Store App

A store app is where backups are kept. Its resource, such as an S3 bucket or an SFTP server, holds a Kloset store, an encrypted and deduplicated repository of restore points. Backups write new restore points to the store, restores and syncs read them back, and checks verify their integrity.

Creating a store app

Store apps are created from the Stores tab of an inventory, by selecting the resource that holds the store. The integration, its configuration and the way fields are filled work as for every app, as described in setting up an app.

A store app also has a Storage Type:

• Standard: the store is available at all times.
• Cold: the store uses archival storage, such as Amazon S3 Glacier, where data must be retrieved before it can be read.

The storage type tells the policies engine how the store behaves. It does not change the underlying storage. For S3, archival storage is configured through the storage class of the store, as described in Cold Storage on Amazon S3 Glacier.

Testing and initializing

A store app only describes where backups go. The Kloset store itself is a structure that must exist at that location before anything can be written to it.

Test Connection, on the Dashboard tab of the app, checks that Plakar Control Plane can reach the location and reports whether a Kloset store is already there. A location that has held a store before is recognized and needs no further preparation.

A location that has never held a Kloset store, such as a new S3 bucket, must be initialized before it can receive backups. Initializing writes the store configuration to the location and leaves an empty store. It happens once per location and is not destructive. Initializing a location that already holds a store fails and leaves that store untouched.

Backups are compressed as they are written to the store, with an algorithm chosen at initialization. LZ4 is the default. GZIP or ZSTD can be selected in the advanced settings of the initialization dialog.

Once the store is initialized, its dashboard creates the tasks that act on it:

• Check Store: checks the integrity of the store.
• Create Backup: backs up a source to the store.
• Sync Store: synchronizes the store with another store.
• Restore Data: restores from the store to a destination.

Browsing restore points

The Browse tab lists the restore points held in the store. A restore point can be opened to view its files and download individual files without a full restore. It can also be downloaded whole, checked, or placed under a legal hold.