# btrbk

* https://digint.ch/btrbk/doc/readme.html
* https://digint.ch/btrbk/doc/btrbk.1.html
* https://digint.ch/btrbk/doc/btrbk.conf.5.html

> btrbk - backup tool for btrfs subvolumes

- Take snapshots (on same disk)
- Create multiple backups (on different disks) over SSH

Further resources:
- https://nixos.wiki/wiki/Btrbk
- https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Btrbk

## Snapshots and Backups

subvolume: <subvolume-name>

snapshot: <snapshot-name>.<timestamp>[<N>]

timestamp: Can be configured using the `timestamp_format` option.

N: If multiple snapshots are created at the same time, the increasing counter N differentiates them.

## Actions

`run [filter...]`: In multiple steps, perform snapshots and backups.
* Read Data: Perform sanity checks
* Create Snapshots
* Create Backups
* Delete Backups
* Delete Snapshots

`clean [filter...]`: Delete incomplete backups (network error, kill signal while send/receive was ongoing).

## Configuration

### General

`volume <volume-directory|<ulr>`: Usually the mount point of a btrfs filesystem mounted with `subvolid=5`.

`subvolume <subvolume-name|<url>`: Subvolume to be backed up, relative to `<volume-directory>`.

`snapshot_dir <directory>`: Directory in which the btrfs snapshots are created, relative to `<volume-directory>`. Hast to be created **manually**!

`target <target-directory>|<url>`: Target directory where the backup subvolumes are to be created. Multiple target sections are allowed.

`url`: Accepted formats are:
* `ssh://<hostname>[:<port>]/<directory>`
* `<hostname>:<directory>`

`hostname`: Either a host name, IPv4 or IPv6 address

`timestamp_format short|long|long-iso`: This becomes relevant for setups with multiple btrbk instances, e.g. many snapshot-only instances (spread around the world), and a fetch-only instance on the backup server. Make sure to run btrbk with the same time zone on every host, e.g. by setting the TZ environment variable (see tzset(3)).

### Retention

`snapshot_preserve <retention_policy>`

`snapshot_preserve_min all|latest|<number>{h,d,w,m,y}`: Preserve all snapshots for a minimum amount of hours (h), days (d), weeks (w), months (m) or years (y).

`target_preserve <retention_policy>`

`target_preserve_min all|latest|no|<number>{h,d,w,m,y}`: Preserve all snapshots for a minimum amount of hours (h), days (d), weeks (w), months (m) or years (y). If set to "no", only the backups following the `target_preserve` policy are created.

`<retention_policy>`: `[<hourly>h] [<daily>d] [<weekly>w] [<monthly>m] [<yearly>y]`. Defines how many backups of each period should be preserved.

### SSH and Data Stream Options

`ssh_compression yes|no`

`stream_compress <compress_command>`: Compress the btrfs send stream before transferring it from/to remote locations.

`<compress_command>`: gzip, pigz, bzip2, pbzip2, bzip3, xz, lzo, lz4, zstd.

`stream_buffer <size>|no`: This can give a speed improvement (measured up to 20%) on both local or remote operations, but also increases system load. Make sure that the `mbuffer` command is available. Leave this option disabled if your main concern is a stable backup process: while recent versions of mbuffer have proven reliable, it is often desirable to keep things simple rather than adding an additional, multi-threaded process to the command pipe.

`rate_limit <rate>|no`: Limit the read rate of the btrfs send stream to `<rate>` bytes per second. Implies the `stream_buffer` option.

### System Options

`transaction_syslog <facility>|no`: Log all transactions to syslog.

`lockfile <file>|no`

## Example: Local Snapshots and Backup

```
timestamp_format      long

snapshot_preserve_min 2d
snapshot_preserve     24h 7d 4w 6m

target_preserve_min   no
target_preserve       7d 4w 6m

volume /mnt/12tb1-top-level
  snapshot_dir @snap
  target /mnt/12tb2-top-level/@snap
  subvolume    @home
  subvolume    @
```

Mount top-level subvolume:

```shell
mount -o subvolid=5 /dev/mapper/some-disk /mnt/12tb1-top-level
```

Manually create snapshot directory:

```shell
btrfs subvolume create /mnt/12tb1-top-level/@snap
btrfs subvolume create /mnt/12tb2-top-level/@snap
```

