How to restore PVE Host?

[totalimpact]

I am backing up my pve host successfully, but I wanted to test a restore to another machine-

proxmox-backup-client restore host/pve1/2024-01-03T04:53:23Z pve-etc.pxar /etc/

I get this error, it's a brand new machine I just added the PBS storage to:

Error: error extracting archive - encountered unexpected error during extraction: error at entry ".pwd.lock": failed to extract file: failed to create file ".pwd.lock": EEXIST: File exists

I dont see any concise instructions in the wiki on how to fully backup a host and restore it, what is the procedure?

 

[Dunuin]

I dont see any concise instructions in the wiki on how to fully backup a host and restore it, what is the procedure?

This is for the PVE specific configs mounted to /etc/pve: https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Proxmox_Cluster_File_System_(pmxcfs)#_recovery
Relevant configs outside of /etc/pve not covered are for example /etc/network/interfaces, /etc/hosts, /etc/resolv.conf and /etc/vzdump.conf.

 

[totalimpact]

I already use that method, but a few people have said "just use PBS to backup the host", which it does backup, but it does not restore. So if there was a one stop option to always keep my data backed up on the PBS, including the host, with versioning, and quick disaster restore of everything like encryption keys, ssl certs, all the important host config, that would be ideal.

https://pbs.proxmox.com/docs/backup-client.html#creating-backups

I guess worst case I can restore to a tmp dir and move files over to their respective locations.

 

[esvee]

I already use that method, but a few people have said "just use PBS to backup the host", which it does backup, but it does not restore. So if there was a one stop option to always keep my data backed up on the PBS, including the host, with versioning, and quick disaster restore of everything like encryption keys, ssl certs, all the important host config, that would be ideal.

https://pbs.proxmox.com/docs/backup-client.html#creating-backups

I guess worst case I can restore to a tmp dir and move files over to their respective locations.

This would be great and the missing piece of the PBS puzzle for me.

I can only think it would require a PVE recovery environment tool, bootable by USB or such, that would boot into an environment that connects to, and understands the PBS backups. It could then pull the desired backup, and restore onto local storage. Then reboot into the restored host.

 

[esvee]

I just saw this thread.. looks to be on the roadmap. Sweet.
https://forum.proxmox.com/threads/a-recovery-system-for-pve.118215/

https://pbs.proxmox.com/wiki/index.php/Roadmap#Roadmap

 

[Dunuin]

I can only think it would require a PVE recovery environment tool, bootable by USB or such, that would boot into an environment that connects to, and understands the PBS backups. It could then pull the desired backup, and restore onto local storage. Then reboot into the restored host.

Yes, thats how I do it here. You can make that yourself by installing Debian to a pen drive, then booting it and create your own script to backup/restore the PVE system disk to/from the PBS using the proxmox-backup-cient that can backup any file/folder or even block device. See for example here to get a general idea: https://forum.proxmox.com/threads/problem-backing-up-using-backup-client.129347/