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Bacula ® Main Reference

The Leading Open Source Backup Solution

Kern Sibbald

September 23, 2020
This manual documents Bacula version 9.6.6 (20 September 2020)


Copyright © 2000-2018, Kern Sibbald
Bacula ® is a registered trademark of Kern Sibbald.


This Bacula documentation by Kern Sibbald with contributions from many others,
a complete list can be found in the License chapter.

Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

• Contents
• What is Bacula?
  • Who Needs Bacula?
  • Bacula Components or Services
    • Bacula Director
    • Bacula Console
    • Bacula File
    • Bacula Storage
    • Catalog
    • Bacula Monitor
  • Bacula Configuration
  • Conventions Used in this Document
  • Quick Start
  • Terminology
  • What Bacula is Not
  • Interactions Between the Bacula Services
  
  
• New Features in 9.6.0
  • Building 9.6.4 and later
  • Docker Plugin
  • Real-Time Statistics Monitoring
  
  
• New Features in 9.4.0
  • Cloud Backup
  • Cloud Volume Architecture
  • Cloud Restore
  • Compatibility
  • Deduplication and the Cloud
  • Virtual Autochangers and Disk Autochangers
  • Security
  • Cache and Pruning
  • New Commands, Resource, and Directives for Cloud
    • New Cloud Bconsole Commands
    • Cloud Additions to the DIR Pool Resource
    • Cloud Additions to the SD Device Resource
    • New Cloud SD Device Directives
    • Example Cloud Device Specification
    • The Cloud Resource
    • File Driver for the Cloud
  • WORM Tape Support
  
  
• New Features in 9.2.0
  • Enhanced Autochanger Support
  • New Prune Command Option
  • BConsole Features
    • Delete a Client
    • Status Schedule Enhancements
    • Restore option “noautoparent”
  • Tray Monitor Restore Screen
  
  
• New Features in 9.0.0
  • Enhanced Autochanger Support
  • Source Code for Windows
  • Maximum Virtual Full Interval Option
  • Progressive Virtual Full
    • Backups To Keep Directive
    • Delete Consolidated Jobs
    • Virtual Full Compatibility
  • TapeAlert Enhancements
    • What is New
    • Handling of Alerts
  • New Console ACL Directives
    • DirectoryACL
  • New Bconsole “list” Command Behavior
  • New Console ACL Directives
  • Client Initiated Backup
  • Configuring Client Initiated Backup
  • New Tray Monitor
  • Schedule Jobs via the Tray Monitor
  • Accurate Option for Verify “Volume Data” Job
  • FileDaemon Saved Messages Resource Destination
  • Minor Enhancements
    • New Bconsole ".estimate" Command
    • Traceback and Lockdump
  • Bconsole “list jobs” command options
  • Minor Enhancements
    • New Bconsole "Tee All" Command
  • Bconsole “list jobs” command options
  • New Bconsole "Tee All" Command
  • New Job Edit Codes %I
  • .api version 2
  • New Debug Options
  • Communication Line Compression
  • Deduplication Optimized Volumes
  • baculabackupreport
  • New Message Identification Format
  
  
• New Features in 7.4.0
  • New Features in 7.4.3
    • RunScripts
  • New Features in 7.4.0
    • Verify Volume Data
    • Bconsole “list jobs” command options
    • Minor Enhancements
      • New Bconsole "Tee All" Command
    • Windows Encrypted File System (EFS) Support
    • SSL Connections to MySQL
    • Max Virtual Full Interval
    • New List Volumes Output
  
  
• New Features in 7.2.0
  • New Features in 7.2.0
    • New Job Edit Codes %E %R
    • Enable/Disable commands
  • Bacula 7.2
    • Snapshot Management
      • Snapshot Backends
      • Application Quiescing
      • New Director Directives
      • Job Output Information
      • New “snapshot” Bconsole Commands
      • LVM Backend Restrictions
      • Debug Options
    • Minor Enhancements
      • Storage Daemon Reports Disk Usage
    • Data Encryption Cipher Configuration
      • New Option Letter “M” for Accurate Directive in FileSet
    • Read Only Storage Devices
    • New Resume Command
    • New Prune “Expired” Volume Command
    • New Job Edit Codes %P %C
    • Enhanced Status and Error Messages
    • Miscellaneous New Features
    • FD Storage Address
    • Maximum Concurrent Read Jobs
    • Incomplete Jobs
    • The Stop Command
    • The Restart Command
    • Job Bandwidth Limitation
    • Always Backup a File
    • Setting Accurate Mode at Runtime
    • Additions to RunScript variables
    • LZO Compression
    • Purge Migration Job
    • Changes in the Pruning Algorithm
    • Ability to Verify any specified Job
  
