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Overview

Volume backups write a complete copy of volume data to a separate backup target — typically an object storage bucket — providing protection against storage cluster failure. Unlike snapshots, backups are stored independently of the source volume and can survive the loss of the primary storage cluster. Backups support a full + incremental strategy to minimize storage usage and backup time after the initial full copy.
Prerequisites
  • The backup service must be enabled and configured by your administrator
  • Sufficient backup storage quota (openstack quota show)
  • The source volume must exist (attached or detached)

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Snapshot vs Backup

FeatureSnapshotBackup
Storage locationSame cluster as sourceSeparate backup target
Creation timeSecondsMinutes (data copy)
Incremental supportImplicit (copy-on-write)Yes — after first full backup
Survives cluster failureNoYes
Restore timeSecondsMinutes
Long-term retentionLimited by cluster capacityYes
Use caseFast checkpoints, cloningDisaster recovery, compliance archival
Combine both strategies: use snapshots for frequent short-term checkpoints and backups for weekly full copies plus daily incrementals to a separate target.

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Create a Full Backup

Navigate to Volumes

Log in to the Xloud Dashboard (https://connect.<your-domain>) and navigate to Project → Volumes → Volumes.

Create backup

Click Actions → Create Backup on the target volume. Provide a name and leave the Incremental checkbox unchecked for the first (full) backup. Click Create Volume Backup.
A full backup copies all data from the volume. Duration depends on volume size and available backup bandwidth — expect 1–5 minutes per 10 GiB for typical workloads.

Monitor progress

Navigate to Project → Volumes → Backups. The backup status transitions through creating → available.
Backup status shows Available — full backup complete.

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Create an Incremental Backup

After a full backup exists, incremental backups copy only the blocks that changed since the last backup — significantly reducing backup time and storage usage.

Create incremental backup

Click Actions → Create Backup on the target volume. Provide a name and enable the Incremental checkbox.Click Create Volume Backup.
Incremental backups depend on the existence of a previous backup for the same volume. If no previous backup exists, the backup service automatically creates a full backup instead.

Verify

Navigate to Project → Volumes → Backups and confirm the new backup appears with status Available.
Incremental backup complete — only changed blocks were copied.

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Restore from a Backup

Restoring a backup to an existing volume overwrites that volume’s data. Select New Volume to restore to a fresh volume and verify data integrity before overwriting the original.

Navigate to Backups

Navigate to Project → Volumes → Backups.

Restore the backup

Click Actions → Restore Backup on the target backup. Select:
  • New Volume — restore to a fresh volume (recommended)
  • An existing volume — overwrites the target volume’s data
Click Restore Volume Backup.

Verify

The restored volume appears in the Volumes list with status Available. Attach it and verify the data before making any changes.
Volume restored from backup and ready for use.

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Backup Retention Strategy

List and delete outdated backups to free quota:
List all backups with dates
openstack volume backup list --long
Delete a backup
openstack volume backup delete <backup-id>
Deleting a backup from a backup chain (full + incrementals) may invalidate dependent incremental backups. Delete incrementals before deleting the full backup they depend on.

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Next Steps

Volume Snapshots

Complement backups with fast point-in-time snapshots for short-term recovery

Backup Configuration (Admin)

Configure the backup service driver and target for your environment

Attach / Detach

Attach a restored volume and verify its data

Quota Management (Admin)

Manage backup quota limits across projects