Full Server Backups Introduction
What is a Full Server Backup?
A Full Server Backup (also called Rescue Backup) in Pluton is a complete system-level backup solution designed for bare-metal disaster recovery. Unlike file-based backups that protect individual files and folders, server backups capture your entire system including the operating system, boot configuration, disk layout, and all installed software.
Pluton uses ReaR (Relax-and-Recover) combined with Restic under the hood - a powerful disaster recovery solution that creates bootable ISO images and incremental data backups. This combination allows you to completely restore your server to bare metal in case of catastrophic hardware failure.
Key Differences: Server Backup vs. File Backup
Full Server Backups (ReaR + Restic)
- Complete system capture - OS, boot loader, disk partitions, and all data
- Bare-metal recovery - Restore to different hardware
- Bootable ISO images - Created for system restoration
- System-level protection - Includes boot configuration and system files
- Incremental data backups - After initial ISO, only changed data is backed up
- Disaster recovery focused - Full system restoration capability
- Automatic disk layout detection - Discovers and backs up critical filesystems
Incremental File Backups (Restic)
- File and folder level - Backs up specific files and directories
- Snapshot-based - Creates point-in-time snapshots
- File-level restoration - Restore individual files or folders
- No system recovery - Cannot restore OS or boot configuration
- Version history - Multiple snapshots over time
- Flexible retention - Manage snapshots independently
When to Use Each
Use Full Server Backup when:
- You need complete disaster recovery capability
- You want to restore entire system to bare metal
- You need to recover from hardware failure
- You want bootable recovery media
- You're protecting critical servers or infrastructure
- You need to migrate systems to new hardware
- You want comprehensive system-level protection
Use Incremental File Backup when:
- You need to protect specific files and folders
- You want file-level version history
- You need flexible retention policies
- You're backing up user data or documents
- Storage efficiency is a priority
- You don't need full system recovery
Use Both Together:
Many administrators use both approaches:
- Server backups for complete disaster recovery capability
- File backups for granular file-level protection and version history
- Example: Daily server backup + hourly file backups for critical data
Key Features
💾 Complete System Capture
- Full disk layout - Captures partition tables and filesystem structures
- Boot configuration - Includes bootloader (GRUB, UEFI) settings
- Operating system - Complete OS installation and configuration
- Installed software - All packages and applications
- System configuration - Network, users, services, and settings
🔄 Incremental Data Protection
- Initial full backup - Creates bootable ISO and data backup
- Subsequent incrementals - Only backs up changed data
- Layout change detection - Automatically detects disk layout changes
- Efficient storage - Deduplication of unchanged data blocks
- Fast subsequent backups - Only changes are backed up after initial ISO
💿 Bootable ISO Creation
- Recovery media - ISO image for system restoration
- Automatic creation - Generated during full backup
- ISO updates - Recreated when disk layout changes
- Encrypted ISOs - Optional encryption for security
- Multiple formats - Support for various output formats
🔒 Security & Encryption
- Data encryption - Optional AES-256 encryption of backup data
- ISO encryption - Protect bootable recovery media
- Secure storage - Encrypted transfer to remote storage
- Password protection - Master encryption key management
📦 Filesystem Discovery
- Automatic detection - Discovers all system filesystems
- Critical filesystem identification - Identifies OS partitions
- Selective inclusion - Choose which filesystems to back up
- Mount point tracking - Records mount points for restoration
🔁 Retry Mechanism
- Automatic retries - Failed backups are automatically retried
- Configurable attempts - Set the number of retry attempts
- Network resilience - Handles temporary connectivity issues
📊 Progress Tracking
- Two-phase progress - ISO creation and data backup phases
- Real-time monitoring - Track backup progress live
- Detailed logs - Complete logs of all operations
- Statistics - View backup history, sizes, and performance
🌐 Remote Storage Support
- Cloud storage - AWS S3, Google Cloud Storage, Azure Blob
- Object storage - Backblaze B2, Wasabi, MinIO
- Network storage - SFTP, SSH, NFS, SMB/CIFS
- Local storage - Local disks or mounted drives
How It Works
Server Backup Process Flow
Technical Process
-
Filesystem Discovery
- ReaR scans the system for all filesystems
- Identifies critical OS partitions automatically
- Detects disk layout, partition tables, and mount points
- Presents discovered filesystems for user selection
-
Initialization
- Pluton initializes a Restic repository in chosen storage
- ReaR configuration is generated with selected filesystems
- Backup schedule is registered based on interval settings
- Initial full backup is queued
-
Layout Change Detection
