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Version: 2.11

Labels in Portworx Backup

Portworx Backup supports two main categories of labels. One enables you to retrieve backups, namespaces, resources, and VMs that have labels. These are Kubernetes metadata labels applied by cluster administrators. These labels allow you to automatically back up any new namespace(s), resource(s), or VM(s) with a preset label, as the scheduler actively picks up new namespaces, resources, and VMs with specific labels in each cycle of scheduled backups.

The second category is backup labels, which are key-value pairs applied to backups during creation or later. You can use these backup labels in the Portworx web console to search for backups later.

Label types in Portworx Backup

Portworx Backup supports the following types of labels:

Label TypePurposeUsed For
Namespace LabelsFilter and select namespaces based on Kubernetes labelsNS and VM backups
Resource LabelsFilter and select specific resources within namespacesNS backups
VM LabelsFilter and select virtual machines based on labelsVM backups
Backup LabelsApply labels to backup objects for organization and filteringAll backups

Advanced filtering with labels

Portworx Backup provides advanced filtering capabilities that allow you to:

  • Include namespaces, resources, or VMs that have specific labels
  • Exclude namespaces, resources, or VMs that have specific labels
  • Combine multiple label filters for precise backup selection

For detailed instructions on creating backups with advanced label filters:

Managing labels after schedule creation

You can modify namespace labels, resource labels, and VM labels for scheduled backups through the Edit Schedule page. For detailed information on label management capabilities and limitations, see Manage Labels.

Below topics guide you to apply labels and retrieve the labeled entities for backup:

📄️ Backup using namespace labels

This topic explains how to apply and use namespace labels in Portworx Backup to filter and back up labeled namespaces. Labels allow users to organize, search, and automate backups for namespaces with preset key-value pairs. The guide covers applying labels via the CLI, filtering labeled namespaces in the Portworx Backup web console, and backing them up in a single click. It also details how scheduled backups can automatically include future namespaces with matching labels, streamlining backup management and automation for Kubernetes environments.

📄️ Backup using resource labels

This topic explains how to apply and manage resource labels in Portworx Backup to selectively back up labeled resources in Kubernetes. Labels allow users to filter and organize resources with key-value pairs and perform selective backups of specific resources within namespaces. The guide covers how to apply resource labels via the CLI, filter labeled resources in the Portworx Backup web console, and back them up efficiently. It also explains how resource labels are handled during manual and scheduled backups, ensuring only the required resources are included in backups.