In this short tutorial we will learn how to install Urbackup, an open-source client server backup system application on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS operating system.
Introduction
In the digital age, data is the lifeblood of businesses and individuals alike. Protecting and managing this invaluable resource is a critical task. This is where UrBackup, an open-source backup solution, comes into play. UrBackup offers a robust and flexible platform for safeguarding your data, ensuring that it is both secure and easily recoverable when needed.
What is UrBackup?
UrBackup is an open-source client/server backup system that provides a reliable and efficient way to back up data on various platforms. Developed with simplicity and effectiveness in mind, UrBackup offers a comprehensive set of features to meet the diverse backup needs of users, ranging from individual enthusiasts to small businesses and enterprises.
UrBackup Key Features
- Cross-Platform Compatibility. UrBackup supports major operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and macOS. This cross-platform compatibility makes it a versatile solution for environments with diverse system architectures.
- Image and File Backups. Whether you need to back up entire system images or specific files and directories, UrBackup has you covered. This flexibility allows users to tailor their backup strategies to suit their specific requirements.
- Incremental Backups. UrBackup employs an incremental backup approach, ensuring that only the changes made since the last backup are stored. This not only optimizes storage space but also reduces backup times and resource utilization.
- Centralized Management. The client/server architecture of UrBackup enables centralized management of backups. Administrators can configure and monitor backups across multiple devices from a single, intuitive web interface.
- Web-Based User Interface. The web-based user interface provides a user-friendly experience for both administrators and end-users. It allows for easy configuration, monitoring, and recovery of backups, making the entire process straightforward and accessible.
- Security. Security is a top priority for UrBackup. The system supports encryption during data transmission and storage, protecting sensitive information from unauthorized access.
- Restore Options. UrBackup offers multiple restore options, allowing users to recover entire systems, specific files, or directories. This flexibility is crucial in minimizing downtime and ensuring a swift recovery in the event of data loss.
How To Install UrBackup on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Operating System
In this section we will install UrBackup server application, there will be several steps to be done as shown below :
- Install Dependencies Packages
- Add Urbackup PPA repository
- Install Urbackup Server
- Enable Urbackup Service
- Access UrBackup web interface server
Step 1: Install Dependencies Packages
UrBackup application requires some packages to be running properly on Ubuntu, so we will install the required packages by submitting command line :
$ sudo apt install gnupg2 software-properties-common
Output :
ramansah@bckinfo:~$ sudo apt install gnupg2 software-properties-common [sudo] password for ramansah: Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree... Done Reading state information... Done software-properties-common is already the newest version (0.99.22.7). gnupg2 is already the newest version (2.2.27-3ubuntu2.1). 0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 187 not upgraded.
Step 2: Add Urbackup PPA repository
By default, Ubuntu 22.04 operating system has no UrBackup repository, so we have have to add it manually. For this purpose we will submit following command line :
$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:uroni/urbackup
Output :
ramansah@bckinfo:~$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:uroni/urbackup Repository: 'deb https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/uroni/urbackup/ubuntu/ jammy main' Description: Efficient Client-Server Backup system for Linux and Windows. A client for Windows lets you backup open files and complete partition images. Backups are stored to disks in a efficient way (deduplication) on either Windows or Linux servers. More info: https://launchpad.net/~uroni/+archive/ubuntu/urbackup Adding repository. Press [ENTER] to continue or Ctrl-c to cancel.
Step 3: Install UrBackup Server
At this point, we are ready to install UrBackup software on Ubuntu.
