Proxmox VE

Proxmox VE Backup

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Proxmox VE Backup

Built-in Backup

Via Web UI

  1. Datacenter → Backup → Add
  2. Schedule: Daily/Weekly
  3. Storage: Target storage
  4. Selection: VMs/Containers to backup
  5. Compression: lzo (fast) or gzip (small)
  6. Mode: Stopped/Snapshot/Suspend

Backup Modes

ModeDescriptionDowntime
stoppedGuest must be stoppedFull
suspendQuiesce diskBrief
snapshotLive snapshotNone

Configuration (CLI)

# Create backup job
vzdump 100 --storage local --mode snapshot --compress lzo
 
# Schedule backup
# Add via web UI:
# Datacenter → Backup → Add

Restore

# List backups
vzdump --list
 
# Restore from backup
# Web UI: Content → Select backup → Restore
# Or via CLI
qmrestore /mnt/backup/dump/vzdump-qemu-100-2024_01_01-12_00.tar.gz 100

Proxmox Backup Server (PBS)

Install PBS

# Install Proxmox Backup Server
apt install proxmox-backup-server -y
 
# Configure
# Web UI: https://your-pbs:8007

Configure PBS in Proxmox

# Add PBS as storage
pvesm add proxmox-backup-server pbs01 \
  --server 192.168.1.200 \
  --backup-username backup@pam \
  --fingerprint FINGERPRINT \
  --datastore main

PBS Features

  • Deduplication: Save storage space
  • Encryption: Client-side encryption
  • Incremental: Only changed blocks
  • Integrity: Provenance verification
  • Pruning: Automatic cleanup

Custom Backup Scripts

Backup Script

#!/bin/bash
# /root/scripts/backup.sh
BACKUP_DIR="/mnt/backup"
DATE=$(date +%Y%m%d)
 
# VMs to backup
for VM in 100 101 102; do
  echo "Backing up VM $VM..."
  vzdump $VM --mode snapshot --storage local --compress lzo
done
 
# Cleanup old backups
find $BACKUP_DIR -mtime +7 -delete
 
echo "Backup complete!"

Schedule with Cron

# Edit crontab
crontab -e
 
# Daily at 2 AM
0 2 * * * /root/scripts/backup.sh

Cloud Backup Options

rsync to Remote

# rsync to remote server
rsync -avz /mnt/pve/backup/ user@backup-server:/path/

rclone to Cloud

# Install rclone
curl https://rclone.org/install.sh | sudo bash
 
# Configure
rclone config
 
# Sync to S3/Google Drive/etc
rclone sync /mnt/pve/backup remote:bucket

Restore Procedures

Full System Restore

# Reinstall Proxmox
# Import backup
# Restore manually
 
# Or use PBS one-click restore
# PBS → Content → Select → Restore

VM/Container Restore

# List available backups
ls /mnt/backup/dump/
 
# Restore
# Web UI: Datacenter → Backup → Select file → Restore
# Or:
pct restore 100 /mnt/backup/dump/vzdump-lxc-100-2024.tar.gz
qmrestore /mnt/backup/dump/vzdump-qemu-102-2024.tar.gz 102

Backup Best Practices

  • Follow 3-2-1 rule: 3 copies, 2 media, 1 offsite
  • Test restores: Regularly verify backups
  • Encrypt: Use PBS encryption
  • Schedule: Off-peak hours
  • Monitor: Check backup logs

Keywords

backup restore vzdump pbs disaster-recovery cron rsync

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