  
• New Features in 7.0.0
  • New Features in 7.0.0
    • Storage daemon to Storage daemon
    • SD Calls Client
    • Next Pool
    • status storage
    • status schedule
    • Data Encryption Cipher Configuration
    • New Truncate Command
    • Migration/Copy/VirtualFull Performance Enhancements
    • VirtualFull Backup Consolidation Enhancements
    • FD Storage Address
    • Job Bandwidth Limitation
    • Maximum Concurrent Read Jobs
    • Director job Codes in Message Resource Commands
    • Additions to RunScript variables
    • Read Only Storage Devices
    • New Prune “Expired” Volume Command
    • Hardlink Performance Enhancements
    • DisableCommand Directive
    • Multiple Console Directors
    • Restricted Consoles
    • Configuration Files
    • Maximum Spawned Jobs
    • Progress Meter
    • Scheduling a 6th Week
    • Scheduling the Last Day of a Month
    • Improvements to Cancel and Restart bconsole Commands
    • bconsole Performance Improvements
    • New .bvfs_decode_lstat Command
    • New Debug Options
  
  
• New Features in 5.2.13
  • Additions to RunScript variables
  • New Features in 5.2.1
    • LZO Compression
    • New Tray Monitor
    • Purge Migration Job
    • Changes in Bvfs (Bacula Virtual FileSystem)
      • General notes
      • Get dependent jobs from a given JobId
      • Generating Bvfs cache
      • Get all versions of a specific file
      • List directories
      • List files
      • Restore set of files
      • Cleanup after Restore
      • Clearing the BVFS Cache
    • Changes in the Pruning Algorithm
    • Ability to Verify any specified Job
    • Additions to RunScript variables
    • Additions to the Plugin API
      • bfuncs
      • Bacula events
    • ACL enhancements
    • XATTR enhancements
    • Class Based Database Backend Drivers
    • Hash List Enhancements
  • Release Version 5.0.3
  • Release Version 5.0.2
  • New Features in 5.0.1
    • Truncate Volume after Purge
    • Allow Higher Duplicates
    • Cancel Lower Level Duplicates
  • New Features in 5.0.0
    • Maximum Concurrent Jobs for Devices
    • Restore from Multiple Storage Daemons
    • File Deduplication using Base Jobs
    • AllowCompression = yes|no
    • Accurate Fileset Options
    • Tab-completion for Bconsole
    • Pool File and Job Retention
    • Read-only File Daemon using capabilities
    • Bvfs API
    • Testing your Tape Drive
    • New Block Checksum Device Directive
    • New Bat Features
      • Media List View
      • Media Information View
      • Job Information View
      • Autochanger Content View
    • Bat on Windows
    • New Win32 Installer
    • Win64 Installer
    • Linux Bare Metal Recovery USB Key
    • bconsole Timeout Option
    • Important Changes
      • Truncate volume after purge
      • Custom Catalog queries
      • Deprecated parts
    • Misc Changes
  
