Use your own storage

By default, off-site copies of your backups go to Netkeel’s off-site storage. You can keep them in a bucket you own instead, at Amazon S3, Backblaze B2, Wasabi or another S3-compatible provider. Your provider then bills you for the space, and Netkeel does not charge for it.

The setting covers your whole workspace: every server with off-site backup turned on sends its copies to the same place. Copies are encrypted on the server before they are uploaded, and only what changed is uploaded each time.

Before you start

1. Create a private bucket for your backups at your storage provider.
2. Create an access key whose permissions allow it to list, read, write and delete in that bucket only.
3. Note the bucket’s region. For Backblaze B2 it is part of the endpoint shown on the bucket’s page, for example us-west-004.

Connect your bucket

1. Click your name at the bottom of the sidebar and choose Account settings.
2. Open Backup storage.
3. Click Use my own bucket.
4. Fill in the form:
   • Provider: Amazon S3, Backblaze B2, Wasabi or Other S3-compatible storage. For another provider, also enter its Endpoint, such as https://s3.example.com.
   • Region: the bucket’s region.
   • Bucket: the bucket’s name.
   • Access key ID and Secret access key.
   • Folder (optional): a folder inside the bucket to keep the copies in.
5. Click Test and connect.

Netkeel tests the bucket before saving. New copies then go to your bucket. Copies already in Netkeel’s storage stay usable there until their backups are removed.

You can also reach this setting from a server: open its Backups section and click Change next to Stored in.

Your encryption password

Copies in your own bucket are encrypted with a password Netkeel creates for you. With that password and your own keys, you can open the backups with the restic tool even without Netkeel.

To see it, click Show encryption password under Backup storage, enter your account password and click Show password. Keep it somewhere safe.

Change the bucket

Click Change storage, update the details and click Test and save. To keep the current secret key, leave Secret access key empty. A new provider or bucket needs its secret key.

Changing the bucket starts fresh copies in the new one. Copies already in the old bucket stay there and stop showing in Netkeel.

Go back to Netkeel’s storage

1. Under Backup storage, click Use Netkeel storage instead.
2. Confirm.

New off-site copies then go to Netkeel’s storage, billed at $0.03 per GB a month. Copies already in your bucket stay there; Netkeel stops using the bucket and forgets the keys.

Caution

If some backups exist only in your bucket, for example from a deleted server, Netkeel stops listing them when you change or leave the bucket. They stay in the bucket, readable with your encryption password. View the password before you switch if you may need them.

You cannot switch storage while a backup is being copied off-site, or while a backup in your bucket is being restored or deleted. Try again when that finishes.

Only the workspace owner and super admins can manage backup storage.