Backup

Common Approaches

To prevent data loss and facilitate system recovery in case the VM is compromised, it is crucial to back up KVM. A common backup strategy is to use a custom script like perl or something else. This type of script can be flexible and can be configured to suit the setup and backup needs of the VM. This process generally involves identifying the VM and for each VM, taking a snapshot of the disks. The snapshot is then dumped on a remote server or a backup storage.

Some scripts may require temporary suspension of the VM’s operations. A risk to using scripts is that, while it is easy to access and execute, it can also open up VMs to security vulnerabilities.

Another way to use the snapshot tool is to install all the necessary components on the VM and use this as a base snapshot when it is time to restore.

A backup software may be installed on each VM. The backup process itself can affect the performance of the VM on the server.

This module removes the need to have a client installed in each VM. The module works at the Hypervisor Level, in the same way as Bacula’s XEN and PROXMOX modules. The module is a fully integrated, agentless technology.

To back up, the user simply defines a file set.

However, in the instance of needing to restore a file to a running VM, the user would need to have a Bacula Enterprise client installed.

Backup with Bacula Enterprise

Bacula Enterprise enables easy backup and restoration of KVMs at a file level. There is no software installation and scripting required for individual clients. Bacula Enterprise’s high level of granularity allows users a high level of control over the data they need to (or don’t need to) backup and recover. Auto-detection capabilities also enable automatic VM discovery, which means there is no need to define which VM to backup after initial configuration.

With Bacula Enterprise, it is possible to conduct KVM backup whether the VM is running, paused or shut off. Backing up VMs is a resource-intensive process that can reduce resource allocation to the OS, application files, user data and settings, and consequently, affect the performance of the VM. Bacula’s backup tool enables KVM backup without service interruption and data consistency.

Snapshot backup is also available. When this is combined with Bacula Systems’ Global Endpoint Deduplication engine and comm-line compression, users can save storage and reduce use of network bandwidth.