Plakar

Plakar is an open-source web app and server that provides an engine for creating encrypted and deduplicated data snapshots. It allows users to back up files and system data, store them in an immutable data store, and perform verification or restoration as needed. The software ensures that data remains protected through zero-trust encryption and avoids vendor lock-in by utilizing open standards for its storage and archive formats.

The software is deployed as a server and can be managed through a command line interface, an API, or a built-in web UI. It utilizes Kloset, an open-source immutable data store, and ptar for creating self-contained archives. This flexible deployment model allows users to manage backups on local directories or synchronize them across distributed environments to maintain high availability and data integrity.

Key features

• Deduplication and compression of snapshots to reduce storage costs
• Zero-trust encryption covering both data and metadata
• Browsable snapshots for inspecting contents and diffing versions
• Independent verification of snapshots without requiring a full restore
• Support for exporting snapshots as self-contained .ptar archives
• Integration with PostgreSQL, MySQL, etcd, and Kubernetes
• Compatibility with S3-compatible object stores
• Synchronization of stores across locations for 3-2-1 backup strategies

Plakar is designed for system administrators and developers who need to manage backups across heterogeneous environments. It uses a dedicated package manager to add integrations for different backup sources and storage backends, allowing the tool to expand based on the specific infrastructure requirements of the user. The architecture supports distributed stores, which enables complex push, pull, and sync workflows to ensure data redundancy across multiple physical or cloud locations.

By combining a CLI for automation and a web interface for visibility, Plakar provides a versatile toolkit for data protection. It is a scalable backup engine for those requiring verifiable and encrypted data protection with the ability to query and restore specific files without affecting the rest of the backup set.