$ sudo apt update $ sudo apt install urbackup-server
Output :
ramansah@bckinfo:~$ sudo apt install urbackup-server Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree... Done Reading state information... Done The following additional packages will be installed: attr augeas-lenses binutils binutils-common binutils-x86-64-linux-gnu bsdmainutils btrfs-progs cpu-checker cryptsetup-bin db-util db5.3-util debootstrap dmeventd exfatprogs extlinux f2fs-tools finalrd guestfish guestfs-tools guestmount hfsplus ibverbs-providers icoutils ipxe-qemu ipxe-qemu-256k-compat-efi-roms kpartx ldmtool libafflib0v5 libaio1 libaugeas0 libbfio1 libbinutils libcacard0 libconfig9 libctf-nobfd0 libctf0 libdate-manip-perl libdecor-0-0 libdecor-0-plugin-1-cairo libdevmapper-event1.02.1 libewf2 libfdt1 libfuse2 libgfapi0 libgfrpc0 libgfxdr0 libglusterfs0 libguestfs-hfsplus libguestfs-perl libguestfs-reiserfs libguestfs-tools libguestfs-xfs libguestfs0 libhfsp0 libhivex0 libibverbs1 libintl-perl libintl-xs-perl libiscsi7 libldm-1.0-0 liblvm2cmd2.03 libnetpbm10 libpmemobj1 librados2 librbd1 librdmacm1 librpm9 librpmio9 libsdl2-2.0-0 libspice-server1 libstring-shellquote-perl libsys-virt-perl libtsk19 libusbredirparser1 libvhdi1 libvirglrenderer1 libvirt0 libvmdk1 libwin-hivex-perl libxml-xpath-perl libyara8 lsscsi lvm2 lzop mdadm msr-tools mtools ncal netpbm osinfo-db ovmf qemu-block-extra qemu-system-common qemu-system-data qemu-system-gui qemu-system-x86 qemu-utils reiserfsprogs rpm-common scrub seabios sleuthkit supermin syslinux syslinux-common thin-provisioning-tools virt-p2v xfsprogs . . . Setting up virt-p2v (1.42.0-4) ... Processing triggers for man-db (2.10.2-1) ... Processing triggers for dbus (1.12.20-2ubuntu4.1) ... Processing triggers for install-info (6.8-4build1) ... Processing triggers for initramfs-tools (0.140ubuntu13.1) ... update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-6.2.0-36-generic Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme (0.17-2) ... Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.35-0ubuntu3.4) ...
During the installation, we will be prompted by the graphical text-based interface which will ask the path where we will save the backup. Enter the path or directory then click ‘ok’ as shown below:
At this point we have installed UrBackup application tools successfully on Ubuntu 22.04.
Step 4 : Enable Urbackup Service
By default UrBakup daemon has already active after installation was completed done, to make UrBackup is automatic running when the system is booted, we need to enable it. For this purpose we will submit the following command line :
$ sudo systemctl status urbackupsrv $ sudo systemctl enable urbackupsrv
Output :
ramansah@bckinfo:~$ sudo systemctl status urbackupsrv
● urbackupsrv.service - LSB: Server for doing backups
Loaded: loaded (/etc/init.d/urbackupsrv; generated)
Active: active (running) since Wed 2023-11-15 21:18:53 WIB; 3min 26s ago
Docs: man:systemd-sysv-generator(8)
Tasks: 19 (limit: 4556)
Memory: 21.4M
CPU: 941ms
CGroup: /system.slice/urbackupsrv.service
└─13672 /usr/bin/urbackupsrv run --config /etc/default/urbackupsrv --daemon --pidfile /var/run/ur>
Nov 15 21:18:53 bckinfo systemd[1]: Starting LSB: Server for doing backups...
Nov 15 21:18:53 bckinfo systemd[1]: Started LSB: Server for doing backups.
ramansah@bckinfo:~$ sudo systemctl enable urbackupsrv urbackupsrv.service is not a native service, redirecting to systemd-sysv-install. Executing: /lib/systemd/systemd-sysv-install enable urbackupsrv
If UrBackup is not started up when installation was completed, then we need to start it by submitting command line :
$ sudo systemctl start urbackupsrv
Step 5 : Access UrBackup Web Interface Server
UrBackup is accompanied by web interface to access its service and configure the backup policy. We only use web browser to access it. We just type IP address or hostname followed by the colon and then enter the port number on which it listens in the URL address bar UrBackup is using port 55414.
httpL//<ip_address_or_hostname>:55414
By using UrBackup web interface, we will create a backup policy, monitory backup which running and do restore if its need.
Conclusion
UrBackup stands out as a reliable and feature-rich open-source backup solution. Its cross-platform compatibility, user-friendly interface, and robust set of features make it a compelling choice for individuals, businesses, and IT professionals seeking a cost-effective and efficient data protection solution. By leveraging UrBackup, users can ensure the safety and recoverability of their valuable data in the face of unforeseen challenges.
