Setup Bacula in Ubuntu

5-minute read
Samiul Saki
Tutorial • Post
Linux/Unix • Bash

In this guide I will go though the setup process of Bacula server and client in a ubuntu system. It should work with any ubuntu distro. The guide has two parts:

Bacula-Server:

$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install mysql-server

Enter a Password (remember the password)

$ sudo apt-get install bacula-server bacula-client
  • Select YES for configuring database
  • Enter mysql password (from previous step)
  • Enter a new password and confirm
$ sudo chmod 755 /etc/bacula/scripts/delete_catalog_backup

Mount the volume:

mkfs.ext4 /dev/vdb
mount /dev/vdb /mnt
mkdir -p /mnt/bacula/backup /mnt/bacula/restore
$ sudo chown -R bacula:bacula /mnt/bacula
$ sudo chmod -R 700 /mnt/bacula

Configure Bacula Director:

nano /etc/bacula/bacula-dir.conf

Find the Job resource with a name of “BackupClient" (ca line 45) and rename the Name part:

Job {
    Name = "BackupLocalFiles"
    JobDefs = "DefaultJob"
}

Find the Job resource that is named “RestoreFiles” (ca line 77) and rename the Name and Where part:

Job {
    Name = "RestoreLocalFiles"
    Type = Restore
    Client=backup-sam-fd
    FileSet="Full Set"
    Storage = File
    Pool = Default
    Messages = Standard
    Where = /mnt/bacula/restore
}

Configure File Set: (ca line 90)

FileSet {
    Name = "Full Set"
    Include {
        Options {
        signature = MD5
        compression = GZIP
        }
    File = /
    }
    Exclude {
            File = /var/lib/bacula
            File = /mnt/bacula
        File = /proc
            File = /tmp
            File = /.journal
            File = /.fsck
    }
}

Configure Storage Daemon Connection:

Use the backup server FQDN here (ca line 185):

Storage {
    Name = File
    # Do not use "localhost" here
    Address = backup-sam.openstacklocal                # N.B. Use a fully qualified name here
    SDPort = 9103
    Password = "tL3-S6OfmJhkT6CGN9axDWm-64uc18oko"
    Device = FileStorage
    Media Type = File
}

Configure Pool:

Add a line that specifies a Label Format (ca line 282):

Pool {
    Name = File
    Pool Type = Backup
    Label Format = Local-
    Recycle = yes                       # Bacula can automatically recycle Volumes
    AutoPrune = yes                     # Prune expired volumes
    Volume Retention = 365 days         # one year
    Maximum Volume Bytes = 50G          # Limit Volume size to something reasonable
    Maximum Volumes = 100               # Limit number of Volumes in Pool
}

Check Director Configuration:

bacula-dir -tc /etc/bacula/bacula-dir.conf

Configure Storage Daemon:

nano /etc/bacula/bacula-sd.conf

(ca line 13):

Storage {                             # definition of myself
    Name = backup-sam-sd
    SDPort = 9103                  # Director's port
    WorkingDirectory = "/var/lib/bacula"
    Pid Directory = "/var/run/bacula"
    Maximum Concurrent Jobs = 20
    SDAddress = backup-sam.openstacklocal
}

(ca line 53):

Device {
    Name = FileStorage
    Media Type = File
    Archive Device = /mnt/bacula/backup
    LabelMedia = yes;                   # lets Bacula label unlabeled media
    Random Access = Yes;
    AutomaticMount = yes;               # when device opened, read it
    RemovableMedia = no;
    AlwaysOpen = no;
}

Verify Storage Daemon Configuration:

bacula-sd -tc /etc/bacula/bacula-sd.conf

Restart Bacula Director and Storage Daemon:

$ sudo service bacula-director restart
$ sudo service bacula-sd restart

To backup:

$ sudo bconsole

run -> 1 -> yes

To restore:

$ sudo bconsole

restore all -> 5 -> 2

Delete Restored Files

You may want to delete the restored files to free up disk space. To do so, use this command:

sudo -u root bash -c "rm -rf /bacula/restore/*"

