Databases and Proxmox sources
Copying a live database's files rarely gives a backup you can restore. Backup sources tell an agent to take a proper dump or Proxmox export first, then store it through the same encrypted, deduplicated pipeline as files.
The Backup Sources page lists each source with its type, the device that runs it, its status and its last error.
Add a source
- In the tenant admin portal, open Backup Sources and choose the type.
- Assign it to the device whose agent will run it.
- Fill in the connection details. Passwords are stored encrypted on the server and sent only to the assigned agent over its authenticated connection.
- Save. The source runs with that device's next scheduled backup.
A failed source is reported as a failed job with the error, and the device's file backup still runs.
Databases
| Source | Tool the agent runs | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| MySQL / MariaDB | mysqldump |
One database, or all when the database field is blank. Uses a single transaction, and includes routines, events and triggers. |
| PostgreSQL | pg_dump or pg_dumpall |
pg_dump in custom format for one database, pg_dumpall when the field is blank. |
| SQL Server | sqlcmd running BACKUP DATABASE |
One named database per source. SQL login or Windows authentication. |
How database dumps work:
- The agent dumps each source into a temporary folder. The tool must be installed on the device and on its
PATH. - The dump is captured into that run's file restore point, encrypted like any other file.
- The temporary folder is deleted, so no unencrypted dump stays on disk. A dump that failed part-way is removed too.
Each dump has a two-hour limit, so a hung database cannot hold up the backup.
SQL Server writes the .bak file itself, so the agent must run on the SQL Server machine or share a path with it.
Passwords are passed to the dump tools through environment variables, not the command line, so they do not show in process lists.
To restore, recover the dump file from the restore point (see Restoring files and folders) and load it with the database's own tools: mysql, pg_restore or psql, or RESTORE DATABASE.
Proxmox VE
A Proxmox source backs up VMs and containers with vzdump on the Proxmox host. Each guest becomes its own restore point, and blocks that did not change since the last backup are not uploaded again. See Proxmox VE.