borg2: rest-server

[tve]

I just noticed the new rest-server stuff in borgstore. Is there any documentation on this, or any discussion? Any protocol description other than "go and read the source code"? Is it ready for testing? What are the expected benefits? (I see "offloading checksum and defrag"?)

[infectormp]

borgbackup/borgstore#163

[ThomasWaldmann]

There are docs, read them. :-)

Basically, it is mapping the borgstore backend api to an equivalent http rest api.

High-level benefits:

• can "extend" any backend (e.g. posixfs) over the network:
  Store --> backend.rest ---network---> server.rest --> backend.posixfs
• isolates the backend on the server from the client, so the server operator can enforce quota and permissions
• runs code server-side, can do these with little data transfer over the network:
  • verify given hash in http header against received data hashsum before storing data
  • compute stored object hashes for later verification against bitrot
  • defrag according to a client-provided plan
  • these methods are generic, not borgbackup specific
• doesn't suffer from the sftp protocol limitations by using http
• rest client/server uses http/1.1 persistent connections
• production setups will usually use e.g. an nginx reverse proxy as frontend and to add TLS support