Snapshot Backups with Velero

This method leverages Velero’s integration with Container Storage Interface (CSI) drivers to create volume snapshots, providing efficient and consistent backups for cloud-native environments.

Prerequisites

• Velero Installation with CSI Support
  Ensure Velero is installed with CSI snapshot support enabled. This requires the EnableCSI flag during installation. For detailed instructions, refer to the official Velero documentation:
  Container Storage Interface Snapshot Support in Velero

• CSI Driver Installation
  Confirm that a compatible CSI driver is installed and configured in your Kubernetes cluster. The CSI driver should support snapshot operations for your storage provider.

Backup process using Velero with CSI Snapshots

1. Set MSR 4 to Read-Only Mode.

   Before initiating the backup, set MSR 4 to Read-Only mode to prevent new data from being written during the process, minimizing inconsistencies.

   1. Log in to MSR 4 as an administrator.
   2. Navigate to Administration -> Configuration.
   3. Under System Settings, enable the Repository Read-Only option.
   4. Click Save to apply the changes.

2. Optional: Label Redis-Related Resources for Exclusion.

   To avoid backing up ephemeral data, exclude Redis-related resources from the backup.

   1. Label the Redis Pod:

      kubectl -n <MSR4-NAMESPACE> label pod <REDIS-POD-NAME> velero.io/exclude-from-backup=true
      

   2. Repeat the labeling process for the Redis PersistentVolumeClaim (PVC) and PersistentVolume (PV):

      kubectl -n <MSR4-NAMESPACE> label pvc <REDIS-PVC-NAME> velero.io/exclude-from-backup=true
      kubectl -n <MSR4-NAMESPACE> label pv <REDIS-PV-NAME> velero.io/exclude-from-backup=true
      

3. Create a backup.

   • Create a Full Snapshot Backup (Recommended for initial backup)

     Full Snapshot Backup is recommended for an initial backup.

     Use the following command to back up the entire MSR 4 namespace, capturing snapshots of all PersistentVolumes:

     velero backup create msr4-full-backup --include-namespaces <MSR4-namespace> --snapshot-volumes --wait
     

   • Create an Incremental Snapshot Backup

     After the full backup, incremental backups happen automatically. They capture only the changes since the last backup if the CSI Storage driver supports this capability. Please check with the manufacturer of your CSI driver.

     When running incremental backups, use the --from-backup flag:

     velero backup create msr4-full-backup --include-namespaces <MSR4-NAMESPACE> --snapshot-volumes --wait
     

     Note

     Replace <TIMESTAMP> with the current date and time to uniquely identify each backup.
     This command can be scheduled to run periodically.

Restore process

To restore MSR 4 from a snapshot backup, follow these steps:

• Restore a Full Backup

  1. Set MSR 4 to Read-Only Mode.

     1. Log in to MSR 4 as an administrator.
     2. Navigate to Administration -> Configuration.
     3. Under System Settings, enable the Repository Read-Only option.
     4. Click Save to apply the changes.

  2. Run the restore command.

     Restore from the most recent backup:

     velero restore create msr4-restore --from-backup msr4-full-backup --wait
     

• Restore an Incremental Backup

  1. Set MSR 4 to Read-Only Mode.

     1. Log in to MSR 4 as an administrator.
     2. Navigate to Administration -> Configuration.
     3. Under System Settings, enable the Repository Read-Only option.
     4. Click Save to apply the changes.

  2. Run the restore command.

     Restore from the most recent backup:

     velero restore create msr4-restore-incremental --from-backup msr4-incremental-backup --wait
     

Complete backup by unsetting Read-Only mode

After the backup is complete, revert MSR 4 to its normal operational state:

1. Navigate to Administration -> Configuration.
2. Under System Settings, disable the Repository Read-Only option by unchecking it.
3. Click Save to apply the changes.