
I mead that i don't need all production every hour backup. Just one sensitive container with changing database.

 

[juancarlo2596]

The lxc-container that needs to be backed up as often as possible has compressed PVE's vzdump file about 11G.
The same container reported by PBS in datastore content as 58G size.
I mead that i don't need all production every hour backup. Just one sensitive container with changing database.

oh sorry, what I mean is are those data are very critical that you have to back it up every hour?

 

[Sasha]

oh sorry, what I mean is are those data are very critical that you have to back it up every hour?

As i said it's a lxc-container containing database. Every night back up is not so suitable (but useful of course)
So to be honest i don't know any other way (besides PBS) to save all changes of database hourly...

And You?