💾 PVE Rsync Backup Pro (Bash)

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🚀 The Problem

Standard Proxmox backup solutions often leave temporary dumps on the node or lack flexibility in how files are transferred to offsite storage. In high-density ISP or homelab environments, you need a surgical approach: back up a specific VM, transfer it immediately, and leave zero traces on the source node.

🛠 The Solution

This script is a "surgical" automation layer for Proxmox vzdump. Unlike generic scripts, it parses the real-time log to identify the exact archive path, transfers it via rsync, and performs a verified cleanup. It’s designed for those who value storage efficiency and data portability.

🔑 Key Features:

• Precision Extraction: Uses awk to grab the exact .vma.zst path from the vzdump output. No more "guessing" based on timestamps.
• Surgical Cleanup: Automatically removes the remote dump and its log file from the PVE node only after a successful transfer.
• Safety Triggers: Built-in validation ensures the script never executes rm on directories or incorrect file types.
• Rsync-Powered: Uses files-from logic for atomic transfers of both VM configurations and disk images.
• ISP-Grade Logging: Detailed logs with timestamping, console output, and integration with syslog (via logger).
• Node Whitelisting: Verification of the node name to prevent accidental execution on the wrong host.

📦 Dependencies & Requirements

Component	Role	Requirement
SSH Keys	Authentication	Passwordless root/sudo access to PVE
Sudo	Permissions	Access to qm, vzdump, and rm in the sudoers of the PVE node
Rsync	Transfer	Installed on both Local & Remote nodes
Mail	Reporting	mailutils or bsd-mailx (optional)

📖 Usage

1. Initial Setup: Clone the script, make it executable and create your configuration file:

chmod +x pve-rsync-backup.sh
cp pve-rsync-backup.conf.example pve-rsync-backup.conf

2. Configure: Edit pve-rsync-backup.conf with your SSH keys, allowed nodes, and rsync modules.
3. Run the Backup task or add it to the crontab:

# Usage: ./pve-rsync-backup.sh <Node_IP/FQDN> <VM_ID>
./pve-rsync-backup.sh 192.168.1.10 101

📁 Backup Structure

The script organizes backups by node and VM ID for easy navigation:

/backups/
  └── node-name/                                      <-- Node name used from 192.168.1.10
      └── vm101/                                      <-- VM ID
          ├── 20260415_1453/                          <-- Current backup
          │   ├── 101-filelist.txt                    <-- Rsync list to backup
          │   ├── Local_README.md                     <-- Short instruction to restore VM from dump
          │   ├── etc/
          │   │   └── pve/
          │   │       └── nodes/
          │   │           └── node-name/
          │   │               └── qemu-server/
          │   │                   └── 101.conf        <-- VM conf file
          │   └── storage-name/
          │       └── dump/
          │           ├── vzdump-qemu-101...vma.zst   <-- VM dump file
          │           └── vzdump-qemu-101...log       <-- VM dump log
          └── logs/                                   <-- Historical logs
              └── 20260415_1453-backup.log            <-- Current backup task log

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⚖️ License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

⚠️ Disclaimer:

Use at your own risk! This script performs sudo rm operations on remote hosts. Always test in a staging environment (e.g., on a non-critical VM) before adding to production crontab.