Kubernetes Backup Solutions & Restore Services from Portworx

While some may mistakenly believe that backing up a Kubernetes cluster can be done the same way as a traditional monolithic application, there are specific key differences between traditional and containerized applications that present several big challenges.

Kubernetes applications are purpose-built to be highly dynamic, so they can scale up and down rapidly to meet demand. They are also distributed by nature, meaning their components are often distributed among different nodes. Traditional backups are not built to support these dynamic and distributed modern architectures. A Kubernetes backup solution can automatically discover all of an application’s associated components, even if they’re stored in different places.

Further, Kubernetes environments are distinct from the operating system, which makes backing up trickier compared to a physical server. A virtual machine is relatively straightforward to backup: The application is on a single VM or group of VMs, and backing up the VM is usually sufficient to fully protect the application. A Kubernetes application, however, stores persistent data externally on a volume, so simply backing up the container itself may not capture the externally stored data, leading to inconsistent restores.

Containerized applications run various pods across multiple machines, each with its files and configurations. These underlying resources, including the data, configurations, and objects, all contain important information that keep the application running smoothly. Effective Kubernetes backup solutions must be able to preserve all of this associated application data at the granular level to ensure a consistent snapshot and speedy restore. These effective backup solutions are often referred to as “application aware”, meaning they are able to capture the full state of the application.

If the backup solution is not application aware, then it cannot capture the full application. This can lead to inconsistent backups and cause slow restore times, data loss, and errors that can be difficult to detect.

Kubernetes applications, as well as the microservices that comprise them, can also be stored in different environments—whether that is on-premise or in the private or public cloud. This gives them flexibility and portability over a VM. Applications need to be highly mobile, and they must be able to copy data within or between different environments. Application mobility also has the added benefit of delivering high availability, migrations, upgrades, and disaster recovery among others.

Kubernetes clusters are often backed up to physical offsite storage or virtually to a cloud server. Backing up in multiple locations is also a good strategy to create redundant copies to ensure data reliability. The important thing is that the enterprise can easily and quickly access the recovery data when the need arises to avoid any prolonged outages or significant data loss—both of which can have devastating effects on a company’s reputation or revenue.

It is also important to maintain certain compliance requirements to ensure application uptime. 3-2-1 compliance is known as a gold standard for backup and restore. It dictates that organizations should have 3 copies of their data (a production copy, a snapshot copy, and an offsite copy), 2 backups on two separate media types, and 1 offsite copy for longer-term retention. Following the gold standard is a preventative measure used to drastically reduce the chance of a long-term service outage.

Regardless of how a k8s backup is done, it is crucial for the security and reliability of applications. Once backed up, the application data can be restored in case of a data breach, service outage, or system failure. Many organizations also implement data protection as a vital requirement to maintain regulatory or organizational compliance.

All enterprise applications require backup and recovery, but traditional backup tools weren’t designed for Kubernetes. For innovative enterprises pushing the boundaries of Kubernetes, traditional methods risk slow or incomplete recovery. In case of a disaster, these organizations need to backup entire virtual machines and rebuild applications in place during restores, or must cobble together a container-granular solution manually.

Key Requirements for Kubernetes Backup and Restore

• Container granular: Kubernetes applications are container based, not machine based. Effective application recovery gives users the ability to target the specific containers they need to restore, speeding up restore times.
• Application consistent: Good backups need to be consistent—meaning they should capture all the data, including any pending write activity. Application consistent backups ensure there is no delta between the backup copy and the primary copy.
• Kubernetes config-aware: Kubernetes config-aware: Backing up only the application data is not enough. You also need to back up other application components, like objects and configurations, so you can recover your applications quickly without manually reconstructing all your Kubernetes objects.
• Application portability: You need bi-directional support to backup AND restore across any environment, whether it’s located in the public cloud, private cloud, and even on-prem.
• Automation: Easy to use yet powerful: Protection needs to just happen. You need to know that your backups are always on time and complete without intervention. Relying on a manual process is unreliable and doesn’t scale, and implementing complex scripts for every task is unmanageable.
• Easy to use yet powerful: You can’t compromise on data protection. The risks of downtime and data loss aren’t worth skimping out on a “good enough” Kubernetes backup solution. The ideal solution needs to be both robust and easy to use.