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Part 2: Create Resources

This is Part 2 of a multi-part, self-paced quick start exercise.

What Will You Do

In part 2, you will setup the backup/restore resources in order to perform backup and restore operations. You will:

  • Create backup Cloud Credentials
  • Create backup locations for control plane and persistent volumes
  • Create data agents
  • Create backup and restore policies

Step 1: Create Backup Cloud Credential

In this step, you will create cloud credentials for each of the clusters that will perform backup or restore operations. You will need a Service Principal with the Contributer role in order to create the cloud credentials for each cluster.

Perform the following steps for each cluster where backup or restore operations will be peformed.

  • Ensure you are logged into the console
  • In your project, navigate to Infrastructure -> Cloud Credentials
  • Click on "New Credential"
  • Provide a name for the Credential
  • Select "Data Backup" for Type
  • Select "Azure" for Provider
  • Enter the Azure "Tenant ID"
  • Enter the Azure "Subscription ID"
  • Enter the Azure "Client ID"
  • Enter the Azure "Client Secret"
  • Click "Save"

Cloud Credential

  • Perform the previous steps again for the second cluster

Alternatively, you can create the cloud credential using RCTL and build this into an automation pipeline. The following command could be used ensuring the credential name and Service Principal details are updated first.

rctl create credential azure <creds-name> --cred-type data-backup --client-id <client-id> --client-secret <client-secret> --tenant-id <tenant-id> --subscription-id <subscription-id>

Step 2: Create Backup Locations

In this step, we will create two backup locations which will store the control plane backup data and persistent volume data respectively. We will use an Azure Storage Account Container to store the data.

First, we will create the backup location for the Control Plane backups.

  • In your project, navigate to Backup/Restore -> Locations
  • Click on "New Location"
  • Provide a name for the Location
  • Select "Control Plane Backup" for Type
  • Click "Create"

Control Plane Backup Location

  • Select "Azure" for the Target Type
  • Enter the "Container Name"
  • Enter the "Storage Account" name
  • Enter the "Resource Group" name
  • Click "Save"

Control Plane Backup Location

  • Navigate to Backup/Restore -> Locations
  • Click on "New Location"
  • Provide a name for the Location
  • Select "Volume Backup" for Type
  • Click "Create"

Volume Backup Location

  • Select "Azure" for the Target Type
  • Enter the "Resource Group" name
  • Click "Save"

Volume Backup Location

Alternatively, you can create the backup locations using RCTL and build this into an automation pipeline. The following commands could be used ensuring the arguments are updated first.

  rctl create dp-location <name> --backup-type <controlplanebackup> --target-type <azure> --resource-group <resource-group> --storage-account <storage-account> --bucket-name <bucket-name>

rctl create dp-location <name> --backup-type <volumebackup> --target-type <azure> --resource-group <resource-group>

Step 3: Create Data Agents

In this step, we will create a data agent on each cluster where a backup or restore operation will occur. The agent on each cluster will be used to perform the backup/restore operations.

Perform the following steps for each cluster where backup or restore operations will be peformed.

  • In your project, navigate to Backup/Restore -> Data Agents
  • Click on "New Agent"
  • Provide a name for the Data Agent
  • Click "Create"

Data Agent

  • Select the cloud credential of the cluster where the data agent will be deployed
  • Click "Save"

Data Agent

We must now deploy the agent to a cluster.

  • Click "Deploy to Clusters"
  • Select the cluster
  • Click "Deploy"

Data Agent

  • Perform the previous steps again for the second cluster

Alternatively, you can create and deploy the data agents using RCTL and build this into an automation pipeline. The following commands could be used ensuring the data agent name, cloud credential name and cluster name are updated first.

rctl create dp-agent <name> --cloud-credentials <cloudcredentials>

rctl deploy dp-agent <agent-name> --cluster-name <cluster-name>

Step 4: Create Backup and Restore Policies

In this step, you will create both a backup and a restore policy.

First, you will create a backup policy.

  • In your project, navigate to Backup/Restore -> Policies
  • Click on "New Policy"
  • Provide a name for the backup policy
  • Select "Backup" for Type
  • Click "Create"

Backup Policy

  • Under the "Config" section, select the control plane backup location that was previously created
  • Select "Persistent Volume Backups" to enable it
  • Select the volume backup location that was previously created
  • Click "Save"

Backup Policy

Alternatively, you can create the backup policy using RCTL and build this into an automation pipeline. The following command could be used ensuring the policy name, control plane location and volume location are updated first.

rctl create dp-policy <name> --type backup --location <location> --snapshot-location <snapshot-location> --retention-period 720h

Now, you will create a restore policy.

  • Navigate to Backup/Restore -> Policies
  • Click on "New Policy"
  • Provide a name for the restore policy
  • Select "Restore" for Type
  • Click "Create"

Backup Policy

  • Under the "Config" section, select "Resore PVs"
  • Click "Save"

Backup Policy

Alternatively, you can create the restore policy using RCTL and build this into an automation pipeline. The following command could be used ensuring the policy name is updated first.

rctl create dp-policy <name> --type restore --restore-pvs

Recap

In this part, you have created the needed backup and restore resources in order to be able to initiate backup and restore jobs on your two clusters.