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Introduction to Devices

Devices (also called "Sources") represent the machines where Pluton can back up data from. Understanding how devices work is essential for managing backups across your infrastructure.

Device Limitations in Pluton vs Pluton PRO​

Pluton Core (Single Device)​

In Pluton Core, only the local device where Pluton is installed can be backed up. This is the "main" device and is automatically available when you install Pluton.

Limitations:

  • Cannot add additional devices
  • Only local machine data can be backed up
  • No remote device management

Use Case: Ideal for backing up a single computer or server.

Pluton PRO (Multi-Device)​

Pluton PRO enables backing up multiple remote devices by installing lightweight agents on those machines. This unlocks centralized backup management across your entire infrastructure.

Capabilities:

  • Add unlimited devices (based on your license)
  • Install agents remotely via SSH
  • Monitor all devices from one dashboard
  • Create backup plans for any connected device
  • View device metrics (CPU, memory, disk usage)
  • Browse remote file systems

How It Works:

  1. Add Device: Create a new device entry with name, hostname/IP, and port
  2. Install Agent: Pluton generates installation commands for Linux or Windows
  3. Agent Connects: The agent establishes a secure connection to your Pluton server using a message broker
  4. Create Backups: Set up backup plans targeting the remote device
  5. Agent Executes: The agent performs backups on the remote machine and sends data to configured storage

Agent Installation Methods:

  • Manual: Copy and run the installation command on the remote machine
  • SSH Install (PRO): Pluton installs the agent automatically via SSH credentials

Device Management:

  • View device status (online/offline)
  • Update agent versions remotely
  • Monitor system metrics and performance
  • Browse file systems to select backup sources
  • Update device settings and tags
  • Uninstall agents when no longer needed

How Pluton Communicates with Remote Devices​

Pluton PRO uses MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) as the communication protocol between the server and remote device agents. An embedded MQTT broker (Aedes) runs on the Pluton server on port 1884.

Communication Flow:

When you create a backup plan for a remote device, the Pluton server publishes commands to the agent's specific MQTT topic (commands/{agentId}/#). The agent subscribes to this topic, receives commands, executes backup operations locally, and publishes results back to its response topic (responses/{agentId}/#). This bidirectional messaging enables real-time monitoring, progress updates, and command execution without requiring direct network access to remote machines.

Security: All communication is authenticated using API keys, and message payloads are cryptographically signed to prevent tampering.

Device Limits​

Your Pluton PRO license determines how many devices you can add. By default, Pluton PRO subscription comes with 5 device slots. If you need more, you can purchase additional device slots from your account subscription page.

Check your license page to see:

  • Total device limit
  • Devices currently in use
  • Remaining device slots

When the device limit is reached, you'll need to upgrade your license or remove unused devices before adding new ones.

Next Steps​