{"id":516152,"date":"2024-06-05T17:22:21","date_gmt":"2024-06-05T21:22:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.commvault.com\/?post_type=cmv_glossary&p=516152"},"modified":"2024-06-05T17:22:22","modified_gmt":"2024-06-05T21:22:22","slug":"kubernetes-backup","status":"publish","type":"cmv_glossary","link":"https:\/\/www.commvault.com\/glossary-library\/kubernetes-backup","title":{"rendered":"Kubernetes backup"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\n

Kubernetes backup definition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kubernetes backup is the process of backing up the components running in a Kubernetes orchestration platform, that is an abstraction layer for containerized applications and services.  Components of a Kubernetes cluster include pods, nodes, control plane, and volumes, and each of these needs a level of protection. Unlike monolithic applications, modern apps comprise several micro-services inside containers that live in Kubernetes environments. Protection of the major components of a Kubernetes cluster is critical. As enterprises increasingly rely on containerized applications, Kubernetes is becoming a vital part of enterprise IT environments. Kubernetes backups can be deployed onsite, offsite, or in the cloud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Business applications and micro-services generate vast amounts of data that need to be protected using a robust data protection solution. Kubernetes backup software enables companies to perform backups and restore all the files and micro-services that comprise containers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Kubernetes backup?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kubernetes backup is a data protection solution for containers deployed as a Kubernetes cluster. Since containers do not contain the underlying operating system, their backup method varies from traditional solutions for physical and virtual servers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kubernetes backup applications can perform a full backup of all files in containers, incremental backups, or differential backups. It is best to run the Kubernetes backup software frequently and periodically to protect files, configurations, and continuously changing data. Kubernetes resources are stored in an etcd store, and application data is stored in persistent volumes for applications running on the cluster. These components are key to recovery from disasters, migrations of Kubernetes resources, and are used in replication of the container environment for further development and debugging. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is important for a Kubernetes backup solution to understand the details of what makes up the Kubernetes application. Protection should be integrated with the developer workflows by auto-discovering and protecting applications by-namespace and by-label selector. Granularity to backup and recover YAML manifests or entire volumes means flexibility to recover a full Kubernetes cluster. All of these components should be backed up as a single unit to be useful for Kubernetes in the future for a restore or migration operation. These solutions should also support certain aspects of traditional backup, such as schedules, jobs, retention, encryption, and tiering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the Kubernetes backup process, and how does it work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Traditional backup solutions are focused on a single machine\u2019s data, whether that be a virtual machine or a physical machine, and those types of solutions will not work for a Kubernetes backup solution with containerized applications. Containerized applications need a different solution as the apps run in several pods, and across multiple machines with lots of objects holding configuration and application data. The Kubernetes backup solution must capture the data and application configuration at a granular level in order to ensure a fast recovery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Backup and recovery for Kubernetes is focused on the backup of the entire application from the local Kubernetes cluster to a different storage location, either offsite or on secondary storage. Offsite could be object storage in public or private clouds or storage available on-premises in different regions or failure domains. Backup solutions can also have multiple backup targets. Backups are done often to protect from system failure or to complete a compliance or regulatory checklist for your application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of the backup destination, you should follow careful steps to ensure proper backup and data protection. The broad main stages of Kubernetes backup include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n