proxmox/docs/03-deployment/BACKUP_AND_RESTORE.md

Backup and Restore Procedures

Last Updated: 2025-01-20
Document Version: 1.0
Status: Active Documentation

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Overview

This document provides detailed procedures for backing up and restoring Proxmox VMs, containers, and configuration.

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Backup Strategy

Backup Types

1. VM/Container Backups:

   • Full VM snapshots
   • Container backups
   • Application data backups

2. Configuration Backups:

   • Proxmox host configuration
   • Network configuration
   • Storage configuration

3. Data Backups:

   • Database backups
   • Application data
   • Configuration files

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Backup Procedures

Proxmox VM/Container Backups

Using Proxmox Backup Server (PBS)

Setup:

1. Install PBS (if not already installed)
2. Add PBS to Proxmox:
   • Datacenter → Storage → Add → Proxmox Backup Server
   • Enter PBS server details
   • Test connection

Scheduled Backups:

1. Create Backup Job:

   • Datacenter → Backup → Add
   • Select VMs/containers
   • Set schedule (daily, weekly, etc.)
   • Choose retention policy

2. Backup Options:

   • Mode: Snapshot (recommended for running VMs)
   • Compression: ZSTD (recommended)
   • Storage: Proxmox Backup Server

Manual Backup:

# Backup single VM
vzdump <vmid> --storage <storage-name> --mode snapshot

# Backup multiple VMs
vzdump 100 101 102 --storage <storage-name> --mode snapshot

# Backup all VMs
vzdump --all --storage <storage-name> --mode snapshot

Using vzdump (Direct)

Backup to Local Storage:

# Backup VM to local storage
vzdump <vmid> --storage local --mode snapshot --compress zstd

# Backup with retention
vzdump <vmid> --storage local --mode snapshot --maxfiles 7

Backup to NFS:

# Add NFS storage first
# Datacenter → Storage → Add → NFS

# Backup to NFS
vzdump <vmid> --storage nfs-backup --mode snapshot

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Configuration Backups

Proxmox Host Configuration

Backup Configuration Files:

# Backup Proxmox configuration
tar -czf /backup/proxmox-config-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz \
  /etc/pve/ \
  /etc/network/interfaces \
  /etc/hosts \
  /etc/hostname

Restore Configuration:

# Extract configuration
tar -xzf /backup/proxmox-config-YYYYMMDD.tar.gz -C /

# Restart services
systemctl restart pve-cluster
systemctl restart pve-daemon

Network Configuration

Backup Network Config:

# Backup network configuration
cp /etc/network/interfaces /backup/interfaces-$(date +%Y%m%d)
cp /etc/hosts /backup/hosts-$(date +%Y%m%d)

Version Control:

• Store network configuration in Git
• Track changes over time
• Easy rollback if needed

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Application Data Backups

Database Backups

PostgreSQL:

# Backup PostgreSQL database
pg_dump -U <user> <database> > /backup/db-$(date +%Y%m%d).sql

# Restore
psql -U <user> <database> < /backup/db-YYYYMMDD.sql

MySQL/MariaDB:

# Backup MySQL database
mysqldump -u <user> -p <database> > /backup/db-$(date +%Y%m%d).sql

# Restore
mysql -u <user> -p <database> < /backup/db-YYYYMMDD.sql

Application Files

# Backup application directory
tar -czf /backup/app-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz /path/to/application

# Restore
tar -xzf /backup/app-YYYYMMDD.tar.gz -C /

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Restore Procedures

Restore VM/Container from Backup

From Proxmox Backup Server

Via Web UI:

1. Select VM/Container:

   • Datacenter → Backup → Select backup
   • Click "Restore"

2. Restore Options:

   • Select target storage
   • Choose new VMID (or keep original)
   • Set network configuration

3. Start Restore:

   • Click "Restore"
   • Monitor progress

Via Command Line:

# Restore from PBS
vzdump restore <backup-id> <vmid> --storage <storage>

# Restore with new VMID
vzdump restore <backup-id> <new-vmid> --storage <storage>

From vzdump Backup

# Restore from vzdump file
vzdump restore <backup-file.vma.gz> <vmid> --storage <storage>

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Restore Configuration

Restore Proxmox Configuration

# Stop Proxmox services
systemctl stop pve-cluster
systemctl stop pve-daemon

# Restore configuration
tar -xzf /backup/proxmox-config-YYYYMMDD.tar.gz -C /

# Start services
systemctl start pve-cluster
systemctl start pve-daemon

Restore Network Configuration

# Restore network config
cp /backup/interfaces-YYYYMMDD /etc/network/interfaces
cp /backup/hosts-YYYYMMDD /etc/hosts

# Restart networking
systemctl restart networking

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Backup Verification

Verify Backup Integrity

Check Backup Files:

# List backups
vzdump list --storage <storage>

# Verify backup
vzdump verify <backup-id>

Test Restore:

• Monthly restore test
• Verify VM/container starts
• Test application functionality
• Document results

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Backup Retention Policy

Retention Schedule

• Daily Backups: Keep 7 days
• Weekly Backups: Keep 4 weeks
• Monthly Backups: Keep 12 months
• Yearly Backups: Keep 7 years

Cleanup Old Backups

# Remove backups older than retention period
vzdump prune --storage <storage> --keep-last 7

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Backup Monitoring

Backup Status Monitoring

Check Backup Jobs:

• Datacenter → Backup → Jobs
• Review last backup time
• Check for errors

Automated Monitoring:

• Set up alerts for failed backups
• Monitor backup storage usage
• Track backup completion times

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Best Practices

1. Test Restores Regularly:

   • Monthly restore tests
   • Verify data integrity
   • Document results

2. Multiple Backup Locations:

   • Local backups (fast restore)
   • Remote backups (disaster recovery)
   • Offsite backups (complete protection)

3. Document Backup Procedures:

   • Keep procedures up to date
   • Document restore procedures
   • Maintain backup inventory

4. Monitor Backup Storage:

   • Check available space regularly
   • Clean up old backups
   • Plan for storage growth

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Related Documentation

• DISASTER_RECOVERY.md - Disaster recovery procedures
• OPERATIONAL_RUNBOOKS.md - Operational procedures
• ../../04-configuration/SECRETS_KEYS_CONFIGURATION.md - Secrets backup

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Last Updated: 2025-01-20
Review Cycle: Monthly