Backup Types by Driver

This topic describes the various types of backups supported by Portworx Backup when different provisioners and drivers are involved in the backup creation phase. Refer Backup type matrix for more information on the types of backups that get triggered for the various options you choose in the web console during the backup creation operation for Portworx Backup 2.7.0 and above.

Backup types

Portworx Backup allows you to configure following types of backups based on the driver associated with the backups in the system:

• Portworx (Portworx cloud snapshots)

• Native CSI (on premises or on cloud)

• CSI local snapshot with KDMP (local snapshots with offload to back up location)

• Direct KDMP

  note

  Portworx Backup currently supports VolumeBlock mode only on Portworx Enterprise.

Portworx cloud snapshots

Under the extent-based mode, Portworx compares block metadata, called extents, to determine the difference between the local snapshot and the previously uploaded cloud snapshot.

Portworx uses this metadata to calculate the difference between snapshots for upload and does not need to store previous snapshots for comparison. As Portworx reduces the footprint of the locally stored cloud snapshot data significantly. However, Portworx must also upload this metadata to the cloud alongside the cloud snap data, resulting in slightly larger uploads.

While taking extent-based snapshots, Portworx performs the following tasks:

• Takes a snapshot
• Downloads extent data for the previous snapshot from the cloud
• Compares extents, scans for changed blocks or generations
• Uploads the changes and new snapshot metadata
• Deletes the local snapshot

Native CSI snapshot (On-premises)

Portworx Backup utilizes the storage provider's CSI driver to create a local snapshot on the array. This default behavior is applicable to all CSI storage providers (Dell, NetApp, and so on).

To trigger a native CSI snapshot backup, in the Create Backup window:

• Disable Cross Cloud Backup/Restore toggle button
• Map your provisioner with volume snapshot class (VSC) if applicable
• Disable Offload to backup location

Native CSI snapshot (On-cloud)

Portworx Backup utilizes the cloud storage provider's CSI driver to create a local snapshot on the array. This default behavior is applicable to all CSI storage providers (AWS, GKE, AKS and so on).

• Disable Cross Cloud Backup/Restore toggle button
• Map your provisioner with VSC if applicable
• Disable Offload to backup location

When a KDMP backup occurs

1. If you have an environment with Portworx Backup and a different storage management platform other than Portworx Enterprise:

   • If the storage provider does not support CSI snapshots

     • When storage provider does not support snapshot mechanism with CSI driver. For some on-premises (for example, Flash Array) or on cloud storage providers without CSI snapshot support, direct KDMP backup gets triggered and you need to choose Cross Cloud Backup/Restore option in the Create Backup window during backup creation operation.

   • If the storage provider supports CSI snapshots and if you want to offload the backup to a backup location (S3 or NFS) along with the selection of volume snapshot class during creation of backup.

2. Cross-cloud and cross-region backups and restores with Portworx Backup.

3. 3-2-1 backups

CSI local snapshot with KDMP

In Portworx Backup, CSI driver takes local snapshots and later offloads or uploads those snapshots to S3 compliant object store or NFS-based backup locations using KDMP driver.

In this case, Portworx Backup performs the following tasks:

a. Takes available snapshot storageclass information
b. Creates a local snapshot using CSI driver
c. Uses KDMP driver to attach the mount point of the PV on the worker node
d. Copies the file system contents to object store (S3 or others) or NFS backup location

To trigger a CSI local snapshot with KDMP, in the Create backup window:

• Disable Cross Cloud Backup/Restore toggle button
• Map your provisioner with volume snapshot class (vsc) wherever applicable
• Enable Offload to backup location

Refer to Snapshot class mapping backup if you need more information on how to create a CSI local snapshot with KDMP backup.

Direct KDMP/Generic

This process uses KDMP driver to attach the mount point of the PV on the worker nodes and copies the file system contents to object storage.

In this backup type, Portworx Backup utilizes the KDMP driver to attach the mount point of the PV on the worker node and copies the file system contents to object storage.

When a direct KDMP backup or generic backup occurs

Portworx Backup triggers a direct KDMP backup in the following scenarios:

• When you enable the Cross Cloud Backup/Restore option in the Create Backup window of the web console during back creation operation.

Refer to Cross Cloud backup/restore for more details.