Bacula-Client:

On Bacula-Server (addition to the prior setup):

sudo mkdir /etc/bacula/conf.d
sudo nano /etc/bacula/bacula-dir.conf

At the end of the file add, this line:

@|"find /etc/bacula/conf.d -name '*.conf' -type f -exec echo @{} \;"

Save and Exit.

sudo nano /etc/bacula/conf.d/pools.conf

Add this as content:

Pool {
        Name = RemoteFile
        Pool Type = Backup
        Label Format = Remote-
        Recycle = yes                       # Bacula can automatically recycle Volumes
        AutoPrune = yes                     # Prune expired volumes
        Volume Retention = 365 days         # one year
        Maximum Volume Bytes = 50G          # Limit Volume size to something reasonable
        Maximum Volumes = 100               # Limit number of Volumes in Pool
    }

Check for errors:

sudo bacula-dir -tc /etc/bacula/bacula-dir.conf

Install Bacula-Client:

sudo apt-get update

Then install the bacula-client package:

sudo apt-get install bacula-client

Configure Client:

nano /etc/hostname 

bacula-client               # for example

nano /etc/hosts

10.1.12.250 bacula-client.openstacklocal bacula-client             # if they don’t already exists

nano /etc/bacula/bacula-fd.conf

Edit this Name part to backup-server-hostname and remember the password (ca line 13):

Director {
    Name = backup-sam-dir
    Password = "HWddrD5uk72XVhZhN7vJgLFvqmw4SnIFb"
    }

ca line 31:
FileDaemon {                          # this is me
    Name = logger-kibana-fd
    FDport = 9102                  # where we listen for the director
    WorkingDirectory = /var/lib/bacula
    Pid Directory = /var/run/bacula
    Maximum Concurrent Jobs = 20
    FDAddress = logger-kibana.openstacklocal
}

ca line 41:
Messages {
    Name = Standard
    director = backup-sam-dir = all, !skipped, !restored
}

Check for errors:

sudo bacula-fd -tc /etc/bacula/bacula-fd.conf

If echo $? == 0

sudo service bacula-fd restart

Let’s set up a directory that the Bacula Server can restore files to. Create the file structure and lock down the permissions and ownership for security with the following commands:

sudo mkdir -p /bacula/restore
sudo chown -R bacula:bacula /bacula
sudo chmod -R 700 /bacula

On Bacula-Server:

sudo nano /etc/bacula/conf.d/filesets.conf
  • The FileSet Name must be unique
  • Include any files or partitions that you want to have backups of
  • Exclude any files that you don’t want to back up, but were selected as a result of existing within an included file
FileSet {
    Name = "Home and Etc"
    Include {
            Options {
                signature = MD5
                compression = GZIP
            }
            File = /home
            File = /etc
            File = /root
    }
    Exclude {
        File = /home/bacula/
    }
}

Add Client and Backup Job to Bacula Server:

sudo nano /etc/bacula/conf.d/clients.conf

Add Client Resource:

Client {
    Name = logger-kibana-fd
    Address = logger-kibana.openstacklocal
    FDPort = 9102
    Catalog = MyCatalog
    Password = "HWddrD5uk72XVhZhN7vJgLFvqmw4SnIFb"          # password for Remote FileDaemon
    File Retention = 30 days            # 30 days
    Job Retention = 6 months            # six months
    AutoPrune = yes                     # Prune expired Jobs/Files
}

Create a backup job:

Job {
    Name = "Backuplogger-kibana"
    JobDefs = "DefaultJob"
    Client = logger-kibana-fd
    Pool = RemoteFile
    FileSet="Home and Etc"
}

Verify Director Configuration:

sudo bacula-dir -tc /etc/bacula/bacula-dir.conf

Restart Bacula Director

sudo service bacula-director restart

Test Backup Job:

$ sudo bconsole

run -> 4 -> yes

Perform Restore:

$ sudo bconsole

restore all -> 5 -> 2 (or depending on the which client to restore to) -> done -> yes