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HardLink/Deduplication Backups with Python

Project description

pyhardlinkbackup

Hardlink/Deduplication Backups with Python.

  • Backups should be saved as normal files in the filesystem:

    • accessible without any extra software or extra meta files

    • non-proprietary format

  • Create backups with versioning

    • every backup run creates a complete filesystem snapshot tree

    • every snapshot tree can be deleted, without affecting the other snapshots

  • Deduplication with hardlinks:

    • Store only changed files, all other via hardlinks

    • find duplicate files everywhere (even if renamed or moved files)

  • useable under Windows and Linux

Requirement: Python 3.6 or newer.

Please: try, fork and contribute! ;)

Build Status on github

github.com/jedie/pyhardlinkbackup/actions

Build Status on travis-ci.org

travis-ci.org/jedie/pyhardlinkbackup

Build Status on appveyor.com

ci.appveyor.com/project/jedie/pyhardlinkbackup

Coverage Status on coveralls.io

coveralls.io/r/jedie/pyhardlinkbackup

Requirements Status on requires.io

requires.io/github/jedie/pyhardlinkbackup/requirements/

Example

$ phlb backup ~/my/important/documents
...start backup, some time later...
$ phlb backup ~/my/important/documents
...

This will create deduplication backups like this:

~/pyhardlinkbackups
  └── documents
      ├── 2016-01-07-085247
      │   ├── phlb_config.ini
      │   ├── spreadsheet.ods
      │   ├── brief.odt
      │   └── important_files.ext
      └── 2016-01-07-102310
          ├── phlb_config.ini
          ├── spreadsheet.ods
          ├── brief.odt
          └── important_files.ext

Installation

Windows

  1. install Python 3: https://www.python.org/downloads/

  2. Download the file boot_pyhardlinkbackup.cmd

  3. call boot_pyhardlinkbackup.cmd as admin (Right-click and use Run as administrator)

If everything works fine, you will get a venv here: %ProgramFiles%\PyHardLinkBackup

After the venv is created, call these scripts to finalize the setup:

  1. %ProgramFiles%\PyHardLinkBackup\phlb_edit_config.cmd - create a config .ini file

  2. %ProgramFiles%\PyHardLinkBackup\phlb_migrate_database.cmd - create database tables

To upgrade pyhardlinkbackup, call:

  1. %ProgramFiles%\PyHardLinkBackup\phlb_upgrade_pyhardlinkbackup.cmd

To start the Django webserver, call:

  1. %ProgramFiles%\PyHardLinkBackup\phlb_run_django_webserver.cmd

Linux

  1. Download the file boot_pyhardlinkbackup.sh

  2. call boot_pyhardlinkbackup.sh

If everything works fine, you will get a venv here: ~\pyhardlinkbackup

After the venv is created, call these scripts to finalize the setup:

  • ~/PyHardLinkBackup/phlb_edit_config.sh - create a config .ini file

  • ~/PyHardLinkBackup/phlb_migrate_database.sh - create database tables

To upgrade pyhardlinkbackup, call:

  • ~/PyHardLinkBackup/phlb_upgrade_pyhardlinkbackup.sh

To start the Django webserver, call:

  • ~/PyHardLinkBackup/phlb_run_django_webserver.sh

Starting a backup run

To start a backup run, use this helper script:

  • Windows batch: %ProgramFiles%\PyHardLinkBackup\pyhardlinkbackup_this_directory.cmd

  • Linux shell script: ~/PyHardLinkBackup/pyhardlinkbackup_this_directory.sh

Copy this file to a location that should be backed up and just call it to run a backup.

Verifying an existing backup

$ cd pyhardlinkbackup/
~/PyHardLinkBackup $ source bin/activate

(PyHardLinkBackup) ~/PyHardLinkBackup $ phlb verify --fast ~/PyHardLinkBackups/documents/2016-01-07-102310

With –fast the files’ contents will not be checked. If not given: The hashes from the files’ contents will be calculated and compared. Thus, every file must be completely read from filesystem, so it will take some time.

A verify run does:

  • Do all files in the backup exist?