  
• Released Version 3.0.3 and 3.0.3a
  • New Features in Released Version 3.0.2
    • Full Restore from a Given JobId
    • Source Address
    • Show volume availability when doing restore
    • Accurate estimate command
  • New Features in 3.0.0
    • Accurate Backup
      • Accurate = yes|no
    • Copy Jobs
    • ACL Updates
    • Extended Attributes
    • Shared objects
    • Building Static versions of Bacula
    • Virtual Backup (Vbackup)
    • Catalog Format
    • 64 bit Windows Client
    • Duplicate Job Control
      • Allow Duplicate Jobs = yes|no
      • Allow Higher Duplicates = yes|no
      • Cancel Running Duplicates = yes|no
      • Cancel Queued Duplicates = yes|no
    • TLS Authentication
      • TLS Authenticate = yes
    • bextract non-portable Win32 data
    • State File updated at Job Termination
    • MaxFullInterval = time-interval
    • MaxDiffInterval = time-interval
    • Honor No Dump Flag = yes|no
    • Exclude Dir Containing = filename-string
    • Bacula Plugins
      • Plugin Directory
      • Plugin Options
      • Plugin Options ACL
      • Plugin = plugin-command-string
    • The bpipe Plugin
    • Microsoft Exchange Server 2003/2007 Plugin
      • Background
      • Concepts
      • Installing
      • Backing Up
      • Restoring
      • Restoring to the Recovery Storage Group
      • Restoring on Microsoft Server 2007
      • Caveats
    • libdbi Framework
    • Console Command Additions and Enhancements
      • Display Autochanger Content
      • list joblog job=xxx or jobid=nnn
      • Use separator for multiple commands
      • Deleting Volumes
    • Bare Metal Recovery
    • Miscellaneous
      • Allow Mixed Priority = yes|no
      • Bootstrap File Directive – FileRegex
      • Bootstrap File Optimization Changes
      • Solaris ZFS/NFSv4 ACLs
      • Virtual Tape Emulation
      • Bat Enhancements
      • RunScript Enhancements
      • Status Enhancements
      • Connect Timeout
      • ftruncate for NFS Volumes
      • Support for Ubuntu
      • Recycle Pool = pool-name
      • FD Version
      • Max Run Sched Time = time-period-in-seconds
      • Max Wait Time = time-period-in-seconds
      • Incremental|Differential Max Wait Time = time-period-in-seconds
      • Max Run Time directives
      • Statistics Enhancements
      • ScratchPool = pool-resource-name
      • Enhanced Attribute Despooling
      • SpoolSize = size-specification-in-bytes
      • MaximumConsoleConnections = number
      • VerId = string
      • dbcheck enhancements
      • –docdir configure option
      • –htmldir configure option
      • –with-plugindir configure option
  
  
• The Current State of Bacula
  • What is Implemented
  • Advantages Over Other Backup Programs
  • Current Implementation Restrictions
  • Design Limitations or Restrictions
  • Items to Note
  
  
• System Requirements
• Supported Operating Systems
  • Important notes
  
  
• Supported Tape Drives
  • Unsupported Tape Drives
  • FreeBSD Users Be Aware!!!
  • Supported Autochangers
  • Tape Specifications
  
  
• Getting Started with Bacula
  • Understanding Jobs and Schedules
  • Understanding Pools, Volumes and Labels
  • Setting Up Bacula Configuration Files
    • Configuring the Console Program
    • Configuring the Monitor Program
    • Configuring the File daemon
    • Configuring the Director
    • Configuring the Storage daemon
  • Testing your Configuration Files
  • Testing Compatibility with Your Tape Drive
  • Get Rid of the /lib/tls Directory
  • Running Bacula
  • Log Rotation
  • Log Watch
  • Disaster Recovery
  
  
• Installing Bacula
  • Binary Release Packages
  • Building Bacula from Source
  • Source Release Files
  • Upgrading Bacula
  • Releases Numbering
  • Beta Releases
  • Dependency Packages
  • Supported Operating Systems
  • Building Bacula from Source
  • What Database to Use?
  • Quick Start
  • Configure Options
  • Recommended Options for Most Systems
  • Red Hat
  • Solaris
  • FreeBSD
  • Win32
  • One File Configure Script
  • Installing Bacula
  • Building a File Daemon or Client
  • Auto Starting the Daemons
  • Other Make Notes
  • Modifying the Bacula Configuration Files
  
  
• Critical Items to Implement Before Production
  • Critical Items
  • Recommended Items
  
  
• A Brief Tutorial
  • Before Running Bacula
  • Starting the Database
  • Starting the Daemons
  • Using the Director to Query and Start Jobs
  • Running a Job
  • Restoring Your Files
  • Quitting the Console Program
  • Adding a Second Client
  • When The Tape Fills
  • Other Useful Console Commands
  • Debug Daemon Output
  • Patience When Starting Daemons or Mounting Blank Tapes
  • Difficulties Connecting from the FD to the SD
  • Daemon Command Line Options
  • Creating a Pool
  • Labeling Your Volumes
  • Labeling Volumes with the Console Program
  
  
• Customizing the Configuration Files
  • Character Sets
  • Resource Directive Format
    • Comments
    • Upper and Lower Case and Spaces
    • Including other Configuration Files
    • Recognized Primitive Data Types
  • Resource Types
  • Names, Passwords and Authorization
  • Detailed Information for each Daemon
  
