PBS and DR Strategy

[justarandomdude]

Hi,

We are currently using Proxmox Backup Server 3.2-2. Previously we were backing up via PVE.

Our DR strategy requires an OVA file so that we can work with the VM disks. It appears that PBS does not backup in the same was as PVE. Is there a way to have PBS back up to an OVA or a way to convert?

 

[SpawnkillerQC]

i'm curious about you DR strategy as PBS is easier for PVE usage. I have multiple customer with DR using mainly 3 strategy

1- PVE and PBS with a remote PVE/PBS sync with the primary one, DR implies another PVE at the other site with similar specs to run all VMs

2- Veeam agent backup | restore with ISO mounted on the hypervisor of your choice and Veeam Cloud Connect for DR (still need another server to start all vms on the other site like solution 1 if not provided by the VCC provider).

3- Datto Backup (either Siris device or Datto Enpoint backup) | direct restore from bootable ISO (for local restore on the machine of your choice) or direct startup in the Datto cloud with bridged networking for DR (no config at all, no server needed, just press start in their cloud).

All solutions are working fine but cost is a big factor there so what's your situation about that with the OVA format, is it to restart in virtualbox per exemple ?

 

[justarandomdude]

Hi, thanks for your response.

Our DR strategy going forward involves the cloud. So theoretically if we use Azure, GCP or AWS, we could spin up a VM with PVE on it. However, that is not really what we would like to do.

PVE backs up to a zst file which can be converted to a VM disk. But the chunks that PBS use do not seem to have that possibility.

 

[SpawnkillerQC]

Hi, thanks for your response.

Our DR strategy going forward involves the cloud. So theoretically if we use Azure, GCP or AWS, we could spin up a VM with PVE on it. However, that is not really what we would like to do.

PVE backs up to a zst file which can be converted to a VM disk. But the chunks that PBS use do not seem to have that possibility.

you have the option to download the disk from PBS GUI directly

Go in your datastore on the left, under Content, you'll find your VM Backup there (let it some time to populate if you have a lot on slow storage).

Then go in the VM Backup then open a backup with the + icon then the files will include a drive-xxxxx.img.fidx image of the disk used.

If you click the download icon, you'll get a .img file (RAW) of the disk that is compatible with most of the backup/restore software like Acronis, PartedMagic, Aomei, etc...

 

[tcabernoch]

These are the options I've seen.

Cluster to cluster ceph storage replication. This is guaranteed remote write, never a bit is lost. Along with that, you get reduced write speed. This feature could bring up a VM in Dallas if your LA datacenter is hit by a tsunami, and do so in seconds.

Server to server storage replication within a cluster. This feature barely has a name. Barely documented. It can be incorporated with HA. (Proxmox HA is horrid, but if you were to go there ...) This feature would be freakin awesome if it would work with a remote target, but currently you can only target cluster members, which means machines with WAN latency are out.

Proxmox Backup Server replication. This is the primary way we are meant to do DR in Proxmox. I figure the best you can get out of this is half hour RPO. Its got to run a backup and then do a replication of that backup.

Script out something with pvesync? Other scripted solutions?


For cold storage, the solution I've seen suggested is spin up another PBS server in the remote location to sync with.

 

[VictorSTS]

If you click the download icon, you'll get a .img file (RAW) of the disk that is compatible with most of the backup/restore software like Acronis, PartedMagic, Aomei, etc...

Is there a way to have PBS back up to an OVA or a way to convert?

You can also get the disk using CLI [1] to automate your DR pipeline:

proxmox-backup-client restore vm/127/2021-09-09T07:46:38Z drive-scsi0.img.fidx vm-127-disk-0.raw --repository 192.168.20.180:datastore

[1] https://forum.proxmox.com/threads/restore-single-virtual-disk-from-pbs.95868/post-415847