How to make Backups using HP USB StorageWorks DAT 72

[fictionedge]

Hi

Can anyone help me to add a tape drive as backup system to proxmox?
I was already able to see it in the OS, but I don't know how to make proxmox use it for backup.
Thank you in advance for the support

 

[m.ardito]

afaik I don't think it's supported by pve itself, as a storage target...
although you could use standard debian CLI tools to script tape usage, or make a vm able to use it (passthrough)

see https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Tape_Drives
and https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Pci_passthrough

marco

 

[fictionedge]

Thx Marco
I was afraid of that when I browsed the faqs and manuals.
Any chance that in a near future would be possible?
Tape backup is one of the most reliable backup systems, specially if you're moving allot of Gb.

afaik I don't think it's supported by pve itself, as a storage target...
although you could use standard debian CLI tools to script tape usage, or make a vm able to use it (passthrough)

see https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Tape_Drives
and https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Pci_passthrough

marco

 

[m.ardito]

I fear not, at hypervisor level it coudl be not that practical, but who knows.
Only developers can answer you on that. But it should be easy to backup on disk and then copy those big file to tape.
And you get (free!) a fast restore system :-D

marco

 

[Kaya]

You can install an iScsi server on proxmox host and connect the tape drive with iscsi client on the VM.
Better if the VM is a system like bacula that directly handle the backup for each files on VM.

 

[fictionedge]

Let me see if I get this straight.
I schedule the normal backup from proxmox to a folder, then I create a iSCSI server that backups those files to tape. Is that it?

 

[Kaya]

Let me see if I get this straight.
I schedule the normal backup from proxmox to a folder, then I create a iSCSI server that backups those files to tape. Is that it?

This is one way to do it.
Remember that you have to check if the VM snapshot work after backup.

IMHO, a better way, is to save the database dump/files/system status on a folder (with ntbackup or other tools) and then transfer it to tape.
You can save VM snapshot too, but you cannot be sure of what you will save.

 

[fictionedge]

Kaya what you suggest is doing it from inside the OS of proxmox with something like bacula instead using the snapshots created by proxmox?

 

[m.ardito]

no, he's suggesting using windowsown backup tool to take a valid, complete, consistent backup. no other tool can have that.
for critical systems, like directories and rdbms, use specific tools at least, make them create a valid backup, and then back up that file elsewhere.
then if you want to have ALSO a complete vm backup, use whatever you want... (bacula, bareos, backuppc, others). but check restores also.

Marco

 

[Kaya]

You can do both.
Snapshot is for "fast recovery" but snapshot doesn't care about services running inside the VM.

Let think about an SQL server running a big transaction and , in the middle of, a VM snapshot. It's possibile that you will find your sql server in an broken status.
With SQL dump , the software will wait for transaction end or other things to be sure recovery will work.

 

[fictionedge]

Does this happen no matter what backup mode I choose inside proxmox (stop, suspend or snapshot)?

p.s. my backups are done during down time so not much going on using sql

 

[m.ardito]

Does this happen no matter what backup mode I choose inside proxmox (stop, suspend or snapshot)?
p.s. my backups are done during down time so not much going on using sql

if you cleanly stop the vm you could trust that all internal software/data is consistent. you have to be always certain of this.
can you?
if you care about consistency, yes, try to use (also) specific tools: if they find problems, they warn you and you have some clue...
Marco

 

[fictionedge]

Thx for the reply