Node Protect ¶
Periodic backup of selected Proxmox VE node configuration files — /etc, /var/lib/pve-cluster, crontabs, SSH keys, custom scripts — so you can recover from a failed node or accidental misconfiguration.
Features¶
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Targeted path list
Pick exactly which files and directories to protect — defaults cover the essentials (
/etc/.,/var/lib/pve-cluster/.,/root/.ssh, …) and you can add your own. -
On-demand or scheduled
Trigger a run manually from the UI, or schedule recurring runs with a cron expression, using the built-in editor that shows a human-readable description and the next occurrence.
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Local folder destination
Each run is stored as a versioned snapshot in a local folder, capped by the Keep retention setting — older runs are pruned automatically.
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Git destination
Push every backup as a Git commit to a remote repository — full configuration history with diffs, blame, code review and the rest of the Git ecosystem.
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Size widgets on the Dashboard
Drop the Folder Size widget (CE) — or the additional Git Size widget (EE) — on any Dashboard to track backup growth per node at a glance.
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Task Tracker integration
Every run shows up in the global Task Tracker with rich logs (per-resource progress, per-step errors) — find what broke without grepping a separate log.
Why¶
Why a config backup module when you already do disk / VM backups?
Recover a node, not a whole disk image
Need to restore a single hook in /etc/pve or one SSH key? Grab it from the latest backup — no need to mount a full PBS dump or boot a recovery image.
Survive a node reinstall
Wiping a node and starting fresh: copy back /etc, /var/lib/pve-cluster, your crontabs and SSH keys — you're back online in minutes, not hours.
Know what changed, when
With the Git destination every run is a commit you can diff in your Git tooling. Find out when corosync.conf changed — no more silent drift across nodes.
Catches what PBS doesn't
Proxmox Backup Server is great for VMs, not for node-level config. Node Protect fills the gap that PBS leaves intentionally open.
Sections¶
- Folder — list, download and delete backups stored in the local folder destination; view the log of each run
- Git — list commits with their changed files, download a commit as archive, view the log; push, reset or sync from the remote repository
Settings¶
Show all settings
General
Folder destination
| Setting | Default | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Enabled | off | Enable local folder backup destination |
| Keep | 30 | Maximum number of past backups to retain in the folder |
Git destination
| Setting | Default | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Enabled | off | Enable Git remote as backup destination — each scheduled backup commits and pushes the protected files |
| Remote Url | – | URL of the remote Git repository (https://…, git@…) |
| Remote Branch Name | – | Branch name to push commits to |
| Credential | – | Username / password (HTTPS) or SSH key (SSH) used to authenticate with the remote |
| Display Name / Email | – | Author identity recorded on every commit |
| Ignore | preset (/etc/pve/nodes/*/lrm_status, /etc/pve/.rrd) |
.gitignore content — paths matching these globs are not committed |
Requirements
SSH access is required. Configure credentials under Admin Area → Proxmox VE Clusters → (cluster) → SSH.
Web shell PAM user is required.