Setup Proxmox To Backup VM To An Offsite Backup Server – 2023
It’s a good idea to backup a critical VM to an offsite Proxmox Backup Server, this helps to avoid data loss, especially, in the case of a local site disaster. This tutorial discusses two methods for achieving this task.
- Add Remote Proxmox Backup Server As a Storage To Local Proxmox VE (VM to be turned off during the backup).
- Sync Local And Remote Proxmox Backup Server (Supports Live VM during the backup).
A Remote Proxmox Backup Server can be at an offsite location or it can be set up on the cloud. Here is a tutorial if you like to set up Proxmox Backup Server on the Cloud, you can also Set Up Proxmox Backup Server as VM at a Remote Location.
Method# 1:
Add Remote Proxmox Backup Server As a Storage To Local Proxmox VE
For this method, the following are the key points to consider:
- High Internet Bandwidth
- Lowest Possible Latency (5 – 25ms) From The Remote Site.
- The VM needed To Be Turned Off During The Backup Process.
It is of key importance that your remote site firewall allows Proxmox VE incoming traffic (Proxmox VE WAN IP ADDRESS & Destination Port 8007).
To configure the local Proxmox VE Server, select Server View –>Datacenter–>Storage–> Click Add–>and then Select Proxmox Backup Server. Now add the following details of your Remote Promox Backup Server (Which is already configured, up and running):
- ID: Type any name, once the configuration is complete, this will appear as the storage name.
- Server: Type the IP Address of your remote Proxmox Backup Server.
- Username: root@pam.
- Password: The remote Proxmox Backup Server (PBS) password for the user.
- Datastore: The name for the remote PBS Datastore.
- Nodes: If you are using a cluster then choose the desired nodes else let it be at default.
- Fingerprint: Log in to your Remote PBS –> Click Dashboard–> from the right pane click Show Fingerprint–> then copy the Fingerprint and paste it here in the Fingerprint section –> then click Add.
If everything goes well then this will add remote PBS as a storage to your local Proxmox VE.
VM Backup
Turn off your critical VM, Select Server View–>Datacenter–>Backup–> Add and then add the following details:
- Node: Select your local Proxmox VE Server.
- Storage: Select your previously added Remote Proxmox Backup Storage.
- Schedule: Choose a desired backup schedule from the list.
- SelectionMode: Select, Include the selected VMS, and then select the checkbox against the desired VM from the list.
- Send email to: Leave it blank for now, as you will need to configure SMTP, and POP settings, which is not in the scope of the article.
- Compression: ZSTD, is by far the best compression type.
- Mode: Snapshot, the first backup will be a full VM backup, and the rest of the backups shall be incremental backups containing only the changed bits (deltas/dirty bits).
- Enable: Select the checkbox against Enable, otherwise, the job schedule will not execute.
After this click OK to create the backup job, this job will run at the Schedule time, furthermore, you can start the job immediately by selecting the Run now button.
As mentioned previously, the first backup will be a complete VM backup and the rest of the backups shall be incremental.
Related Proxmox Backup Maintenance Tasks
The following maintenance tasks are also needed to be configured while taking VM backups.
Method# 2:
Sync Local And Remote Proxmox Backup Server.
For this tutorial, we need two Proxmox Backup servers, one Server can be installed locally, either on the PVE or Standalone, and the second Server shall be at a remote site which can be a cloud or an offsite location.
The best thing about this method is that we can take live VM backups (The VMs are running during the backup process), Here is a detailed understanding of this method: How To Sync Local And Remote Proxmox Backup Server?
————-
