What 'full backup' means, in context of HAOS?

Configuration
1

I have a very simple question:

If I have PI4 running HAOS, what ‘full backup’ means and what does it include?

Because I look at the backups I took in the last 24 hours and see them drastically different in size

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Is ‘full backup’ interchangeably with 'system image snapshot"? If I upgrade/downgrade my OS, supervisor, frontend, or add integrations from store/HACS, will then full backup help me to revert it to the state as it was at the moment when the backup was taken?

If not, then why it is called ‘full backup’? And if it is not, what are the means/options to restore the state of the system as it was at a specific timestamp?

Thanks.

2

Your list shows “full backup” of certain components that you upgraded. Yes, you can restore those to bring that component back to it’s previous state, that’s why the sizes are different. A full system backup is everything you need to restore to exactly where you backed up from in case of a full failure, so you still need those it looks like.

3

Hi,
You can look yourself - download a backup, rename the file to add .tgz to the end and unpack the compressed tar archive. You’ll then see individual *.tar.gz archives inside the outer.

Basically, a full backup is a tar archive of tar archvies of all of the components of HASS such as core, configuration, add-ons, ESPhome, /media, etc.

It is not a snapshot of the file systems, but it’s functionally equivalent. Restoring a full backup works to restore everything, but I’d not recommend trying to restore a later version to a downgraded OS as no one will have tested the results (stuff may have changed…).

It also works cross-platform - e.g. backup on one device, restore on another (e.g. an upgrade to Yellow).

If this helps, :heart: this post!

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4

But ‘full backup’ does not mean that it includes OS, etc, correct?

If HAOS was running on PI with OS version 9.5 with core 2023.5.0 and full backup was taken, will it restore on PI running 10.5 with core 2023.9.0? Or OS, core supervisor component versions must match for the restore to be successful?

What are the options to have VM analog of snapshot for HAOS running on PI? Like full system snapshot with file systems/layout/etc.

5

The full backup contains all user data and os configuration BUT not the OS and hypervisor as there are several options to install on ARM, i686, etc.

Install HASSOS and restore.

Full HASSOS has a locked down host OS so the only way to do a bare metal copy is a separate uSD card, RPi OS and their imager tool to copy the uSD.

It’s possible, but pointless.

The only way to answer your hypothetical combinations is for you to test them. My restore has always worked, but I track current versions so YMMV.

6

To get that, basically your process is:
Install OS
Restore backup (remember the backup is ONLY the contents, but the entire contents) of your config…

At this point you should be on current level with your config.

Then update or revert to the version of HA to the version you want. (I always force install the version I had when the backup was taken just to avoid the potential issue I think you’re alluding to.)

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7

How full backup restore content if my DB size was 9GB and full backup was 1.2GB?

8

It’s a Tarball. (TAR) compressed archive, and databases are usually tremendously compressible

9

Reviving this Topic to make Things Clear:

I am stumbling over the Message " wipe your system and restore this backup?"

When doing a “Partial Restore” of that Full Backup, but with all Elements ticked, is the Result absolutely the same, or is there any additional Action taken?

What does the “wiping” reference to?