Off-site Backup with Backupninja

Goal: Setup a remote machine that will be used for incremental backup of critical parts of the LURK servers.

Requirements

This document assumes you already have:

• A configure Linux/BSD machine to work as off-site backup
• A lurk user created on the off-site backup that will be used specifically by the backup scripts
• Debian based servers (not sure Backupninja will run otherwise without some slight modifications)
• All the machines (servers and the backup machine) on a working Tinc VPN
• Enough space on the off-site backup machine :)

On the Off-site machine

• As lurk create directories for each server

mkdir /media/lurk_backup/douglas /media/lurk_backup/agnesbaxter

On each server

Installation

• As root

apt install backupninja

Configuration

/etc/backupninja.conf

Some changes:

reportemail = some@where.nice
when = everyday at 05:55

MySQL local backups

• As root run the command:

ninjahelper

• create a new backup action
• mysql database backup
• path:

/var/backups/mysql # adjust if this location does not have much free space

• all the databases to backup.
• select the debian maintenance user for access
• compress the sql output file
• select the action and test/run/review the config
• leave ninjahelper

PostgreSQL local backups

• As root run the command:

ninjahelper

• create a new backup action
• postgresql database backup
• path:

/var/backups/postgres # adjust if this location does not have much free space

• backup the whole cluster
• compress the backups
• custom
• optional: select the action and test/run/review the config
• leave ninjahelper

Rdiff backup

This is the action that will not only allow you to select which part of your local filesystem to remotely send and rotate to the off-site backup machine, but it will also make sure the local backups above are sent as well!

• As root run the command:

ninjahelper

• create a new backup action
• rdiff-backup
• choose file to include & exclude, add paths, wildcard accepted
• configure backup destination (need to have the backup machine user and IP ready)
• set up ssh keys and test remote connection