Automated Kubernetes Backups
Automated Backup & Recovery
Situation
The Kubernetes Backup Problem
Kubernetes changed how infrastructure is deployed and operated, but backup and recovery processes still rely on outdated approaches. Traditional backup systems were not built for dynamic workloads, distributed data, or rapidly changing cluster environments.
As a result, teams often depend on manual processes and direct access to etcd databases. This creates operational bottlenecks, slows down DevOps teams, and increases the risk of data loss.
Migrating workloads and persistent data between cloud and on-premises environments is also complex. Many solutions only support full cluster restores and require time-consuming manual cleanup, adding unnecessary operational overhead.
How we help
Self-Service, Automated, Cross-Cluster Recovery
Kubermatic Kubernetes Platform (KKP) provides a built-in backup and restore system that gives project owners full control over their Kubernetes backups. Teams can configure, run, and restore backups directly through KKP without relying on platform administrators or direct etcd access. KKP’s architecture reduces administrative overhead, improves recovery times, and simplifies Kubernetes migrations while minimizing operational risk and downtime during incidents or infrastructure transitions.
Key capabilities of KKP Backup:
Self-Service Backup and Restore
Project owners manage backups, restores, schedules, retention policies, storage locations, and namespace selection independently, without requiring platform administrator involvement.
Automated Backups
KKP automates backup scheduling, retention management, and cleanup of outdated backup sets. Project owners define schedules and retention policies once, while KKP continuously handles execution and cleanup in the background. Selective namespace backup and restore also protect critical workloads without requiring full-cluster backups.
Disaster Recovery
KKP enables fast recovery of applications and data from backups, including selective namespace recovery, without requiring full-cluster restores or manual reconstruction.
Cluster Migration
KKP restores backups into different KKP instances across on-premises and cloud environments, supporting migrations, disaster recovery, infrastructure transitions, and data center moves.
Velero-based backup engine
KKP leverages Velero and the Kubernetes API to capture Kubernetes resources, persistent volumes, and snapshots in configurable external storage locations. This Kubernetes-native backup architecture enables reliable recovery, data integrity, and backup operations across cloud and on-premises environments.
Use Cases
Self-Service Disaster Recovery
- The Mission: Empower project owners to manage their own backup schedules and execute recoveries independently without waiting for platform admin availability during incidents.
- The Application: KKP’s project-level backup management gives project owners full control over backup schedules, storage destinations, TTLs, and namespace selection. During a recovery event, project owners initiate restore operations directly from the KKP dashboard, without raising a platform admin ticket.
Cross-Instance Cluster Migration
- The Mission: Migrate Kubernetes workloads from an on-premises KKP instance to a cloud-hosted KKP instance, preserving all persistent data and application state without manual reconstruction.
- The Application: KKP’s Velero-based backup captures cluster state, volumes, and Kubernetes manifests to external storage accessible by both KKP instances. Backups restore directly into the target environment with namespace structure and persistent data intact, eliminating manual export/import workflows and simplifying migrations.
Automated Namespace-Level Data Protection
- The Mission: Protect critical application namespaces on individual backup schedules — with higher frequency and longer retention than cluster-level backup policies without backing up non-critical workloads at the same cost.
- The Application: KKP’s selective namespace backup and restore lets project owners define per-namespace backup policies. For example, production databases can back up hourly with long retention, while development namespaces back up less frequently. Individual namespaces restore independently without affecting unrelated workloads.
Outcome
Reliable Kubernetes Backup & Recovery at Scale
By standardizing on KKP’s backup and recovery capabilities, organizations replace manual, admin-dependent backup workflows with automated, project-owner-controlled data protection — covering on-premises and cloud environments identically.
Project Owners Control Their Own Data
Decentralized backup management empowers project teams to set schedules, retention policies, and storage locations independently. Platform admins are freed from routine backup requests, focusing on platform architecture instead of data management tickets.
Cross-Instance Migration Flexibility
Restore cluster backups to completely different KKP instances — enabling data center migrations, environment transitions, and disaster recovery across separate infrastructure without manual data reconstruction.
Automated Backup Execution and Cleanup
Regular backups run on configured schedules without manual initiation. Old backup sets are automatically deleted based on retention policies, optimizing storage costs and ensuring backup sets remain usable without growing unbounded.
Namespace-Level Granularity
Selectively backup and restore specific namespaces, protecting critical production data on tight schedules without paying backup costs for ephemeral development workloads. Recovery targets exactly the namespace that failed, not the entire cluster.
Why Kubermatic?
Proven Leadership
Recognized by Gartner®, Forrester, GigaOM, SPARK Matrix™ and a top contributor to the CNCF.
Flexibility
Supports Bare Metal, vSphere, OpenStack, and all major public clouds (AWS, Azure, GCP).
Sovereignty
Germany-based company offering 100% sovereign infrastructure and secure, private cloud stacks.
Expert Support
Implementation, managed services, and 24×7 mission support from Kubernetes experts.