  • Compare file sizes

  • Compare hashes from hash-file

  • Compare files’ modification timestamps

  • Calculate hashes from files’ contents and compare them (will be skipped if –fast used)

Configuration

phlb will use a configuration file named: PyHardLinkBackup.ini

Search order is:

  1. current directory down to root

  2. user directory

E.g. if the current working directoy is /foo/bar/my_files/ then the search path will be:

  • /foo/bar/my_files/PyHardLinkBackup.ini

  • /foo/bar/PyHardLinkBackup.ini

  • /foo/PyHardLinkBackup.ini

  • /PyHardLinkBackup.ini

  • ~/PyHardLinkBackup.ini The user home directory under Windows/Linux

Create / edit default .ini

You can just open the editor with the user directory .ini file with:

(PyHardLinkBackup) ~/PyHardLinkBackup $ phlb config

The defaults are stored here: /phlb/config_defaults.ini

Excluding files/folders from backup:

There are two ways to exclude files/folders from your backup. Use the follow settings in your PyHardLinkBackup.ini

# Directory names that will be recursively excluded from backups (comma separated list!)
SKIP_DIRS= __pycache__, temp

# glob-style patterns to exclude files/folders from backups (used with Path.match(), Comma separated list!)
SKIP_PATTERNS= *.pyc, *.tmp, *.cache

The filesystem scan is divided into two steps: 1. Just scan the filesystem tree 2. Filter and load meta data for every directory item

The SKIP_DIRS is used in the first step. The SKIP_PATTERNS is used the the second step.

Upgrading pyhardlinkbackup

To upgrade to a new version just start this helper script:

Some notes

What is ‘phlb’ and ‘manage’ ?!?

phlb is a CLI.

manage is similar to a normal Django manage.py, but it always uses the pyhardlinkbackup settings.

Why in hell do you use Django?!?

  • Well, just because of the great database ORM and the Admin Site. ;)

How to go into the Django admin?

Just start:

  • Windows: phlb_run_django_webserver.cmd

  • Linux: phlb_run_django_webserver.sh

And then request ‘localhost’ (Note: –noreload is needed for Windows with venv!)

Running the unit tests

Just start: phlb_run_tests.cmd / phlb_run_tests.sh or do this:

$ cd pyhardlinkbackup/
~/PyHardLinkBackup $ source bin/activate
(PyHardLinkBackup) ~/PyHardLinkBackup $ manage test

Using the CLI

$ cd pyhardlinkbackup/
~/PyHardLinkBackup $ source bin/activate
(PyHardLinkBackup) ~/PyHardLinkBackup $ phlb --help
Usage: phlb [OPTIONS] COMMAND [ARGS]...

  pyhardlinkbackup

Options:
  --version  Show the version and exit.
  --help     Show this message and exit.

Commands:
  add     Scan all existing backup and add missing ones...
  backup  Start a Backup run
  config  Create/edit .ini config file
  helper  link helper files to given path
  verify  Verify a existing backup

Add missing backups to the database

phlb add can be used in different scenarios:

  • recreate the database

  • add a backup manually

phlb add does this:

  • scan the complete file tree under BACKUP_PATH (default: ~/PyHardLinkBackups)

  • recreate all hash files

  • add all files to database

  • deduplicate with hardlinks, if possible

So it’s possible to recreate the complete database:

  • delete the current .sqlite file

  • run phlb add to recreate

Another scenario is e.g.:

  • DSLR images are stored on a network drive.

  • You have already a copy of all files locally.

  • You would like to add the local copy to pyhardlinkbackup.

Do the following steps:

  • move the local files to a subdirectory below BACKUP_PATH

  • e.g.: ~/PyHardLinkBackups/pictures/2015-12-29-000015/

  • Note: the date format in the subdirectory name must match the SUB_DIR_FORMATTER in your config

  • run: phlb add

Now you can run phlb backup from your network drive to make a new, up-to-date backup.

Windows Development

Some notes about setting up a development environment on Windows: /dev/WindowsDevelopment.creole

Alternative solutions

See also: https://github.com/restic/others#list-of-backup-software

History

  • dev - compare v0.12.1…master

    • TBC

  • 05.03.2020 - v0.12.1 - compare v0.12.0…v0.12.1

    • revert lowercase PyHardLinkBackup for environment destination and default backup directory.

