I’m running a discourse instance as a lxc container on premise on a proxmox pve. I also have a NAS (nfs and samba) on-site, which gets backuped regularly to another location.
How would you implement backups of the discourse installation in this case? Use the discourse build in backup mechanism and clone the backup folder via rsync to the NAS or backup the complete lxc container using the proxmox backup mechanism or completely different?
Thanks for sharing any best practise!
Simon
AI-generated summary
The recommended best practice for backing up a Discourse installation involves using the built-in backup mechanism to create a safe copy of the backup folder, which should then be cloned to another location, such as a NAS, using rsync sjjh. It is essential to test the integrity of the backup archives and ensure they are not stored with the same supplier as the hosting company Ed_S. Additionally, safe copies of the yml configuration file(s) and attachments (if not included in the backup) should be kept. pfaffman agrees with this approach, emphasizing the importance of following Ed_S’s advice.
Although your installation is non-standard, I can say the following, as it applies to all cases:
Always use the built-in backup mechanism - get a safe copy of the backup folder to another location, regularly. And test that those archives are intact (they are gzipped so they have an integrity check built in.)
You also need a safe copy of your yml configuration file(s), and safe copies of your attachments if they are not included in the backup.
Having a backup or snapshot of a container or a disk is not a good idea, because the database is constantly updated and may be in an inconsistent state.
Do not assume that any third party or supplier will keep your data safe, or give you access to it. At minimum, use a different supplier for different copies. For example, a hosting company for the site, and a cloud company for the backups. (If you use the same company for both, and if they delete your account or give control of it to someone else, or if they close, then you lose both copies.)
This.
And everything else he said, I agree with.