docs/faq.rst

   1 FAQ
   2 ===
   3
   4 What distribution is Proxmox Backup Server (PBS) based on?
   5 ----------------------------------------------------------
   6
   7 Proxmox Backup Server is based on `Debian GNU/Linux <https://www.debian.org/>`_.
   8
   9
  10 Which platforms are supported as a backup source (client)?
  11 ----------------------------------------------------------
  12
  13 The client tool works on most modern Linux systems, meaning you are not limited
  14 to Debian-based backups.
  15
  16
  17 Will Proxmox Backup Server run on a 32-bit processor?
  18 -----------------------------------------------------
  19
  20 Proxmox Backup Server only supports 64-bit CPUs (AMD or Intel). There are no
  21 future plans to support 32-bit processors.
  22
  23
  24 .. _faq-support-table:
  25
  26 How long will my Proxmox Backup Server version be supported?
  27 ------------------------------------------------------------
  28
  29 +-----------------------+----------------------+---------------+------------+--------------------+
  30 |Proxmox Backup Version | Debian Version       | First Release | Debian EOL | Proxmox Backup EOL |
  31 +=======================+======================+===============+============+====================+
  32 |Proxmox Backup 3.x     | Debian 12 (Bookworm) | 2023-06       | tba        | tba                |
  33 +-----------------------+----------------------+---------------+------------+--------------------+
  34 |Proxmox Backup 2.x     | Debian 11 (Bullseye) | 2021-07       | 2024-07    | 2024-07            |
  35 +-----------------------+----------------------+---------------+------------+--------------------+
  36 |Proxmox Backup 1.x     | Debian 10 (Buster)   | 2020-11       | 2022-08    | 2022-07            |
  37 +-----------------------+----------------------+---------------+------------+--------------------+
  38
  39 How can I upgrade Proxmox Backup Server to the next point release?
  40 ------------------------------------------------------------------
  41
  42 Minor version upgrades, for example upgrading from Proxmox Backup Server in
  43 version 3.1 to 3.2 or 3.3, can be done just like any normal update.
  44 But, you should still check the `release notes
  45 <https://pbs.proxmox.com/wiki/index.php/Roadmap>`_ for any relevant noteable,
  46 or breaking change.
  47
  48 For the update itself use either the Web UI *Node -> Updates* panel or
  49 through the CLI with:
  50
  51 .. code-block:: console
  52
  53   apt update
  54   apt full-upgrade
  55
  56 .. note:: Always ensure you correctly setup the
  57    :ref:`package repositories <sysadmin_package_repositories>` and only
  58    continue with the actual upgrade if `apt update` did not hit any error.
  59
  60 .. _faq-upgrade-major:
  61
  62 How can I upgrade Proxmox Backup Server to the next major release?
  63 ------------------------------------------------------------------
  64
  65 Major version upgrades, for example going from Proxmox Backup Server 2.4 to
  66 3.1, are also supported.
  67 They must be carefully planned and tested and should **never** be started
  68 without having an off-site copy of the important backups, e.g., via remote sync
  69 or tape, ready.
  70
  71 Although the specific upgrade steps depend on your respective setup, we provide
  72 general instructions and advice of how a upgrade should be performed:
  73
  74 * `Upgrade from Proxmox Backup Server 2 to 3 <https://pbs.proxmox.com/wiki/index.php/Upgrade_from_2_to_3>`_
  75
  76 * `Upgrade from Proxmox Backup Server 1 to 2 <https://pbs.proxmox.com/wiki/index.php/Upgrade_from_1.1_to_2.x>`_
  77
  78 Can I copy or synchronize my datastore to another location?
  79 -----------------------------------------------------------
  80
  81 Proxmox Backup Server allows you to copy or synchronize datastores to other
  82 locations, through the use of *Remotes* and *Sync Jobs*. *Remote* is the term
  83 given to a separate server, which has a datastore that can be synced to a local store.
  84 A *Sync Job* is the process which is used to pull the contents of a datastore from
  85 a *Remote* to a local datastore.
  86
  87
  88 Can Proxmox Backup Server verify data integrity of a backup archive?
  89 --------------------------------------------------------------------
  90
  91 Proxmox Backup Server uses a built-in SHA-256 checksum algorithm, to ensure
  92 data integrity. Within each backup, a manifest file (index.json) is created,
  93 which contains a list of all the backup files, along with their sizes and
  94 checksums. This manifest file is used to verify the integrity of each backup.
  95
  96
  97 When backing up to remote servers, do I have to trust the remote server?
  98 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
  99
 100 Proxmox Backup Server transfers data via `Transport Layer Security (TLS)
 101 <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_Layer_Security>`_ and additionally
 102 supports client-side encryption. This means that data is transferred securely
 103 and can be encrypted before it reaches the server.  Thus, in the event that an
 104 attacker gains access to the server or any point of the network, they will not
 105 be able to read the data.
 106
 107 .. note:: Encryption is not enabled by default. To set up encryption, see the
 108   :ref:`backup client encryption section <client_encryption>`.
 109
 110
 111 Is the backup incremental/deduplicated/full?
 112 --------------------------------------------
 113
 114 With Proxmox Backup Server, backups are sent incrementally to the server, and
 115 data is then deduplicated on the server. This minimizes both the storage
 116 consumed and the impact on the network. Each backup still references all
 117 data and such is a full backup. For details see the
 118 :ref:`Technical Overview <tech_design_overview>`