Proxmox VE itself has backup capabilities to any Storage (Datacenter -> Storage). This includes all local and network storage including NFS.
So what does the Proxmox Backup Server do? It provides file server services for your Proxmox VE servers. It also provides much needed logging of backups and monitoring. It also provides pruning and replication services for your backups. While you could make due with just what is built-into Proxmox VE, I think Backup Server is a worthy addition.
Proxmox Backup Server is an enterprise-class, client-server backup solution that is capable of backing up virtual machines, containers, and physical hosts. It is specially optimized for the Proxmox Virtual Environment platform and allows you to back up your data securely, even between remote sites, providing easy management through a web-based user interface.
It supports deduplication, compression, and authenticated encryption (AE).
You do not setup backup jobs on the Proxmox BU Server. This happens on the Proxmox VE server.
I’m going to show you how I set up my system. This does not require a PVE cluster. The Proxmox Backup Server can be a VM on a PVE server.
- Storage - You will need some storage for the backups. I would suggest a dedicated “disk” whether this is an NFS share or a “real” virtual disk. This can be a local disk on the Backup Server. (Proxmox BU Server itself does not support using NFS shares directly.) Using a separate disk stops the problem of filling up the disk with backups and crashing the OS.
- Installation - Download and install Proxmox Backup Server. The OS disk can be 32 GB and memory should be 4-8 GB. Add an additional hard drive to the VM for storing the backups.
- Partitioning and Formatting the storage drive - Under Configuration and Storage/Disks and Disks, locate the additional disk you added. Example: /dev/sdb. click on it and click on the “Initialize Disk with GPT” button. After this is done, select “Directory” and press “Create Directory”. The “Disk” option should self-populate quickly. Select a file system type and provide a name. Make sure “Add as Datastore” is selected and press”Create”. Go back to “Disks” and press “Reload”. Now you should have a device like /dev/sdb1. Make note of this device name.
- Creating a datastore on the Proxmox BU Server - Under Datastore click on Add Datastore. Name the datastore. The Backing Path is the device name from the previous step. The GC Schedule (garbage collection) and Prune Schedule can stay “daily”. Click on Add. Consider adding a namespace to organize your backups.
- Fingerprint - On the Dashboard page of the BU server, click on the “Show Fingerprint” button and then click on the Copy button.
- Adding the storage to PVE - Click on the Datacenter and on Storage. Click on “Add” and select “Proxmox Backup Server”. Name (ID) this storage. For “Server” type in the FQDN or IP address of the BU Server. The user name can be root@pam unless you have created a dedicated user account. Type in the password and supply the datastore name you created on the BU Server. Now paste in the Fingerprint from the BU server. Click on Add.
- On the PVE server, go to Datacenter and Backups and Click on Add. For Storage, select the storage name you created in the above step. Select a schedule and a Schedule Mode. Note: For Selection mode, use “Exclude selected VMs” and select the VM hosting your Proxmox BU Server. Otherwise you will be backing up your backups. Now press “Create”.
- If you want to force a backup now, select the backup job and the “Run” button.
At this point, you are all done. Once a backup has run, you can go to the BU Server and see what is happening.
Unless you want to keep all of your backups forever, You will likely want to “Prune” your backups. On the BU Server, click on Datastore and the “Prune Jobs” button and “Add”. For help on filling this panel out, click on the “Help” button.
Copying your backups to another Proxmox BU Server is smart. Create a “Remote” Proxmox BU Server. Now go to Datastore and click on “Sync Jobs” and the Add button.