  • 05.03.2020 - v0.12.0 - compare v0.11.0…v0.12.0

    • Refactor backup process: Use https://github.com/jedie/IterFilesystem for less RAM usage and faster start on big source trees

    • modernized project/sources:

      • Update to Django v2.2.x TLS

      • use poetry

      • add Makefile

      • run tests with pytest and tox

      • run tests only with python 3.8, 3.7, 3.6

      • run tests on github, too

      • remove support for python 3.5 (os.scandir fallback removed)

    • NOTE: Windows support is not tested, yet! (Help wanted)

  • 03.03.2019 - v0.11.0 - compare v0.10.1…v0.11.0

    • Update boot files

    • Use django v1.11.x

  • 09.09.2016 - v0.10.1 - compare v0.10.0…v0.10.1

  • 26.04.2016 - v0.10.0 - compare v0.9.1…v0.10.0

    • move under Windows the install location from %APPDATA%\PyHardLinkBackup to %ProgramFiles%\PyHardLinkBackup

    • to ‘migrate’: Just delete %APPDATA%\PyHardLinkBackup and install via boot_pyhardlinkbackup.cmd

  • 26.04.2016 - v0.9.1 - compare v0.9.0…v0.9.1

    • run migrate database in boot process

    • Add missing migrate scripts

  • 10.02.2016 - v0.9.0 - compare v0.8.0…v0.9.0

  • 04.02.2016 - v0.8.0 - compare v0.7.0…v0.8.0

    • New: add all missing backups to database: phlb add (s.above)

  • 03.02.2016 - v0.7.0 - compare v0.6.4…v0.7.0

    • New: verify a existing backup

    • IMPORTANT: run database migration is needed!

  • 01.02.2016 - v0.6.4 - compare v0.6.2…v0.6.4

    • Windows: Bugfix temp rename error, because of the Windows API limitation, see: #13

    • Linux: Bugfix scanner if symlink is broken

    • Display local variables on low level errors

  • 29.01.2016 - v0.6.3 - compare v0.6.2…v0.6.3

    • Less verbose and better information about SKIP_DIRS/SKIP_PATTERNS hits

  • 28.01.2016 - v0.6.2 - compare v0.6.1…v0.6.2

    • Handle unexpected errors and continue backup with the next file

    • Better handle interrupt key during execution

  • 28.01.2016 - v0.6.1 - compare v0.6.0…v0.6.1

    • Bugfix #13 by using a better temp rename routine

  • 28.01.2016 - v0.6.0 - compare v0.5.1…v0.6.0

    • New: faster backup by compare mtime/size only if old backup files exists

  • 27.01.2016 - v0.5.1 - compare v0.5.0…v0.5.1

    • IMPORTANT: run database migration is needed!

    • New .ini setting: LANGUAGE_CODE for change translation

    • mark if backup was finished compled

    • Display information of last backup run

    • Add more information into summary file

  • 27.01.2016 - v0.5.0 - compare v0.4.2…v0.5.0

    • refactory source tree scan. Split in two passed.

    • CHANGE SKIP_FILES in .ini config to: SKIP_PATTERNS

    • Backup from newest files to oldest files.

    • Fix #10:

      • New –name cli option (optional) to force a backup name.

      • Display error message if backup name can be found (e.g.: backup a root folder)

  • 22.01.2016 - v0.4.2 - compare v0.4.1…v0.4.2

  • 22.01.2016 - v0.4.1 - compare v0.4.0…v0.4.1

    • Skip files that can’t be read/write. (and try to backup the remaining files)

  • 21.01.2016 - v0.4.0 - compare v0.3.1…v0.4.0

    • Search for PyHardLinkBackup.ini file in every parent directory from the current working dir

    • increase default chunk size to 20MB

    • save summary and log file for every backup run

  • 15.01.2016 - v0.3.1 - compare v0.3.0…v0.3.1

    • fix unittest run under windows

  • 15.01.2016 - v0.3.0 - compare v0.2.0…v0.3.0

    • database migration needed

    • Add ‘no_link_source’ to database (e.g. Skip source, if 1024 links created under windows)

  • 14.01.2016 - v0.2.0 - compare v0.1.8…v0.2.0

    • good unittests coverage that covers the backup process

  • 08.01.2016 - v0.1.8 - compare v0.1.0alpha0…v0.1.8

    • install and runable under Windows

  • 06.01.2016 - v0.1.0alpha0 - d42a5c5

    • first Release on PyPi

  • 29.12.2015 - commit 2ce43

    • commit ‘Proof of concept’

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