  
• Configuring the Director
  • Director Resource Types
  • The Director Resource
  • The Job Resource
  • The JobDefs Resource
  • The Schedule Resource
  • Technical Notes on Schedules
  • The FileSet Resource
  • FileSet Examples
  • Backing up Raw Partitions
  • Excluding Files and Directories
  • Windows FileSets
  • Testing Your FileSet
  • The Client Resource
  • The Storage Resource
  • The Autochanger Resources
  • The Pool Resource
    • The Scratch Pool
  • The Catalog Resource
  • The Messages Resource
  • The Console Resource
  • The Counter Resource
  • Example Director Configuration File
  
  
• Client/File daemon Configuration
  • The Client Resource
  • The Director Resource
  • The Message Resource
  • Example Client Configuration File
  
  
• Storage Daemon Configuration
  • Storage Resource
  • Director Resource
  • Device Resource
  • Edit Codes for Mount and Unmount Directives
  • Devices that require a mount (USB)
  • Capabilities
  • Messages Resource
  • Sample Storage Daemon Configuration File
  
  
• Messages Resource
• Console Configuration
  • General
  • The Director Resource
  • The ConsoleFont Resource
  • The Console Resource
  • Console Commands
  • Sample Console Configuration File
  
  
• Monitor Configuration
  • The Monitor Resource
  • The Director Resource
  • The Client Resource
  • The Storage Resource
  • Tray Monitor Security
  • Sample Tray Monitor configuration
    • Sample File daemon's Director record.
    • Sample Storage daemon's Director record.
    • Sample Director's Console record.
  
  
• The Restore Command
  • General
  • The Restore Command
    • Restore a pruned job using a pattern
  • Selecting Files by Filename
  • Replace Options
  • Command Line Arguments
  • Using File Relocation
    • Introduction
    • RegexWhere Format
    • Examples
  • Restoring Directory Attributes
  • Restoring on Windows
  • Restoring Files Can Be Slow
  • Problems Restoring Files
  • Restore Errors
  • Example Restore Job Resource
  • File Selection Commands
  • Restoring When Things Go Wrong
  
  
• Automatic Volume Recycling
  • Automatic Pruning
  • Pruning Directives
  • Recycling Algorithm
  • Recycle Status
  • Making Bacula Use a Single Tape
  • Daily, Weekly, Monthly Tape Usage Example
  • Automatic Pruning and Recycling Example
  • Manually Recycling Volumes
  
  
• Basic Volume Management
  • Key Concepts and Resource Records
    • Pool Options to Limit the Volume Usage
    • Automatic Volume Labeling
    • Restricting the Number of Volumes and Recycling
  • Concurrent Disk Jobs
  • An Example
  • Backing up to Multiple Disks
  • Considerations for Multiple Clients
  
  
• Automated Disk Backup
  • The Problem
  • The Solution
  • Overall Design
    • Full Pool
    • Differential Pool
    • Incremental Pool
  • The Actual Conf Files
  
  
• Migration and Copy
  • Storage daemon to Storage daemon
  • Migration and Copy Job Resource Directives
  • Migration Pool Resource Directives
  • Important Migration Considerations
  • Example Migration Jobs
  • Virtual Backup Consolidation
    • Manually Specify Jobs to Consolidate
  
  
• File Deduplication using Base Jobs
• Backup Strategies
  • Simple One Tape Backup
    • Advantages
    • Disadvantages
    • Practical Details
  • Manually Changing Tapes
  • Daily Tape Rotation
    • Advantages
    • Disadvantages
    • Practical Details
  
  
• Autochanger Support
  • Knowing What SCSI Devices You Have
  • Example Scripts
  • Slots
  • Multiple Devices
  • Device Configuration Records
  
  
• Autochanger Resource
  • An Example Configuration File
  • A Multi-drive Example Configuration File
  • Specifying Slots When Labeling
  • Changing Cartridges
  • Dealing with Multiple Magazines
  • Simulating Barcodes in your Autochanger
  • The Full Form of the Update Slots Command
  • FreeBSD Issues
  • Testing Autochanger and Adapting mtx-changer script
  • Using the Autochanger
  • Barcode Support
  • Use bconsole to display Autochanger content
  • Bacula Autochanger Interface
  
  
• Supported Autochangers
• Data Spooling
  • Data Spooling Directives
  • !!! MAJOR WARNING !!!
  • Other Points
  