- Before each backup, ReaR checks if disk layout changed
- Compares current layout against stored configuration
- Determines if full backup (with ISO) is needed
- Layout changes trigger ISO recreation
-
ISO Creation Phase (Full Backup Only)
- ReaR creates a bootable recovery environment
- Includes system configuration, bootloader, and drivers
- Packages everything into an ISO image
- ISO is optionally encrypted
- ISO is uploaded to storage
-
Data Backup Phase
- Restic backs up selected filesystems incrementally
- Only changed data blocks are uploaded
- Deduplication reduces storage requirements
- Progress is tracked and reported in real-time
-
Snapshot Creation
- Restic creates a snapshot of the backed-up data
- Snapshot references the ISO image (if created)
- Snapshot metadata includes disk layout information
- Backup ID is recorded for restoration
-
Notifications & Logging
- Backup completion status is logged
- Notifications are sent based on configuration
- Progress and statistics are updated in database
Backup Types
Full Backup (mkbackup)
- Creates bootable ISO image
- Backs up all filesystem data
- Triggered on first backup or layout changes
- Takes longer but provides complete recovery capability
Incremental Backup (mkbackuponly)
- Skips ISO creation (reuses existing ISO)
- Only backs up changed filesystem data
- Much faster than full backup
- Sufficient when disk layout hasn't changed
Disaster Recovery Workflow
Creating Backups
- Create server backup plan
- Select filesystems to protect
- Configure backup schedule
- First backup creates ISO + data backup
- Subsequent backups are incremental (unless layout changes)
Recovering from Disaster
- Boot from ISO image (burned to USB/CD or mounted virtually)
- ReaR recovery environment starts
- Select restore option from ReaR menu
- ReaR restores disk layout and partitions
- Restic restores filesystem data from snapshots
- System configuration is applied
- Bootloader is reinstalled
- System reboots into recovered OS
Storage Destinations
Server backup plans support various storage backends:
- Local Storage - Store backups on local disks or mounted drives
- Cloud Storage - AWS S3, Google Cloud Storage, Azure Blob
- Object Storage - Backblaze B2, Wasabi, MinIO
- Network Storage - SFTP/SSH, NFS, SMB/CIFS
- Any Restic-compatible backend - Multiple options available
Performance Considerations
Initial Full Backup
- Duration: Can take several hours for large systems
- ISO Creation: 5-30 minutes depending on system complexity
- Data Backup: Depends on filesystem size and network speed
- Recommendation: Schedule initial backup during maintenance window
Subsequent Incremental Backups
- Duration: Much faster, only changed data
- No ISO Creation: Skipped when layout unchanged
- Typical Time: Minutes to hours depending on changes
- Efficiency: Deduplication minimizes data transfer
Factors Affecting Speed
- System size - Total size of selected filesystems
- Change rate - Amount of data modified since last backup
- Network speed - Upload speed to remote storage
- Storage performance - Speed of destination storage
- CPU performance - Compression and encryption overhead
Use Cases
Data Center Servers
- Protect production servers with complete recovery capability
- Quick restoration after hardware failures
- Migration to new hardware with different specifications
- Compliance with disaster recovery requirements
Critical Infrastructure
- Backup database servers with OS and data
- Protect application servers completely
- Ensure quick recovery of essential services
- Maintain business continuity
Development & Testing
- Create snapshots of development environments
- Quick restoration of test systems
- Clone systems to different hardware
- Testing disaster recovery procedures
Virtual Machines
- Backup complete VMs at system level
- Alternative to hypervisor-level backups
- OS-level backup for flexibility
- Migration between virtualization platforms
Edge Servers
- Protect remote servers with limited maintenance
- Quick restoration without on-site intervention
- Standardized recovery process
- Centralized backup management
Limitations & Considerations
System Requirements
- Linux systems only - ReaR is Linux-specific
- Root access required - System-level operations need privileges
- Sufficient storage - Initial backup requires space for ISO + data
- Compatible bootloader - GRUB or UEFI required
Backup Considerations
- Downtime not required - Backups run on live systems
- Excluded data - Some virtual filesystems excluded automatically
- Performance impact - System load during backup operations
- Network bandwidth - Initial backup requires significant upload
Recovery Considerations
- Hardware compatibility - ReaR handles different hardware well
- Recovery time - Full restore can take several hours
- Network required - To download backup data during recovery
- Boot media needed - USB/CD with ISO or network boot
Next Steps
- Creating Server Backup Plan - Step-by-step guide
- Managing Server Backups - Running, editing, and maintaining backups
- Server Backup Maintenance - Cleanup, troubleshooting, and restoration
- Storage Configuration - Setting up storage destinations
For technical details about ReaR and Restic, visit their official documentation: ReaR | Restic