Request: the equivalent of the vmware data recovery system

[langloispy]

Hi,

The backup system of Proxmox works fine but it keeps only a full backup of the VM each time.

It would be nice to have a backup system that allows to keep only the delta between the previous and the latest snapshot (like vmware) to allow a backup system more "incremental" than "full". Backups are lighter so you can keep a lot of them.

VMWare data recovery allows the use of retention scheme.
ex:
for vm123
- backup every day (retention 7 days)
- backup once a week(retention 4 weeks)
- backup once a month (retention 6 months)
- backup once a year (retention 1 year)

After a disaster, you can then select the best backup for your needs, select "restore" and voilà! The VM is up and running. The footprint is very light because all backup are incremental (near 1:1)

Thanks!

 

[e100]

It would be nice if Proxmox could do that.

If you want to give a try implementing your own solution:

Last I looked vzdump did pass the -rsyncable option to gzip.
With the gzip rsyncable option you could use rdiff-backup: http://www.nongnu.org/rdiff-backup/ to store daily deltas.
rdiff-backup even works well over a WAN link since it only transmits the deltas.

What I do is backup each VM three times a week to encrypted remove able disks that we transport offsite.
If a VM has important data, like a database that changes frequently, inside the VM I backup the DB, gzip it and run rdiff-backup to an off-site location daily.
I find this method is much less resource intensive than trying to make daily deltas of entire VM backups.

 

[coffe]

it is possible to configure vzdump to keep more then 1 copy.
file = /etc/vzdump.conf
===========
mode: snapshot
maxfiles:4
===========

is what i am using.. if that file could be synced i would be happy.

 

[tom]

it is possible to configure vzdump to keep more then 1 copy.
file = /etc/vzdump.conf
===========
mode: snapshot
maxfiles:4
===========

this can be set on the gui (added recently)

 

[dimi]

Hi e100
The gzip option "rsyncable" is enabled by default when i use compression on VZdump or i need to add some option some where?
I think is a very useful slution for offsite backup (i need this kind of solution from a lot of time...) the other alternative is Deduplication like (lessfs).
What do you think about?
Thanks in advance

 

[dietmar]

Hi e100
The gzip option "rsyncable" is enabled by default when i use compression on VZdump

Yes, that is enabled by default.

 

[coffe]

this can be set on the gui (added recently)

Ok, aint running any beta2.0 right now, but good its in gui now

 

[tom]

its in 1.9. see screenshot.

 

[coffe]

Okey, Nice. could one have that setting replicated to all cluster nodes ?

 

[dimi]

Yes, that is enabled by default.

Thanks so much!!

 

[e100]

Hi e100
the other alternative is Deduplication like (lessfs).
What do you think about?
Thanks in advance

I've tested lessfs back when it was very new and it worked ok then.
Not had time to look at it recently.

lessfs might even make a good filesystem for storing virtual disks.
Imagine having all of your VMs data de-duplicated all the time.