  
• ANSI and IBM Tape Labels
  • Director Pool Directive
  • Storage Daemon Device Directives
  
  
• The Windows Version of Bacula
  • Windows Installation
  • Post Windows Installation
  • Uninstalling Bacula on Windows
  • Dealing with Windows Problems
  • Windows Compatibility Considerations
  • Volume Shadow Copy Service
  • VSS Problems
  • Windows Firewalls
  • Windows Port Usage
  • Windows Disaster Recovery
  • Windows Restore Problems
  • Windows Ownership and Permissions Problems
  • Manually resetting the Permissions
  • Backing Up the Windows System State
  • Fixing the Windows Boot Record
  • Considerations for Filename Specifications
  • Windows Specific File daemon Command Line
  • Shutting down Windows Systems
  
  
• Disaster Recovery Using Bacula
  • General
  • Important Considerations
  • Steps to Take Before Disaster Strikes
  • Bare Metal Recovery on Linux with a Rescue CD
  • Requirements
  • Restoring a Client System
  • Boot with your Rescue CDROM
  • Restoring a Server
  • Linux Problems or Bugs
  • Bare Metal Recovery using a LiveCD
  • FreeBSD Bare Metal Recovery
  • Solaris Bare Metal Recovery
  • Preparing Solaris Before a Disaster
  • Bugs and Other Considerations
  • Disaster Recovery of Win32 Systems
  • Ownership and Permissions on Win32 Systems
  • Alternate Disaster Recovery Suggestion for Win32 Systems
  • Restoring to a Running System
  • Additional Resources
  
  
• Bacula TLS – Communications Encryption
  • TLS Configuration Directives
  • Creating a Self-signed Certificate
  • Getting a CA Signed Certificate
  • Example TLS Configuration Files
  
  
• Data Encryption
  • Building Bacula with Encryption Support
  • Encryption Technical Details
  • Decrypting with a Master Key
  • Generating Private/Public Encryption Keys
  • Example Data Encryption Configuration
  
  
• Using Bacula to Improve Computer Security
  • The Details
  • Running the Verify
  • What To Do When Differences Are Found
  • A Verify Configuration Example
  
  
• Installing and Configuring MySQL
  • Installing and Configuring MySQL – Phase I
  • Installing and Configuring MySQL – Phase II
  • Re-initializing the Catalog Database
  • Linking Bacula with MySQL
  • Installing MySQL from RPMs
  • Upgrading MySQL
  • MySQL Configuration Caution
  
  
• Installing and Configuring PostgreSQL
  • Installing PostgreSQL
  • Configuring PostgreSQL
  • Re-initializing the Catalog Database
  • Installing PostgreSQL from RPMs
  • Converting from MySQL to PostgreSQL
  • Upgrading PostgreSQL
  • Tuning PostgreSQL
  • Credits
  
  
• Catalog Maintenance
  • Setting Retention Periods
  • Compacting Your MySQL Database
  • Repairing Your MySQL Database
  • MySQL Table is Full
  • MySQL Server Has Gone Away
  • MySQL Temporary Tables
  • Repairing Your PostgreSQL Database
  • Database Performance Issues
  • Performance Issues Indexes
    • PostgreSQL Indexes
    • MySQL Indexes
  • Compacting Your PostgreSQL Database
  • Migrating from SQLite to MySQL or PostgreSQL
  • Backing Up Your Bacula Database
  • Security considerations
  • Backing Up Third Party Databases
  • Database Size
  
  
• Bacula Security Issues
  • Backward Compatibility
  • Configuring and Testing TCP Wrappers
  • Running as non-root
  
  
• The Bootstrap File
  • Bootstrap File Format
  • Automatic Generation of Bootstrap Files
  • Bootstrap for bscan
  • A Final Bootstrap Example
  
  
• Bacula Copyright, Trademark, and Licenses
  • CC-BY-SA
  • GPL
  • LGPL
  • Public Domain
  • Trademark
  • Fiduciary License Agreement
  • Disclaimer
  • Authors
  • Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
  • Affero GNU General Public License
  • GNU Lesser General Public License
  • Table of Contents
  • GNU LESSER GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
  • Preamble
  • TERMS AND CONDITIONS
  • How to Apply These Terms to Your New Libraries
  
  
• Thanks
  • Copyrights and Trademarks
  • Bacula Bugs
  
  
• Index
• About this document ...