Namespace backup/Restore in K8s

There are several tools and methods available to make the backup and restore process for a Kubernetes cluster easier and more efficient. Some popular tools for Kubernetes cluster backup and restore are:

1. Velero (formerly Heptio Ark): Velero is an open-source tool that simplifies backup and restore operations for Kubernetes clusters. It allows you to take cluster-wide backups and restore them with ease. Velero supports various cloud providers and storage solutions for backup and restore operations.

2. kubectl: You can use the kubectl command-line tool to backup and restore resources in Kubernetes. By exporting and importing YAML manifests for each resource, you can recreate the cluster state. However, this method might not be as efficient as using specialized backup tools.

3. Arkade: Arkade is a simple package manager for Kubernetes that provides an easy way to install Velero and other Kubernetes tools. With Arkade, you can quickly install Velero and start using it for backup and restore operations.

4. Kasten K10: Kasten K10 is a data management platform designed specifically for Kubernetes. It provides features like application-centric backup and restore, disaster recovery, and data migration.

5. Stash: Stash is another Kubernetes backup and restore tool that provides volume snapshots, backup schedules, and point-in-time recovery for Kubernetes resources.

Each tool has its strengths and is suited for different use cases. Velero is one of the most widely used tools for Kubernetes backup and restore due to its flexibility and support for various cloud providers and storage solutions. It is recommended to evaluate these tools based on your specific requirements and choose the one that best fits your needs.

 

Among the five tools mentioned, Velero (formerly Heptio Ark) is the most popular open-source and free tool for Kubernetes backup and restore. Velero is efficient and well-suited for use on Amazon EKS clusters. It is widely adopted by the Kubernetes community and has good support for various cloud providers, including AWS.

Velero allows you to take cluster-wide backups, including persistent volumes, and restore them easily. It supports incremental backups, so only changes since the last backup are stored, reducing storage requirements. Velero also provides backup hooks to trigger custom scripts before and after backup or restore operations, allowing you to customize the process to fit your specific needs.

For an EKS cluster on AWS, Velero integrates seamlessly with AWS services like Amazon S3 for backup storage and AWS IAM for authentication. This makes it a convenient choice for Kubernetes backup and restore operations on AWS.

Overall, Velero is a reliable, efficient, and free option for backing up and restoring your Kubernetes resources on an EKS cluster. It is worth considering as your backup and disaster recovery solution for EKS.

 Velero

##################### Create AWS EKS clsuster #######################################################################

## Chocolatey links
https://chocolatey.org/install

## Pre-requisite links
https://docs.aws.amazon.com/eks/latest/userguide/getting-started-eksctl.html

## Create EKS cluster
eksctl create cluster --name eksbackuprestore --node-type t2.large --nodes 1 --nodes-min 1 --nodes-max 2 --region us-east-1 --zones=us-east-1a,us-east-1b,us-east-1c

## Get EKS Cluster service
eksctl get cluster --name eksbackuprestore --region us-east-1

## Update Kubeconfig
aws eks update-kubeconfig --name eksbackuprestore

## Get EKS Pod data.
kubectl get pods --all-namespaces

## Delete EKS cluster
eksctl delete cluster --name eksbackuprestore --region us-east-1

##################################################CREATE AWS EKS BACKUP AND RESTORE #######################################################
1. CREATE S3 BUCKET
aws s3api create-bucket --bucket awseksbackupmanjeet --region us-east-1

2. INSTALL VELERO CLIENT
choco install velero

in linux download from below git:

https://github.com/vmware-tanzu/velero/releases/tag/v1.10.3

3. Install Velero on EKS [--secret-file --secret-file /root/.aws/credentials, has to be changed]

cd /root/Download/velero-v1.10.3-linux-amd64
./velero install --provider aws --plugins velero/velero-plugin-for-aws:v1.0.1 --bucket awseksbackupmanjeet --backup-location-config region=us-east-1 --snapshot-location-config region=us-east-1 --secret-file /root/.aws/credentials
kubectl get all -n velero

