Learn how to take a KVM incremental backup from our experts. Our Virtualizor Support team is here to help you with your questions and concerns.

How to take a KVM incremental backup

Incremental backup involves backing up only the changed or new-created data based on the previous full backup. They are quite popular as it saves backup time, restore time as well as backup storage.

KVM is a popular hypervisors. It is often used together with QUMU Emulator.

According to our experts, taking an KVM incremental backup is actually as easy task. It includes taking a backup of a VM’s disk image. This includes changes made since the last backup only.

The snapshot method makes this a process a reality. Each time s snapshot is taken, the present state of the VM’s disk is captured. This is saved as a new copy of the virtual disk.

Additionally, any modifications made to the disk after the snapshot are stored separately.

Our experts would like to point out that in incremental backups, only the changes made since the last snapshot are backed up. Furthermore, the backup process may occur locally or over a network based on the backup solution in place.

Let’s take a look at the different steps involved in taking an incremental backup of a KVM VM:

1. First, we have to use the following command to take a snapshot of the VM’s disk image:

   qemu-img snapshot -c snapshot_name vm_diskimage

   Alternatively, we can also use the libvirt snapshot command.
2. Next, we have to backup via the the backup solution in place. Please note that the backup solution copies only the changes made to the VM’s disk since the last snapshot.
3. Now, it is time to merge the snapshot changes back into the virtual machine’s disk image via this command:

   qemu-img snapshot -a snapshot_name vm_diskimage

   Alternatively, we can use the libvirt snapshot command.

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Conclusion

In summary, our Support Techs demonstrated how to take a KVM incremental backup