---
name: "virtnbdbackup"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "virtnbdbackup"
version: "2.28-1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/virtnbdbackup"
---

# virtnbdbackup(1)

backup utility for libvirt

## NAME

virtnbdbackup - backup utility for libvirt

## DESCRIPTION

usage: virtnbdbackup \[-h\] **-d** DOMAIN \[-l {copy,full,inc,diff,auto}\]

- \[-t {stream,raw}\] \[-r\] **-o** OUTPUT \[-C CHECKPOINTDIR\]

  \[--scratchdir SCRATCHDIR\] \[-S\] \[-i INCLUDE\] \[-x EXCLUDE\] \[-f SOCKETFILE\] \[-n\] \[-z \[COMPRESS\]\] \[-w WORKER\] \[-F FREEZE\_MOUNTPOINT\] \[-e\] \[--no-sparse-detection\] \[-T THRESHOLD\] \[-U URI\] \[--user USER\] \[--ssh-user SSH\_USER\] \[--ssh-port SSH\_PORT\] \[--password PASSWORD\] \[-P NBD\_PORT\] \[-I NBD\_IP\] \[--tls\] \[--tls-cert TLS\_CERT\] \[-L\] \[--quiet\] \[--nocolor\] \[-q\] \[-s\] \[-k\] \[-p\] \[-v\] \[-V\]

Backup libvirt/qemu virtual machines

### options:

- **-h**, **--help**

  show this help message and exit

### General options:

- **-d**, **--domain** DOMAIN

  Domain to backup

- **-l**, **--level** {copy,full,inc,diff,auto}

  Backup level. (default: copy)

- **-t**, **--type** {stream,raw}

  Output type: stream or raw. (default: stream)

- **-r**, **--raw**

  Include full provisioned disk images in backup. (default: False)

- **-o**, **--output** OUTPUT

  Output target directory

- **-C**, **--checkpointdir** CHECKPOINTDIR

  Persistent libvirt checkpoint storage directory

- **--scratchdir** SCRATCHDIR

  Target dir for temporary scratch file. (default: */var/tmp*)

- **-S**, **--start-domain**

  Start virtual machine if it is offline. (default: False)

- **-i**, **--include** INCLUDE

  Backup only disk with target dev name (**-i** vda)

- **-x**, **--exclude** EXCLUDE

  Exclude disk(s) with target dev name (**-x** vda,vdb)

- **-f**, **--socketfile** SOCKETFILE

  Use specified file for NBD Server socket (default: */var/tmp/virtnbdbackup.5074*)

- **-n**, **--noprogress**

  Disable progress bar

- **-z**, **--compress** \[COMPRESS\]

  Compress with lz4 compression level. (default: False)

- **-w**, **--worker** WORKER

  Amount of concurrent workers used to backup multiple disks. (default: amount of disks)

- **-F**, **--freeze-mountpoint** FREEZE\_MOUNTPOINT

  If qemu agent available, freeze only filesystems on specified mountpoints within virtual machine (default: all)

- **-e**, **--strict**

  Change exit code if warnings occur during backup operation. (default: False)

- **--no-sparse-detection**

  Skip detection of sparse ranges during incremental or differential backup. (default: False)

- **-T**, **--threshold** THRESHOLD

  Execute backup only if threshold is reached.

### Remote Backup options:

- **-U**, **--uri** URI

  Libvirt connection URI. (default: qemu:///session)

- **--user** USER

  User to authenticate against libvirtd. (default: None)

- **--ssh-user** SSH\_USER

  User to authenticate against remote sshd: used for remote copy of files. (default: abi)

- **--ssh-port** SSH\_PORT

  Port to connect to remote sshd: used for remote copy of files. (default: 22)

- **--password** PASSWORD

  Password to authenticate against libvirtd. (default: None)

- **-P**, **--nbd-port** NBD\_PORT

  Port used by remote NBD Service, should be unique for each started backup. (default: 10809)

- **-I**, **--nbd-ip** NBD\_IP

  IP used to bind remote NBD service on (default: hostname returned by libvirtd)

- **--tls**

  Enable and use TLS for NBD connection. (default: False)

- **--tls-cert** TLS\_CERT

  Path to TLS certificates used during offline backup and restore. (default: /etc/pki/qemu/)

### Logging options:

- **-L**, **--syslog**

  Additionally send log messages to syslog (default: False)

- **--quiet**

  Disable logging to stderr (default: False)

- **--nocolor**

  Disable colored output (default: False)

### Debug options:

- **-q**, **--qemu**

  Use Qemu tools to query extents.

- **-s**, **--startonly**

  Only initialize backup job via libvirt, do not backup any data

- **-k**, **--killonly**

  Kill any running block job

- **-p**, **--printonly**

  Quit after printing estimated checkpoint size.

- **-v**, **--verbose**

  Enable debug output

- **-V**, **--version**

  Show version and exit

## EXAMPLES

-

  \# full backup of domain 'webvm' with all attached disks:

-

  virtnbdbackup -d webvm -l full -o /backup/

-

  \# incremental backup:

-

  virtnbdbackup -d webvm -l inc -o /backup/

-

  \# differential backup:

-

  virtnbdbackup -d webvm -l diff -o /backup/

-

  \# full backup, exclude disk 'vda':

-

  virtnbdbackup -d webvm -l full -x vda -o /backup/

-

  \# full backup, backup only disk 'vdb':

-

  virtnbdbackup -d webvm -l full -i vdb -o /backup/

-

  \# full backup, compression enabled:

-

  virtnbdbackup -d webvm -l full -z -o /backup/

-

  \# full backup, create archive:

-

  virtnbdbackup -d webvm -l full -o - \> backup.zip

-

  \# full backup of vm operating on remote libvirtd:

-

  virtnbdbackup -U qemu+ssh://root@remotehost/system --ssh-user root -d webvm -l full -o /backup/