How to restore backup on another server?

[klowet]

Hello

I can create, restore and browse encrypted backups on the backed up server (the 'client') itself. I have created a master key to store an encrypted version of the symmetric backup encryption key. How can I restore full backups and browse backups when the backed up server isn't available anymore? Eg. when the backed up server (a host, not a VM) died completely.

Thanks

 

[noel.]

I am assuming you are running proxmox backup server (PBS) on a different machine than the "client" machine? Because if your backups are on the machine itself, which is dead, then you are out of luck.

So, assuming you are running a separate machine with PBS, to browse your backups you can go to the ip-address at port 8007 and use the web interface there (At boot of the PBS it tells you this and shows you the address). Alternatively, you can use the commandline tool [1].

If you set up a new Proxmox VE server and want to restore backed-up VMs and CTs, add the PBS the way you did on the first, now dead, machine; in the web interface of your new Proxmox VE, go to Datacenter->Storage-> add-> Proxmox Backup Server. Once you added your PBS, you can select it in the tree view on the left in the web interface. There you can select the backups you want to restore.

Hope this helps

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[1]: https://pbs.proxmox.com/docs/backup-client.html#restoring-data

 

[fabian]

for recovering the encryption key using the (private!) master key, please refer to the docs: https://pbs.proxmox.com/docs/backup...ster-key-to-store-and-recover-encryption-keys

 

[chudak]

I am assuming you are running proxmox backup server (PBS) on a different machine than the "client" machine? Because if your backups are on the machine itself, which is dead, then you are out of luck.

So, assuming you are running a separate machine with PBS, to browse your backups you can go to the ip-address at port 8007 and use the web interface there (At boot of the PBS it tells you this and shows you the address). Alternatively, you can use the commandline tool [1].

If you set up a new Proxmox VE server and want to restore backed-up VMs and CTs, add the PBS the way you did on the first, now dead, machine; in the web interface of your new Proxmox VE, go to Datacenter->Storage-> add-> Proxmox Backup Server. Once you added your PBS, you can select it in the tree view on the left in the web interface. There you can select the backups you want to restore.

Hope this helps

---

[1]: https://pbs.proxmox.com/docs/backup-client.html#restoring-data

@noel.

I’d like to build a new pve server and I run PBS on a separate pc
Can I restore VMs from PBS to a new pve without any changes in settings?

TIA

 

[fiona]

Hi,

@noel.

I’d like to build a new pve server and I run PBS on a separate pc
Can I restore VMs from PBS to a new pve without any changes in settings?

TIA

you can add the PBS server as a storage to the new Proxmox VE instance. If you use encryption, you need to upload the existing encryption key when adding the storage too. After that, you should be able to restore your guests.

 

[chudak]

Hi,

you can add the PBS server as a storage to the new Proxmox VE instance. If you use encryption, you need to upload the existing encryption key when adding the storage too. After that, you should be able to restore your guests.

Thx @fiona

I assume pbs can be connected to two pve servers at the same time, yes?

 

[Dunuin]

I assume pbs can be connected to two pve servers at the same time, yes?

Yes

 

[fiona]

Thx @fiona

I assume pbs can be connected to two pve servers at the same time, yes?

Yes. And just for completeness: if you plan on doing backups from both of them and they are not in a cluster, you need to be careful about clashes of VM IDs. It's better to use different namespaces then.

 

[chudak]

Yes. And just for completeness: if you plan on doing backups from both of them and they are not in a cluster, you need to be careful about clashes of VM IDs. It's better to use different namespaces then.

If I keep powered on only one server at a time will it avoid clashes?

And one more question - can I do an initial pve setup on one WiFi net and then move it to a different location on a wired net?

Thx

 

[Dunuin]

If I keep powered on only one server at a time will it avoid clashes?

No, its about the VMIDs. PBS differentiates VMs/LXCs by its VMID. If you got a VM with VMID 100 on node A and a VM with VMID 100 on node B and you backup both to the PBS (with same datastore and without different namespaces), PBS will think and handle those two VMs as it would be a single one. So it might prune the wrong VMs and so on.
Ideally you never use a VMID twice and they are unique across all your nodes/datacenters. But this will require you to manually keep track of all those VMIDs.

And one more question - can I do an initial pve setup on one WiFi net and then move it to a different location on a wired net?

