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Backup/Recovery

Data loss happens without warning. Regular backups are the only way to protect your business from system failures, human errors, and security incidents. With KIWI, you can easily manage backups from the web UI without complex backup scripts.

Backup Management

Why Are Backups Important?​

Without backups, you can suffer significant damage in the following situations:

  • Server hardware failure: Without backups, total data loss occurs. With backups, recovery is possible within hours.
  • Accidental data deletion: Without backups, recovery is impossible. With backups, you can restore to a previous point.
  • Ransomware infection: Without backups, you must pay the ransom or lose data. With backups, you can recover from a clean backup.
The 3-2-1 Backup Rule
  • Keep 3 copies of your data
  • Store on 2 different storage media
  • Keep 1 copy offsite (external storage)

Backup Types​

Backup types supported by KIWI:

  • etcd Backup: Backs up Kubernetes cluster state. Run daily for cluster disaster recovery.
  • Docker Backup: Backs up containers, volumes, and images. Run daily for Docker/Podman environment recovery.
  • External Storage: Long-term backup retention. Run weekly for safe storage in MinIO, S3.
What is etcd?

etcd is a distributed key-value store that stores all Kubernetes cluster state (Pods, Services, ConfigMaps, etc.). If etcd is corrupted, you may need to rebuild the entire cluster.

Setting Up etcd Backup​

How to back up the etcd of a Kubernetes cluster.

Prerequisite: The Kubernetes cluster must be registered in [Runtime Environment].

Step 1: Navigate to the Backup Management Page​

Click [Backup Management] in the left menu.

Step 2: Select the etcd Backup Tab​

Click etcd Backup in the top tabs.

Step 3: Select the Target Cluster​

Select the Kubernetes cluster to back up from the cluster selection dropdown. Verify that the cluster connection status is "Connected".

Step 4: Configure Backup Settings​

Enter the backup configuration:

  • Backup Name: A name to identify the backup. (e.g., etcd-daily-backup)
  • Storage Location: The path where the backup file will be saved. (e.g., /backup/etcd/)
  • Retention Period: The number of days to retain the backup file. (e.g., 30 days)
  • Schedule: Set the backup frequency with a cron expression. (e.g., 0 2 * * * means every day at 2 AM)

Step 5: Run Immediate Backup (Optional)​

Click the Backup Now button to run a backup immediately. You can monitor the backup progress in real time.

Step 6: Verify Backup Completion​

Check the backup results in the backup history table:

  • Backup time
  • Backup size
  • Status (Success/Failure)

Backing Up Docker Containers​

How to back up Docker containers and volumes.

Prerequisite: The Docker runtime must be registered in [Runtime Environment].

Step 1: Navigate to the Backup Management Page​

Click [Backup Management] in the left menu.

Step 2: Select the Docker Backup Tab​

Click Docker Backup in the top tabs.

Step 3: Select Backup Target​

Select what to back up:

  • Containers: Back up the state of running containers.
  • Volumes: Back up data volumes.
  • Images: Back up container images.

Step 4: Configure Backup Options​

Set the backup options:

  • Compression method: Select a compression method such as gzip or tar.
  • Storage location: Specify a local or remote path.
  • Exclusion patterns: Specify items to exclude from the backup.

Step 5: Run Backup​

Click the Start Backup button. You can monitor the backup progress.

Setting Up External Storage Backup​

How to configure backups to be stored in MinIO or S3.

Step 1: Navigate to the Storage Settings Tab​

Click the Storage Settings tab on the [Backup Management] page.

Step 2: Add External Storage​

Click the Add Storage button. Supported storage types:

  • MinIO: On-premises object storage. Used for storing backups in your own infrastructure.
  • AWS S3: Amazon S3-compatible storage. Suitable for cloud backups.
  • NFS: Network File System. Used when existing NFS infrastructure is available.

Step 3: Enter Storage Connection Information​

MinIO connection example:

  • Endpoint: MinIO server address. (e.g., minio.company.com:9000)
  • Access Key: MinIO access key.
  • Secret Key: MinIO secret key.
  • Bucket Name: The bucket to store backups. (e.g., kiwi-backup)

Step 4: Test Connection and Save​

Click the Test Connection button to verify the connection is working. When a success message appears, click the Save button.

Recovering from a Backup​

How to restore the system from a previous backup.

Note: Recovery operations overwrite existing data. Proceed with caution.

Step 1: Navigate to the Recovery History Tab​

Click the Recovery History tab on the [Backup Management] page.

Step 2: Select a Backup to Recover​

Select the backup to recover from the backup list. Check the following information:

  • Backup date/time
  • Backup size
  • Backup type (etcd/Docker/Storage)

Step 3: Verify Recovery Target​

Review the items to be recovered in the Recovery Preview. Confirm the warning that the current data will be overwritten with the backup point-in-time data.

Step 4: Execute Recovery​

Click the Start Recovery button. Enter the administrator password for security confirmation.

Step 5: Verify Recovery Completion​

Check the recovery results:

  • Recovery status (Success/Failure)
  • Recovery time elapsed
  • List of recovered items.

Setting Up an Automatic Backup Schedule​

How to configure automatic daily backups.

Step 1: Navigate to the Schedule Settings Tab​

Click the Schedule Settings tab on the [Backup Management] page.

Step 2: Create a New Schedule​

Click the Add Schedule button.

Step 3: Configure the Schedule​

Enter the schedule information:

  • Schedule Name: A name to identify the schedule. (e.g., daily-full-backup)
  • Frequency: Choose from daily, weekly, or monthly.
  • Execution Time: The time to run the backup. (e.g., 02:00)
  • Backup Target: Select etcd, Docker, or all.
  • Retention Policy: The number or duration of backups to retain. (e.g., last 30)

Step 4: Configure Notifications (Optional)​

Set up notifications to receive when a backup completes:

  • Success notification: Receive a notification when a backup succeeds.
  • Failure notification: Receive a notification when a backup fails.
  • Email: Enter the email address to receive notifications.

Step 5: Activate the Schedule​

Click the Save and Activate button. Verify the active status in the schedule list.

Frequently Asked Questions​

Backup is failing​

Errors and solutions:

  • "No space left on device": Insufficient storage. Free up disk space at storage path.
  • "Permission denied": No write permission. Check permissions on storage path.
  • "Connection timeout": Network issue. Check target server connectivity.

Service is not working normally after recovery​

Things to check:

  1. Version compatibility: Check version differences between backup time and current Kubernetes/Docker.
  2. Configuration changes: Check if settings were changed after backup
  3. External dependencies: Check database and external API connections.
Post-Recovery Checklist
  • Verify all Pods are in Running state.
  • Verify service endpoints are accessible.
  • Check logs for errors.

Backup size is too large​

Ways to reduce size:

  1. Enable compression: Save 50-70% with gzip compression.
  2. Set exclusion patterns: Exclude logs and cache files.
  3. Incremental backup: Only back up changes (when supported)

Cannot connect to external storage​

  • Verify Access Key and Secret Key are correct
  • Verify bucket exists and has write permissions.
  • Check if firewall allows the port (MinIO: 9000, S3: 443)
Recommended Next Steps