Implementing Backup and Recovery
1. Creating TSDB Snapshots
| Command | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| promtool tsdb snapshot | Creates a snapshot of the TSDB data directory | Snapshot is saved to data/snapshots/<timestamp> |
| --snapshot-dir | Specify custom directory for snapshot | Defaults to data/snapshots |
| --dry-run | Simulate snapshot creation without saving | Useful for validation |
2. Backing Up Data Directory
| Component | Backup Method | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| TSDB data directory | File system copy | Includes chunks, index, meta.json |
| WAL (Write-Ahead Log) | Copy wal directory |
Ensures consistency during backup |
| Configuration files | Archive prometheus.yml |
Must be backed up separately |
Note: Ensure the Prometheus instance is not actively writing to the data directory during backup.
3. Using Remote Write for Backup
| Configuration | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| remote_write | Send metrics to a remote storage system | Can be used for backup and long-term retention |
| url | Remote storage endpoint URL | Can be another Prometheus or Cortex instance |
| queue_config | Configures queue size and retry behavior | Ensures reliability in case of remote storage unavailability |
Example: Remote Write Configuration
remote_write:
- url: http://backup-prometheus:9090/api/v1/write
queue_config:
capacity: 10000
max_shards: 104. Implementing Point-in-Time Recovery
| Method | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Snapshot restore | Restore from a previously created snapshot | Replaces current data directory with snapshot contents |
| WAL replay | Replay WAL to reconstruct state | Used in conjunction with snapshots for full recovery |
| Time range selection | Select specific time range to restore | Requires external tools or custom scripts |
Recovery Steps
- Stop Prometheus instance
- Backup current data directory
- Restore snapshot to
data/ - Start Prometheus instance
5. Backing Up Configuration Files
| File | Backup Strategy | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| prometheus.yml | Version-controlled backup | Includes scrape configs, rules, remote write settings |
| rule files | Archive with configuration | Include alerting and recording rules |
| external files | Backup referenced files | Such as TLS certificates, secret files |
Example: Backup Script
#!/bin/bash
cp /etc/prometheus/prometheus.yml /backup/config/
cp -r /etc/prometheus/rules /backup/config/6. Testing Backup Restoration
| Test Step | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Restore to test environment | Recreate backup in isolated environment | Verify data integrity and query results |
| Query validation | Run sample queries on restored data | Ensure metrics are correctly restored |
| Alert validation | Verify alert rules and firing conditions | Check that alerts behave as expected |
Note: Regular testing ensures backup integrity and recovery readiness.
7. Automating Backup Schedule
| Scheduler | Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| cron job | Daily or hourly backups | Use promtool tsdb snapshot |
| systemd timer | Automated service scheduling | Can integrate with systemd units |
| external orchestration | Based on deployment tools | Use Kubernetes CronJobs or similar |
Example: Cron Job
0 2 * * * /usr/local/bin/promtool tsdb snapshot --snapshot-dir=/backup/prometheus-snapshots8. Monitoring Backup Success
| Metric | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| prometheus_tsdb_snapshot_success | Indicates successful snapshot creation | Use in alerting rules to detect failures |
| prometheus_config_last_reload_success | Tracks configuration reload success | Ensures config backups are valid |
| backup_status | Custom metric for backup health | Can be updated by backup scripts |
Example: Alert Rule
groups:
- name: backup-alerts
rules:
- alert: SnapshotFailed
expr: prometheus_tsdb_snapshot_success == 0
for: 5m
labels:
severity: critical9. Implementing Disaster Recovery Plan
| Recovery Step | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Recovery plan documentation | Define steps for full system restoration | Include roles and responsibilities |
| Backup verification | Verify backup integrity before disaster | Use checksums or hash validation |
| Recovery testing | Regularly test recovery procedures | Simulate various failure scenarios |
Disaster Recovery Steps
- Identify failure scenario
- Restore from latest backup
- Reconfigure Prometheus instance
- Validate restored data and alerts
10. Using Cloud Storage for Backups
| Provider | Backup Method | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| AWS S3 | Use s3cmd or AWS CLI |
Supports lifecycle policies for cost control |
| Google Cloud Storage | Use gsutil |
Can integrate with Cloud Storage Transfer Service |
| Azure Blob Storage | Use azcopy |
Supports automated backup to blob storage |
Example: Upload to S3
aws s3 cp /backup/prometheus-snapshots s3://my-prometheus-backups/ --recursive11. Implementing Incremental Backups
| Approach | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Snapshot diff | Compare snapshots to identify changes | Requires custom logic or tools |
| Delta compression | Compress only changed data | Reduces backup size and bandwidth usage |
| Versioned backups | Store multiple versions with metadata | Allows for point-in-time recovery |
Note: Incremental backups require careful tracking of backup state to ensure consistency.
12. Validating Restored Data
| Validation Method | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Data consistency check | Verify that all metrics are present | Use Prometheus query API to fetch sample data |
| Query result comparison | Compare query results before and after restore | Ensure no data loss or corruption |
| Alert state validation | Confirm that alert states are preserved | Check for any missing or incorrect alerts |