# Create Volume Backup

> Use this procedure to create a full backup of a volume for long-term protection and disaster recovery.

Use this procedure to create a full backup of a volume for long-term protection and disaster recovery.

## Prerequisites {#prerequisites}

The `QEMU Guest Agent` enables communication between CubeCOS and the guest operating system (OS). It obtains relevant information from the guest OS and syncs and freezes the filesystem. The agent also suspends the guest, reconfigures the guest, and allows for the proper shutdown of guest machines. The agent enables CubeCOS to ensure snapshot and backup consistency by syncing and freezing the filesystem with the `guest-fsfreeze-freeze` and `guest-fsfreeze-thaw` operations.

### Install the QEMU guest agent {#install-the-qemu-guest-agent}

1. Install the qemu-guest-agent through your chosen distribution's package manager.

   ```bash title="Installation for qemu-guest-agent"
   # Ubuntu / Debian / Mint
   sudo apt install -y qemu-guest-agent

   # RHEL / CentOS / AlmaLinux / Rocky / Fedora
   sudo dnf install qemu-guest-agent -y

   # SUSE/ openSUSE
   sudo zypper install qemu-guest-agent
   ```

2. Enable and start the service.

   ```bash
   sudo systemctl enable --now qemu-guest-agent
   ```

3. Verify the status of the `qemu-guest-agent`

   Check that the agent is active without errors.

   ```bash
   sudo systemctl status qemu-guest-agent
   ```

   ```bash title="A sample status output"
   ubuntu@demo-ubuntu:~$ systemctl status qemu-guest-agent.service
   ● qemu-guest-agent.service - QEMU Guest Agent
      Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/qemu-guest-agent.service; static)
      Active: active (running) since Wed 2025-04-30 03:59:55 UTC; 2h 45min ago
      Main PID: 709 (qemu-ga)
         Tasks: 2 (limit: 4658)
      Memory: 1.4M (peak: 1.6M)
         CPU: 10ms
      CGroup: /system.slice/qemu-guest-agent.service
               └─709 /usr/sbin/qemu-ga

   Apr 30 03:59:55 demo-ubuntu systemd[1]: Started qemu-guest-agent.service - QEMU Guest Agent.
   ```

## Create a volume backup {#create-a-volume-backup}

:::warning

To ensure the volume snapshot feature works properly, install the QEMU Guest Agent.

:::

1. Navigate to `Project > Storage > Volumes`, choose the desired volume, then hover over `More`.

   ![/assets/volumes/vol_more.png](/assets/volumes/vol_more.png)

2. Hover over `Data Protection` in the drop-down menu, then click `Create Backup`.

   ![/assets/volumes/backup_vol_1.png](/assets/volumes/backup_vol_1.png)

3. Name the backup and click `OK` to proceed.

   There are two types of backup available:
   1. **Full Backup**: The system automatically creates a new backup chain. The full backup's name is the same as the backup chain's name.
   2. **Incremental Backup**: The system will automatically create an incremental backup under the newly created backup chain.

   ![/assets/volumes/backup_vol_2.png](/assets/volumes/backup_vol_2.png)

4. Verify that a temporary volume is created and that both it and the backup target volume display the `Backing Up` status.

   :::info

   The temporary volume will disappear once the backup is complete.

   :::

   ![/assets/volumes/backup_vol_3.png](/assets/volumes/backup_vol_3.png)

5. Verify volume backup creation by navigating to `Project > Storage > Volume Backups`.

   ![/assets/volumes/backup_vol_4.png](/assets/volumes/backup_vol_4.png)

6. The backup is complete once the status changes to `Avialable`.

   ![/assets/volumes/backup_vol_5.png](/assets/volumes/backup_vol_5.png)