4. DEPLOY TEST APPLICATION
kubectl create namespace monitoring
kubectl create deployment web --image=gcr.io/google-samples/hello-app:1.0 -n monitoring
kubectl create deployment nginx --image=nginx -n monitoring

5. VERIFY DEPLOYMENT
kubectl get deployments -n monitoring

6. BACKUP AND RESTORE
velero backup create <backupname> --include-namespaces <namespacename>
./velero backup create monitoring --include-namespaces monitoring

7. DESCRIBE BACKUP
velero backup describe <backupname>
./velero backup describe monitoring

8. DELETE ABOVE DEPLOYMENT
kubectl delete namespace monitoring

9. RESTORE BACKUP ON SAME CLUSTER.
./velero restore create --from-backup monitoring

10. RESTORE ON ONTHER EKS CLUSTER
*************** Install the velero on both the clusters but make sure that cluster points to the same S3 bucket ****************************
 

./velero install --provider aws --plugins velero/velero-plugin-for-aws:v1.0.1 --bucket awseksbackupmanjeet --backup-location-config region=us-east-1 --snapshot-location-config region=us-east-1 --secret-file /root/.aws/credentials

./velero restore create --from-backup monitoring
#############################################################################################################################################

 

Some more cmd in  velero

Create a Backup: To create a backup of your Kubernetes resources,

velero backup create <backup-name> --include-namespaces=<namespace1,namespace2> --exclude-resources=<resource1,resource2>

Replace <backup-name> with a suitable name for your backup, <namespace1,namespace2> with the namespaces you want to include in the backup, and <resource1,resource2> with specific resources you want to exclude from the backup

List Backups:To see a list of existing backups,

velero backup get

Restore from Backup: To restore a previously created backup, 

velero restore create --from-backup <backup-name>

Schedule Backups (Optional):

velero schedule create <schedule-name> --schedule="0 1 * * *" --include-namespaces=<namespace1,namespace2>

Delete Backups (Optional):
velero backup delete <backup-name>

 

 Backup by kubectl command-line tool

 To take a backup of your entire Kubernetes cluster in Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS). One way to achieve this is by using the kubectl command along with kubectl get and kubectl describe commands to export the current state of all Kubernetes resources in the cluster. Here are the steps to take a backup of your entire EKS cluster:

1. Install kubectl: If you haven't already, install kubectl on your local machine. You can find installation instructions for kubectl on the Kubernetes official documentation website.

2. Authenticate with EKS: Ensure that you have the necessary permissions and AWS CLI configured with the appropriate credentials to access your EKS cluster.

3. Export Kubernetes Resources: Use the kubectl get and kubectl describe commands with appropriate flags to export the current state of all Kubernetes resources in the cluster. For example:

   # Export all resources in the default namespace
   kubectl get all --all-namespaces -o yaml > cluster_backup.yaml
   
   # Export all custom resources in the default namespace
   kubectl get crd --all-namespaces -o yaml > cluster_custom_resources.yaml
   
   # Export secrets in the default namespace
   kubectl get secrets --all-namespaces -o yaml > cluster_secrets.yaml
   
   # Export ConfigMaps in the default namespace
   kubectl get configmaps --all-namespaces -o yaml > cluster_configmaps.yaml
   
   # Export PersistentVolumeClaims (PVCs) in the default namespace
   kubectl get pvc --all-namespaces -o yaml > cluster_pvcs.yaml 

    

   1. This will create YAML files with the current state of the respective resources.

   2. Store the Backups: Store the exported YAML files in a secure location outside the cluster, such as an S3 bucket or a version control system like Git.

   3. Document the Backup Process: Document the backup process, including the commands used, the resources exported, and any additional considerations or configurations specific to your cluster.

       

      Remember that the above commands will export resources from all namespaces in the cluster. If you have multiple namespaces or custom resource definitions (CRDs), adjust the commands accordingly to capture all resources you want to back up.