what are limitations of the "free" version?

[benoitc]

What are the limitation of the backup server when we don't pay the community license for now? Can we mix a paid license node with another? I would like to eventually ahve a backup failover in case of crash of the main backup server.

 

[sterzy]

Hi,

to answer you questions:

1. You are not buying a license but a support subscription. This means that PBS will be fully functional.
2. The only things you won't have access to if you don't buy a subscription is enterprise level support (you can still request help through this forum) and access to the enterprise repository. This repository contains more thoroughly tested packages of our systems guaranteeing a more stable system. Basically you get the same versions as in the no subscription repository but after they have been tested more thoroughly.
3. PBS currently cannot be clustered, so all subscriptions are per node anyway. You could run a sync job between a PBS with a subscription and one without. Note though that this isn't recommended for a production environment as we don't test such setups.

 

[benoitc]

@s

Hi,

to answer you questions:

1. You are not buying a license but a support subscription. This means that PBS will be fully functional.
2. The only things you won't have access to if you don't buy a subscription is enterprise level support (you can still request help through this forum) and access to the enterprise repository. This repository contains more thoroughly tested packages of our systems guaranteeing a more stable system. Basically you get the same versions as in the no subscription repository but after they have been tested more thoroughly.
3. PBS currently cannot be clustered, so all subscriptions are per node anyway. You could run a sync job between a PBS with a subscription and one without. Note though that this isn't recommended for a production environment as we don't test such setups.

thanks for the answers. The plan is to take a license for all mbackup machines on the long term. If it possible to mix i may takes the risk for some time but will see

 

[sterzy]

Hi,

just be aware that we won't support the systems without a subscription. You can still ask in the forum, but support from our side will be limited to your subscribed nodes. However, if you add the "Proxmox Subscriber" badge to your account, that might encourage us to pay a little more attention

 

[benoitc]

Hi,

just be aware that we won't support the systems without a subscription. You can still ask in the forum, but support from our side will be limited to your subscribed nodes. However, if you add the "Proxmox Subscriber" badge to your account, that might encourage us to pay a little more attention

that's thhe plan

 

[Sarreq Teryx]

1. You are not buying a license but a support subscription. This means that PBS will be fully functional.

This is not made clear anywhere on the homepage.

 

[sterzy]

This is not made clear anywhere on the homepage.

I am not sure what you mean. The page for PBS on our homepage [1] mentions:

Open-Source Enterprise Backup Solution​

The feature pages list this as the first feature:

Open-Source
Proxmox Backup is a stand-alone solution. The open-source nature of the Proxmox software stack means that you get a secure, flexible product that you can trust. The source code is free and open-source, licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License, v3 (GNU AGPLv3). Thus, you are free to use the software, inspect the source code at any time, or contribute to the project yourself.

So the license is AGPLv3 and you are “free to use the software”. If that isn't clear enough the pricing page [2] also only ever talks about two things: The enterprise repo and technical support. The latter is obviously an additional service that isn't part of PBS itself and the former offers the following according to the description on the page:

Subscriptions provide access to the default and most stable package repository, the Proxmox Enterprise Repository [..]

It doesn't say that a non-subscribed node offers any fewer features than a subscribed one and since the code is entirely licensed under AGPLv3 you can use it as you please.

[1]: https://www.proxmox.com/en/proxmox-backup-server/overview
[2]: https://www.proxmox.com/en/proxmox-backup-server/pricing

 

[Neobin]

It doesn't say that a non-subscribed node offers any fewer features than a subscribed one

Imho, this:

• Complete feature-set

point in every subscription of all Proxmox products might be read/understand as if you only get the complete feature-set with a subscription. But that is not the case (obviously, because you get it also/already without a subscription); so why list it, as something one gets (additionally) with a subscription, at all?

No offense, just my 0,1 cents.

 

[SInisterPisces]

Imho, this:

• Complete feature-set

point in every subscription of all Proxmox products might be read/understand as if you only get the complete feature-set with a subscription. But that is not the case (obviously, because you get it also/already without a subscription); so why list it, as something one gets (additionally) with a subscription, at all?

No offense, just my 0,1 cents.

I was just looking at the PBS subscriptions today, and I agree with this. I couldn't tell from the store description if I was getting additional features or not (hence my unearthing of this thread). So far I've spent about 30 minutes trying to figure that out (while also doing a PBS tutorial).

Some clarification on the store side that users already have the full feature set and are purchasing support would be really beneficial, I think.

 

[esi_y]

So the license is AGPLv3 and you are “free to use the software”.

There's nothing in AGPL that guarantees anyone that price would be zero. Your subscriptions are a testament to that - and that's completely fine. The free refers to "have the freedom" to access the source code, modify, use and distribute it (under the same license). That Proxmox distributes built packages (not just sources) and - while at that in less tested repo also - at no cost is completely beyond what AGPL grants as well.