Kubernetes Backup & Restore Solutions from Portworx

What is Kubernetes Backup?

A Kubernetes backup system describes the process and method of backing up the nodes, pods, control panes, and other components that make up Kubernetes clusters.

No matter what type of data you are protecting, every organization needs to implement, test, and maintain strategies for protecting their data, as the consequences of a service outage or data breach can have devastating consequences on revenue and reputation. The key considerations in a data protection plan include limiting application downtime and restoring applications and data quickly.

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 can often be distributed among different nodes. Traditional backups are not built to support these dynamic and distributed modern architectures. A Kubernetes backup solution automatically discovers all components and backs up the entire application as a unit. You then decide how to capture and store the application’s data.

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 several key use cases, including high availability, migrations, upgrades, and disaster recovery.

Due to their inherent flexibility, 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 redundancy and ensure data reliability. The important thing is that the enterprise can easily and quickly access the recovery data when the need arises.

It is also important to maintain certain compliance requirements to ensure application uptime. 3-2-1 compliance is known as a golden 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 golden 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 have data protection as a vital requirement to maintain regulatory or organizational compliance.