Set Up Backups in VirtFusion

VirtFusion Backup Manager can use Proxmox Backup Server as a native backup storage backend. This lets VirtFusion create on-demand and scheduled backups to your hosted PBS datastore.

Before you start

You need:

• VirtFusion admin access.
• At least one VirtFusion hypervisor that can reach the PBS server on port 8007.
• Your PBS server, datastore, username, realm and namespace if one is used.
• A PBS API token name and secret.
• The PBS TLS fingerprint if you use certificate pinning.

VirtFusion uses a PBS API token for the PBS storage configuration. If your service only includes a password login, create an API token in PBS if your account can do so, or request one from support.

Create or collect the API token

If your account can create API tokens:

1. Log in to the PBS web interface.
2. Go to Configuration > Access Control > API Token.
3. Add a token for your backup user.
4. Save the token name and token secret.

The token secret is only shown once. Store it securely.

The token needs permission to write and read backups in the assigned datastore or namespace. Hosted PBS services usually configure these permissions for you.

Add PBS storage in VirtFusion

1. Log in to the VirtFusion admin area.
2. Open Backup Manager.
3. Go to Storage.
4. Click Add Storage.
5. Select Proxmox Backup Server as the storage type.
6. Enter a clear storage name, for example NC PBS.
7. Save the new storage entry.

Configure the PBS connection

Open the storage configuration and fill in the PBS fields.

Use Skip TLS Verify only for testing. For production, use the correct TLS fingerprint or a trusted certificate.

If the option is available, enable Skip Zero Chunks to avoid storing unused disk regions during full backups.

Optional: configure encryption

VirtFusion can encrypt backup data before it is sent to PBS.

Decide whether to use encryption before the first backup. Changing encryption settings later can make existing backups difficult or impossible to restore.

If you enable encryption:

• Store the encryption key or passphrase outside VirtFusion and PBS.
• Do not lose the key. Encrypted backups cannot be restored without it.
• Expect PBS deduplication to be less effective because encrypted data cannot be deduplicated in the same way as plain backup data.

Test the storage

After saving the PBS settings:

1. Click Save Settings & Test or the equivalent test action.
2. Select a hypervisor that should write to this PBS storage.
3. Run the test.

The test must pass from every hypervisor that will use this storage. If only one hypervisor can reach PBS, only that hypervisor can back up or restore through this storage.

Create a backup schedule

1. Open Backup Manager > Schedules.
2. Click Add Schedule.
3. Select the PBS storage.
4. Select the hypervisor whose VMs should be backed up.
5. Set the backup interval.
6. Configure retention.
7. Choose the default server access level.
8. Save the schedule.

Create one schedule per hypervisor that should back up to PBS.

Run a manual test backup

1. Open a server in the VirtFusion admin area.
2. Go to the server backup section.
3. Click Backup Now.
4. Wait for the job to complete.
5. Open the PBS web interface and confirm that the new backup exists in the datastore or namespace.

Restore from a VirtFusion backup

Use VirtFusion for normal VM restores:

1. Open the server in VirtFusion.
2. Go to the backup section.
3. Select the restore point.
4. Start the restore.

Restoring a disk can overwrite current VM data. Review the selected disk and restore point before confirming.

Recommended starting settings

For production hypervisors, start conservatively:

Increase concurrency only after you have confirmed that backup jobs do not overload disk I/O or the network.

Troubleshooting

Storage test fails

• Confirm the hypervisor can reach the PBS server on port 8007.
• Confirm the TLS fingerprint is correct.
• Confirm the datastore and namespace values are typed exactly as provided.
• Check whether a firewall blocks outbound HTTPS traffic to PBS.

Authentication fails

• Confirm the username and realm are split correctly.
• Confirm the token name is only the token name, not the full user@realm!token string.
• Confirm the token secret was copied when the token was created.
• Request a new token if the old secret was lost.

Backups do not appear in PBS

• Check Backup Manager > Jobs in VirtFusion.
• Check the matching task log in PBS.
• Confirm the schedule is enabled.
• Confirm the affected server is included in the schedule and has backup access enabled.