Fundamentals: Catalog

The Catalog (Bacula database) service is responsible for maintaining the bacula database for all files backed up. The Catalog services allow system administrators or users to quickly locate and restore any desired file. The Catalog services sets Bacula apart from simple archiver programs like tar and dump, because the Catalog maintains a record of all Volumes used, all Jobs run, and all Files saved, ensuring efficient restoration and Volume management.

Bacula can run with three SQL database backends: MySQL, PostgreSQL and SQLite. We strongly recommend using SQLite only for testing purposes. The two others, MySQL and PostgreSQL, provide quite a number of features, including rapid indexing, arbitrary queries, and security.

Note

PostgreSQL is strongly recommended, and the only Catalog database engine supported with new Bacula Enterprise installations.

To keep the Catalog to a manageable size, the backup information should be removed from the Catalog after the defined File Retention Period. Bacula provides the mechanisms for the Catalog to be automatically pruned according to the retention periods defined.

See also

Go back to:

• Director

• Client (File Daemon)

• Storage Daemon

Go to:

• Console

• Plugins

Go back to the Bacula Enterprise Architecture chapter.

Go back to the Bacula Enterprise Fundamentals chapter.