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Integration with NAS Backup & Recovery

CloudStack Native Backup & Recovery is built into the CloudStack core platform. From version 4.20 onward, it includes the KVM with NAS B&R Plugin, which allows administrators to perform native, agentless full and incremental backups of KVM instances using a shared NAS (e.g., NFS) backend.
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About NAS Backup & Recovery

Apache CloudStack is a mature, open-source IaaS platform developed by the Apache Software Foundation, used globally to manage large-scale cloud infrastructures. In recent versions, CloudStack has evolved to include native support for backup and recovery operations, helping cloud operators reduce dependency on third-party backup solutions by incorporating backup orchestration directly into the platform.

NAS Backup and Recovery Framework

CloudStack Native Backup & Recovery is built into the CloudStack core platform. From version 4.20 onward, it includes the KVM with NAS B&R Plugin, which allows administrators to perform native, agentless full and incremental backups of KVM instances using a shared NAS (e.g., NFS) backend. Backups can be scheduled via backup offerings (similar to service offerings), applied at deployment time, and restored on-demand through the CloudStack UI or API. The framework also supports other third-party backup providers via plugin architecture, but the KVM + NAS integration enables fully standalone backup operations for users relying solely on open-source components.

Pros

  • Fully integrated with Apache CloudStack — no external tools required for native KVM backup.
  • Supports full and incremental backups to NFS or other NAS-compatible targets.
  • Backup offerings allow flexible policies (scheduling, retention, tiering).
  • Can be used with or without third-party backup vendors via plugin architecture.
  • Built and maintained as part of the core Apache CloudStack project.

Cons

  • Only available for KVM hypervisors.
  • Does not (yet) offer features like file-level recovery or deduplication without external tooling.
  • NAS-based backups may not suit high-throughput or large-scale multi-tenant environments without tuning.
  • 5
implementation

Ease of Implementation

Easy.
use
  • 5

Ease of Use

Easy.
total cost
  • 5

Total Cost of Ownership

Very low — no licensing or external tools required.
support
  • 4

Support

Support is provided via the Apache CloudStack community, official documentation, and commercial vendors (e.g. ShapeBlue). Enterprise users can subscribe to professional support offerings for help with deployment, tuning, and production support of native backups.
integrations
  • 5

Supported Integrations

CloudStack Native B&R supports native instance backups for KVM via the NAS Backup Plugin. Features include scheduled full and incremental backups, retention policies, GUI/API integration, cross-zone restoration, and provider pluggability.

Resources

Technical Documentation

CloudStack Backup and Recovery – Official Documentation

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Blog

NAS Backup and Recovery Plugin Blog

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Video

NAS Backup and Recovery Plugin Demo

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