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Remote backups require local storage

8p-design
The cpanel backup seem to require a LOCAL disk space before it can be copied elsewhere. Since SSD disk space is PREMIUM these days on servers. We feel the strategy is a fail to use it as the local drive as repository. Why is cpanel forcing us to first have the backup saved to the local server before it can be sent elsewhere? This brings the IO on the server disk to the roof, eats space and does not serve our client properly. When is cpanel dev team going to allow for a remote server to be the main repository of the backup and run the cpbackup from outside the server to pull data out of the server, rather than saving local. I feel we should be able install cpbackup.sh on a remote server, so it connects to the cp server via ssh and do it's own work through some rsync -diff. Am I crazy!?

Comments

6 comments

Date Votes
  • cPanelMichael
    Hello @8p-design, The following feature requests relate to this topic: To avoid the load on the server, there is a make offer to find a way generate the backup on the remote server. Ability to send backup in multiple chunks to the remote server to avoid overload local storage Provide SSHFS support for Backups I encourage you to vote and add additional comments to any or all of these feature requests if you'd like to see them implemented. One option to consider in the meantime is to use the Incremental backup type combined with the Rsync destination. While it would still result in the utilization of disk space during the initial backup generation, subsequent backup generations would only require disk space for the files/directories that were new or modified. Thank you.
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  • 8p-design
    Thanks for your reply. FEATURE REQUESTS: There seem to be multiple feature requests indeed for the same thing. Hoping that the fact they are spread across all those will not impair their consideration among cPanel project owners. INCREMENTAL + RSYNC This being said, the "Incremental backup type combined with the Rsync destination" in fact still require for the WHOLE backup to be stored and left on the production server to reduce Disk IO and rsync impact on load. If you want to save disk space and decide to remove the local copy after rsync by De-selecting "Retain backups in the default backup directory"), then you are back to square one in terms of server load and disk IO as the whole backup has to be recreated before the rsync does it's diff transfer. Every day. :/ It seems fine when you have a mini server. But when you have +1TB for +60 accounts, it becomes unsustainable. Again, the only solution would be for another system to launch a local cpbackup shell script that would connect via SSH to the cpserver, read accounts one by one and pulls the updates across ssh rsync. This is the way to handle offsite backups in a professional manner. Currently, backup eat too much premium disk space.
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  • cPanelMichael
    If you want to save disk space and decide to remove the local copy after rsync by De-selecting "Retain backups in the default backup directory"), then you are back to square one in terms of server load and disk IO as the whole backup has to be recreated before the rsync does it's diff transfer. Every day. :/

    Hello, Yes, you are correct about the storage requirement during the local backup generation. I've seen other users purchase and mount a non-SSD drive as /backup for this purpose. That might be something to consider until one of the feature requests referenced in my last response is implemented. Thank you.
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  • 8p-design
    There is most often no option to install extra drives as the machine was brought up for production and is already maximized. The production server should not be used to backup. Again, the real need here is for a remote machine to manage the whole backup process. Not copying over and over and over. Is this something in the plans? Thanks Michael!
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  • cPanelMichael
    Again, the real need here is for a remote machine to manage the whole backup process. Not copying over and over and over.

    There's no plan for that at this time, but I encourage you to vote and add feedback to the existing feature requests noted in the earlier response. Thanks!
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  • 8p-design
    Too bad. Since my request is really pointing toward a REMOTE server to pull the backups. I have created another feature request. Backup directly PULLED from a remote server - No local disk space needed If you believe that this feature makes sense, please upvote it! ;) Would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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