Your guests probably won't be able to access the internet when using Wifi. See here why you should avoid wifi: https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/WLAN
But yes, should be possible but you then most likely will have to edit the network configs manually via keyboard/display.

 

[chudak]

No, its about the VMIDs. PBS differentiates VMs/LXCs by its VMID. If you got a VM with VMID 100 on node A and a VM with VMID 100 on node B and you backup both to the PBS (with same datastore and without different namespaces), PBS will think and handle those two VMs as it would be a single one. So it might prune the wrong VMs and so on.
Ideally you never use a VMID twice and they are unique across all your nodes/datacenters. But this will require you to manually keep track of all those VMIDs.

How can I work around these issues?

I want to have a second pve server as a backup mainly, but I need to be able to clone my VMs to it somehow. Maybe I can create new VMs and restore to those?

I also would like to avoid creating a cluster. However, this suggestion sounds in line with my goals https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjS9oDEw9EQ

what do you think?

TIA

 

[Dunuin]

Like already said, work with namespaces on your PBS. So each node will backup to its dedicated namespace.

 

[chudak]

Hi,

you can add the PBS server as a storage to the new Proxmox VE instance. If you use encryption, you need to upload the existing encryption key when adding the storage too. After that, you should be able to restore your guests.

Do you think I can restore guests using the same ID numbers?
I don't plan on using copied/restored VMs concurrently

 

[fiona]

Do you think I can restore guests using the same ID numbers?
I don't plan on using copied/restored VMs concurrently

Yes, that is possible. In the storage's restore dialog in the UI, you can enter any free ID. If however, a guest with the same ID already exists, you need to go to that guest's Backup window and restore there. This will overwrite the existing guest!

 

[wbk]

Hi chudak,

I also would like to avoid creating a cluster

Would you care to share the downsides of a cluster in your scenario?

 

[chudak]

Hi chudak,


Would you care to share the downsides of a cluster in your scenario?

That's an interesting question.
I am afraid, maybe wrongly, that it will add complexity to my setup, and in case one node fails, I will have more trouble restoring the system.

But I am definitely open to exploring more.

 

[iprowell]

I have two PVE servers that are not clustered because do not want to keep both machines on 24/7 and I don't need hot fail over, particularly considering the cost of keeping both machines turned on 24/7. I run VM backups to a Proxmox backup server that is available when I run backups. I'm trying to figure out how to restore from my Proxmox Backup Server from a backup done by the other server and overwrite an existing VM ID. I am able to make it work if I manually copy the backup image between the servers, but restoring from the Proxmox Backup Server does not allow me to restore to the same ID. Is there a way to override that behavior?

 

[fiona]

Hi,

I have two PVE servers that are not clustered because do not want to keep both machines on 24/7 and I don't need hot fail over, particularly considering the cost of keeping both machines turned on 24/7. I run VM backups to a Proxmox backup server that is available when I run backups. I'm trying to figure out how to restore from my Proxmox Backup Server from a backup done by the other server and overwrite an existing VM ID. I am able to make it work if I manually copy the backup image between the servers, but restoring from the Proxmox Backup Server does not allow me to restore to the same ID. Is there a way to override that behavior?

you can restore to the same ID if you use the --force option with qmrestore. If you do it in the UI, instead of going to the storage, select the VM you want to overwrite, go to the Backup window for that VM and Restore from there.

 

[chudak]

I have two PVE servers that are not clustered because do not want to keep both machines on 24/7 and I don't need hot fail over, particularly considering the cost of keeping both machines turned on 24/7. I run VM backups to a Proxmox backup server that is available when I run backups. I'm trying to figure out how to restore from my Proxmox Backup Server from a backup done by the other server and overwrite an existing VM ID. I am able to make it work if I manually copy the backup image between the servers, but restoring from the Proxmox Backup Server does not allow me to restore to the same ID. Is there a way to override that behavior?

I have the same use case and use the UI for restoration.
On a clean new server, I used the same IDs for the VMs and now it simply works.

To avoid conflicts issue you could remove the VM and restore and use any ID you want.

 

[iprowell]

@fiona and @chudak,
Thanks for the feedback. I really appreciate it. The bit I was missing was restoring from the VM backup screen and selecting the Proxmox backup server as the source instead of local. Now that I do that it is working like a charm.

Test your backups... Document recovery procedures...

Thanks!