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Back up your applications with Veeam Kasten

Introduction​

Veeam Kasten K10 is a backup and restore solution specifically designed for Kubernetes environments. In Cloud Temple's Managed Kubernetes service, Kasten is integrated to enable you to protect your applications, restore data when needed, and ensure business continuity.

This tutorial will guide you through the basic steps to back up and restore an application using Kasten.

Prerequisites​

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

  • An active Managed Kubernetes cluster.
  • Your cluster ID (for example, ctodev).
  • An application deployed in your cluster that you want to back up.

1. Access the Kasten Dashboard​

The Kasten dashboard is accessible via a secure URL, constructed using your cluster's identifier.

  1. Build the access URL: The URL follows this pattern: https://k10.external-secured.<identifier>.mk.ms-cloud-temple.com/k10/ Replace <identifier> with your cluster's identifier. For example, if your identifier is ctodev, the URL will be: https://k10.external-secured.ctodev.mk.ms-cloud-temple.com/k10/.

  2. Access the URL in your browser.

    Security Note

    Access to this URL is restricted to the public IP addresses you have declared. If you are unable to connect, ensure your IP address is authorized by contacting Cloud Temple support.

Integrated Quick Start Guide

The Kasten console includes an interactive quick start guide on its home page. Feel free to follow it for a hands-on introduction directly from the interface.

2. Understanding Backup Storage​

By default, Kasten is preconfigured to use Cloud Temple's object storage service (S3) to securely and durably store your backups.

No configuration is required on your part. The storage location is already set up in the Kasten dashboard under Settings > Locations. This configuration ensures your data is stored on sovereign infrastructure.

Cost Model

The Veeam Kasten service is included in the Managed Kubernetes offering. Backup storage on our sovereign S3 is billed on a pay-per-use basis. Refer to our pricing grid for more details.

3. Create a Backup Policy​

A backup policy (Policy) is a set of rules that define when and how to back up your applications.

Existing Backup Policy

A backup policy named infra-backups is already configured in your Kasten instance. This policy ensures the backup of essential components included with the cluster.

Do not modify or delete this policy.

You must create your own policies to back up the applications you deploy.

  1. In the Kasten dashboard, go to the Policies section and click Create New Policy.

  2. Name your policy: Provide a descriptive name, for example backup-my-app-daily.

  3. Set the frequency (Action):

    • Action: Snapshot (snapshot).
    • Frequency: Choose the frequency that suits your needs (for example, Daily at 02:00).

  4. Select the resources to back up:

    • Select resources by: You can select applications by name (Application Name), by namespace (Namespace), or by labels.
    • To back up all applications in a namespace, choose Namespace and select the desired namespace.

  5. Click Create Policy to save.

The policy will run automatically at the defined frequency. You can also trigger a manual execution by clicking the "Play" (▶️) button next to the policy.

4. Restore an Application​

Kasten simplifies restoring an application to a previous state from a backup point.

  1. In the dashboard, go to the Applications section. You will see a list of your applications and their compliance status with backup policies.

  2. Select the application you want to restore.

  3. Choose a restore point: The application page displays a list of available restore points. Select the one you wish to use and click Restore.

  4. Configure the restore:

    • You can choose to restore into a new namespace or overwrite the existing application. For this tutorial, we will overwrite the existing application.
    • Click Restore to start the process.

Kasten will now restore the application to the state captured in the snapshot. You can monitor the progress in the dashboard.

5. Backup Security​

Protecting your backup data is a top priority. Integrating Kasten into the Managed Kubernetes offering adheres to the highest security standards.

  • Encryption: In compliance with SecNumCloud requirements, all your backups are encrypted. Data is encrypted in transit to S3 storage using the TLS 1.3 protocol and at rest within storage buckets using the AES-256 algorithm.

  • Permission Management: Access to the Kasten interface and its features is controlled by a role-based access control (RBAC) system native to Kubernetes. Only authorized users can create, modify, or execute backup and restore policies, ensuring strict governance over your backup operations.

Conclusion​

You've learned how to use Veeam Kasten to perform basic backup and restore operations in your Managed Kubernetes cluster. Kasten offers many advanced features, such as application migration across clusters and granular retention policies, which you can explore to strengthen your data protection strategy.

For more information, refer to the official Kasten K10 documentation.