Issue How to force Backup Manager's "Create multivolume backup" option for "local" backups?

[hello_world.c]

Server operating system version

Ubuntu 20.04.4 LTS

Plesk version and microupdate number

Plesk Obsidian v18.0.43_build1800220414.18

The title says it. The volume size option in the backup settings appears in the UI only if remote storage is selected but I need to enable it for local storage. My "local" storage is a davfs2 mount to store backups in an encrypted cloud storage so it appears in the local file system, but has a file size limitation. So I am looking for an option to either

enable the volume size limit for local backups, or
have a "remote storage" provider for Backup Manager that can use a local mount

I guess I could set up a local FTP server, have it use my davfs2 mount as storage directory and then use FTP to localhost as "remote storage" for Backup Manager. But whether that'll work without issues is another question.

Is there a better way?

 

[hello_world.c]

Oh, how wonderful...

 

[Nik G]

hello @hello_world.c
at Tools & Settings > Backup Manager > Backup Settings
it is possible to enable Allow setting up FTP backup storage on the local server option.

 

[hello_world.c]

Thank you for the tip, I had missed that!

 

[hello_world.c]

Just as I feared, it doesn't work. The storage itself works fine but when I try to start a backup I get:


The two curl commands that are suggested for testing also work fine, the first creates the directory in the storage, the second one removes it again. I assume something about timing and the test doing things too quickly perhaps.

It is infuriating that they need us to jump through these hoops. The pleskbackup command line tool has the split option, why is it suppressed in the web interface when using local storage?

 

[Nik G]

@hello_world.c ,

GUI does not contain multivolume setting because we expect that local file system allows to create files large than 4Gb, for example,
and in theory should not be affected by network delays. In this case backups stored at local storage in format, that helps to speed-up backup/restore operations, include operations with incremental backups.

so, looks like backup creation with CLI is most workable workaround in your case.

 

[hello_world.c]

GUI does not contain multivolume setting because we expect that local file system allows to create files large than 4Gb, for example,
and in theory should not be affected by network delays. In this case backups stored at local storage in format, that helps to speed-up backup/restore operations, include operations with incremental backups.

No doubt that not splitting up backups is the faster option and I am not saying it should be the default. But allowing this option, perhaps accompanied with a note saying exactly that would really help in many cases.
Note that Plesk - to this day - still doesn't allow full encryption of backups and only supports a handful of external backup storage providers that are either unacceptable from a security standpoint (FTP) or are not compliant with EU law, or expensive.
Mapping WebDAV is a workaround for Plesk's limitations in this regard. Now I am forced to use a workaround for this workaround. It get tiring, sorry, especially when it would be so easy to lift at least the backup splitting inhibition in the GUI.

 

[Nik G]

you can use Amazon S3 remote storage with our Amazon S3 Backup extension, which supports enhanced encryption.

 

[hello_world.c]

you can use Amazon S3 remote storage with our Amazon S3 Backup extension, which supports enhanced encryption.

which we don't have and is more expensive than the whole server hosting plan. That's why I said "or expensive". This is in line with the "selective reading" I have come to expect from Plesk staff, though.

 

[Nik G]

WebDav is an extension of web protocol, so it has limits which classic file system does not. And such limits prevent it's using as backend for local storage.

Plesk is the panel for hosting management and It supports backups as a part of it's functionality.
Our backups supports sensitive data encryption but not the whole backups encryption because it is not primary functionality.

At the same time Plesk offers different extensions that allows you to use remote storages with strong native data encryption.
Data encryption implemented at the storage level by 3rd-party vendors, like Amazon or Google.


Unfortunately Plesk backup extension with WebDav remote storage is not yet implemented.

Sad to know that we do not meet your highest expectations, but we'll try continue doing all best that we can.

 

[hello_world.c]

Sad to know that we do not meet your highest expectations, but we'll try continue doing all best that we can.

Oh, please ....

pleskbackup: Backing Up Content and Configuration

The pleskbackup utility is used for backing up configuration and data. Usage pleskbackup <command> [<argu...

docs.plesk.com

Exposing the --split option in the GUI would cost you NOTHING and would help customers such as myself. You could even block it by default but add an option to enable it in preferences like you do for the local FTP "external storage". Yet you deliberately suppress it, just to make it harder.

What is truly sad is to know that you refuse to listen and even consider good suggestions to improve your software.

 

[Nik G]

Plesk interface is not the easiest and simple, but it is not possible to make flexible and simple tool simultaneously.
So, our goal is a balance between features which usable by many customers and not to add controls which will not used by lots of our customers.
(and of course functionality and stability)

let's review this feature from another point of view:
local storage is optimized for incremental backup/restore operations.
"local backup" is not the single file but it has it's own structure of files and directories.
In general a local backup is not required full encryption of data: who has root access to the server - will be able to decrypt them.

Most of our customers use popular public storages in case they won't to store backups at the local production server. And yes in most cases it is paid solutions.

One of cheaper solution - mount remote storage by sshfs, nfs, smbfs, fiberchannel, etc.
You can mount remote storages as local file systems, but this is WORKAROUND but not the general functionality.

And yes, in most cases it will work good inside the same server room only.

Making local backups as single (encrypted) file, that can be splitted by fixed-size volumes will lead to reduce performance many of customers.
I mean technically this feature is unnecessary for LOCAL backups.

You have workaround for exact your case:
- add cli command for server backup that should store data at the some path, compressed and splitted to the fixed-size volumes.
- destination path can be a mount point of any file system supported by your OS.
- and such task can be configured in Plesk GUI.

We understand that adding this option to GUI will solve YOUR use-case scenario.
If you think that this feature may be useful for many Plesk users - create uservoice.
If it will become popular by many customers - it can be implemented.

But for now this feature looks not demanded by many customers, at the same time it requires lot of efforts (design, development, testing, support).


P.S> everything in this post - is my personal opinion, and it may be differ from corporate point of view.
so, excuse me in advance if I hurt your feelings.

 

[hello_world.c]

so, excuse me in advance if I hurt your feelings.

No feelings hurt! Sorry if I was being too harsh before and thank you for taking the time to answer.

I guess we have a difference in opinion. Under Linux/Unix, "local" folders cannot be assumed to always be truly local mass storage and may have different properties depending on what it is linked to or mounted as.

At least you support this scenario in the command line version. I will create uservoice to expose it as a (default disabled) option in the GUI as you suggested.

Cheers.