How to Use the Command 'velero' (with Examples)

Velero is a versatile tool used for backing up, restoring, and migrating Kubernetes applications along with their persistent volumes. It is particularly beneficial for Kubernetes environments where application data integrity is crucial. Through a series of straightforward commands, Velero empowers users to protect their Kubernetes resources by creating backups, scheduling periodic backups, and executing restores. Below are some specific use cases with examples to illustrate how Velero can be effectively utilized.

Use Case 1: Creating a Backup Containing All Resources

Code:

velero backup create backup_name

Motivation: Backing up all resources in a Kubernetes cluster is essential for ensuring your applications can be restored in case of failures or data corruption. This command captures the current state of resources, providing a safeguard for data recovery and maintaining business continuity.

Explanation:

• velero: The command-line tool used for Kubernetes data management.
• backup: Specifies the operation you want to perform.
• create: Command that initiates a new backup.
• backup_name: A user-defined name for the backup, which helps in identifying it for future operations.

Example Output:

Backups:
- backup_name: InProgress

This output indicates that the backup named “backup_name” is currently in progress.

Use Case 2: Listing All Backups

Code:

velero backup get

Motivation: Listing all backups is a vital step in managing backup strategies. It allows users to verify existing backups, check their statuses, and confirm the availability of specific backups needed for restoration purposes.

Explanation:

• velero: The tool interface for interacting with Kubernetes backups.
• backup: The resource type being queried.
• get: Retrieves the list of all backups present in the system.

Example Output:

NAME              STATUS    CREATED                         EXPIRES
backup_name       Completed 2023-10-10 14:30:00 +0000 UTC   2024-01-08 14:30:00 +0000 UTC
another_backup    Completed 2023-09-15 08:45:00 +0000 UTC   2023-12-14 08:45:00 +0000 UTC

This output lists all backups with their statuses, creation, and expiration dates.

Use Case 3: Deleting a Backup

Code:

velero backup delete backup_name

Motivation: Deleting backups is essential for managing storage and cleaning up outdated or unnecessary backups. This ensures the efficient use of space and relevance of available data backups.

Explanation:

• velero: Starts the Velero command-line tool.
• backup: Specifies the type of operation.
• delete: Command to remove a backup from the system.
• backup_name: The name of the backup that you intend to delete.

Example Output:

Request to delete 'backup_name' submitted. Backup will be permanently deleted when all associated data has been removed.

This message shows that the backup deletion process has been initiated.

Use Case 4: Creating a Weekly Backup, Each Living for 90 Days

Code:

velero schedule create schedule_name --schedule="@every 7d" --ttl 2160h0m0s

Motivation: Scheduling backups automatically reduces manual intervention and ensures that consistent backups are created regularly. A typical weekly backup strategy with a retention period of 90 days ensures data availability for critical periods, thus supporting both operational needs and compliance requirements.

Explanation:

• velero: Invokes the Velero interface.
• schedule: The context for scheduling repeating tasks.
• create: Command to set up a new schedule.
• schedule_name: A unique name for the schedule.
• --schedule="@every 7d": Defines the frequency of the backup; in this case, once every 7 days.
• --ttl 2160h0m0s: Sets the time-to-live for the backups created by this schedule, indicating that they will exist for 2160 hours (or 90 days) before expiration.

Example Output:

Schedule 'schedule_name' created successfully. Backups will execute every 7 days.

This output confirms that the schedule for weekly backups has been successfully established.

Use Case 5: Creating a Restore from the Latest Successful Backup Triggered by a Specific Schedule

Code:

velero restore create --from-schedule schedule_name

Motivation: Restoring from the latest successful backup ensures that applications are brought back online with the most recent data set, minimizing data loss and downtime. This command is particularly useful in disaster recovery scenarios where prompt action is necessary.

Explanation:

• velero: Command-line tool for Kubernetes.
• restore: Specifies that a restore operation is desired.
• create: Initiates a new restore process.
• --from-schedule schedule_name: Directs the restore process to use the last successful backup from the specified schedule.

Example Output:

Restore 'restore-2023-10-15-15-00-00' created with data from schedule 'schedule_name'.

This indicates that a restore operation has been initiated using data from the designated schedule.

Conclusion:

Velero provides powerful capabilities for Kubernetes users to safeguard their applications and data. By using Velero, users can create, list, delete, and schedule backups, as well as perform restores, ensuring robust data management in dynamic cloud environments. Utilizing the examples provided, administrators can seamlessly integrate Velero into their Kubernetes ecosystem to enhance data protection and disaster recovery strategies.