Snapshots only:

```shell
btrbk snapshot
```

Backup only:

```shell
btrbk resume
```

Create an additional snapshot of @home:

```shell
btrbk snapshot @home
```

## Testing on Local Host

```shell
sudo mkdir -p /mnt/top-level
ls /mnt/top-level/@ || sudo mount -o subvolid=5 /dev/mapper/luks-ea7099e3-320d-4eb3-a4c3-9910a9af817b /mnt/top-level
ls /mnt/top-level/@snap || sudo btrfs subvolume create /mnt/top-level/@snap
ls /mnt/top-level/@foo || {
  sudo btrfs subvolume create /mnt/top-level/@foo
  sudo touch /mnt/top-level/@foo/bar
}
```

```shell
ls ~/btrbk-usb.img || {
  fallocate -l 1G ~/btrbk-usb.img
  sudo mkfs.btrfs ~/btrbk-usb.img
  # Mount and create subvolume @
}

sudo mkdir -p /mnt/usb-top-level
ls /mnt/usb-top-level/@ || sudo mount -o subvolid=5 ~/btrbk-usb.img /mnt/usb-top-level
ls /mnt/usb-top-level/@snap || sudo btrfs subvolume create /mnt/usb-top-level/@snap
}
```

```shell
cat > ~/btrbk.cfg <<'EOF'
timestamp_format      long

snapshot_preserve_min 2d
snapshot_preserve     24h 7d 4w 6m

target_preserve_min  no
target_preserve      7d 4w 6m

volume /mnt/top-level
  snapshot_dir @snap
  target /mnt/usb-top-level/@snap
  subvolume    @foo
EOF
```

```shell
# Check configuration.
sudo btrbk -c ~/btrbk.cfg config print
sudo btrbk -c ~/btrbk.cfg config list


# Dry run.
sudo btrbk -c ~/btrbk.cfg run -n
# Create first snapshot.
sudo btrbk -c ~/btrbk.cfg run
# Print schedule.
sudo btrbk -c ~/btrbk.cfg run -n -S

sleep 5m
sudo btrbk -c ~/btrbk.cfg run

# List snapshots
sudo btrbk -c ~/btrbk.cfg list
```

### NixOS Config

```nix
{ config, pkgs, ... }:
{
  services.btrbk = {
    extraPackages = [ pkgs.lz4 ];
    # Lowest scheduling priority.
    niceness = 19;
    # Set of btrbk instances. The instance named btrbk is the default one.
    instances = {
      # This is the configuration equivalent to
      # README.md section "Testing on Local Host".
      "testing-on-local-host" = {
        # The timer is disabled. The service has to be invoked manually.
        onCalendar = null;
        #onCalendar = "hourly";
        #onCalendar = "*:0/15"; # Every 15min
        # Configuration options for btrbk. Nested attrsets translate to subsections.
        settings = {
          timestamp_format = "long";
          stream_compress = "lz4";

          snapshot_preserve_min = "2d";
          snapshot_preserve = "24h 7d 4w 6m";

          target_preserve_min = "no";
          target_preserve = "7d 4w 6m";

          volume."/mnt/top-level" = {
            snapshot_dir = "@snap";
            target = "/mnt/usb-top-level/@snap";
            subvolume = "@foo";
          };
        };
      };
    };
  };
}
```

## pi3bplus Host Config

A local `btrbk` instance manages snapshots and local backups.

Another remote backup server periodically pulls snapshots to create remote backups. Here is its config:

```shell
cat > ~/btrbk.cfg <<'EOF'
timestamp_format    long
stream_compress     lz4
ssh_identity        /mnt/backup/rootnas_ed25519

# Create backups.
target_preserve_min no
# Daily backups -> @daily cron entry
target_preserve          7d 4w 6m
# Hourly backups -> @hourly cron entry
#target_preserve     24h 7d 4w 6m

# Don't create or delete snapshots on remote server "rootnas".
snapshot_preserve_min  all
snapshot_create        no

volume ssh://rootnas/jc-data
  snapshot_dir /snap
  target       /mnt/backup/snap
  subvolume    arch.p1st.de
  subvolume    blogger.privacy1st.de
  subvolume    changedetection.p1st.de
  subvolume    cloud.privacy1st.de
  subvolume    git.privacy1st.de
  subvolume    mastodon-toot-follower.privacy1st.de
  subvolume    money.p1st.de
  subvolume    music.privacy1st.de
  subvolume    paste.p1st.de
  subvolume    proxy
  subvolume    recipe.privacy1st.de
  subvolume    traggo.privacy1st.de
volume ssh://rootnas/mnt/data/jc-data
  snapshot_dir /mnt/data/snap
  target       /mnt/backup/snap2
  subvolume    cloud.privacy1st.de
  subvolume    cloud.media-kollektiv.eu
EOF
```