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ZFS autobackup is used to periodicly backup ZFS filesystems to other locations. Easy to use and very reliable.

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ZFS autobackup

Tests Coverage Status Python Package CodeQL

Introduction

ZFS-autobackup tries to be the most reliable and easiest to use tool, while having all the features.

You can either use it as a backup tool, replication tool or snapshot tool.

You can select what to backup by setting a custom ZFS property. This makes it easy to add/remove specific datasets, or just backup your whole pool.

Other settings are just specified on the commandline: Simply setup and test your zfs-autobackup command and fix all the issues you might encounter. When you're done you can just copy/paste your command to a cron or script.

Since it's using ZFS commands, you can see what it's actually doing by specifying --debug. This also helps a lot if you run into some strange problem or errors. You can just copy-paste the command that fails and play around with it on the commandline. (something I missed in other tools)

An important feature that's missing from other tools is a reliable --test option: This allows you to see what zfs-autobackup will do and tune your parameters. It will do everything, except make changes to your system.

Features

  • Works across operating systems: Tested with Linux, FreeBSD/FreeNAS and SmartOS.
  • Low learning curve: no complex daemons or services, no additional software or networking needed.
  • Plays nicely with existing replication systems. (Like Proxmox HA)
  • Automatically selects filesystems to backup by looking at a simple ZFS property.
  • Creates consistent snapshots. (takes all snapshots at once, atomicly.)
  • Multiple backups modes:
    • Backup local data on the same server.
    • "push" local data to a backup-server via SSH.
    • "pull" remote data from a server via SSH and backup it locally.
    • "pull+push": Zero trust between source and target.
  • Can be scheduled via simple cronjob or run directly from commandline.
  • Also supports complex backup geometries.
  • ZFS encryption support: Can decrypt / encrypt or even re-encrypt datasets during transfer.
  • Supports sending with compression. (Using pigz, zstd etc)
  • IO buffering to speed up transfer.
  • Bandwidth rate limiting.
  • Multiple backups from and to the same datasets are no problem.
  • Resillient to errors.
  • Ability to manually 'finish' failed backups to see whats going on.
  • Easy to debug and has a test-mode. Actual unix commands are printed.
  • Uses progressive thinning for older snapshots.
  • Uses zfs-holds on important snapshots to prevent accidental deletion.
  • Automatic resuming of failed transfers.
  • Easy migration from other zfs backup systems to zfs-autobackup.
  • Gracefully handles datasets that no longer exist on source.
  • Complete and clean logging.
  • All code is regression tested against actual ZFS environments.
  • Easy installation:
    • Just install zfs-autobackup via pip.
    • Only needs to be installed on one side.
    • Written in python and uses zfs-commands, no special 3rd party dependency's or compiled libraries needed.
    • No annoying config files or properties.

Getting started

Please look at our wiki to Get started.

Or read the Full manual

Sponsor list

This project was sponsored by: