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diff --git a/blog/2023-06-28-backblaze-b2.org b/blog/2023-06-28-backblaze-b2.org index 1ec395c..df14501 100644 --- a/blog/2023-06-28-backblaze-b2.org +++ b/blog/2023-06-28-backblaze-b2.org @@ -1,16 +1,16 @@ -+++ -date = 2023-06-28T16:00:00 -title = "Getting Started with Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage" -description = "A simple tutorial to create a Backblaze B2 account for free and back up data from Linux." -+++ +#+title: Getting Started with Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage +#+date: 2023-06-28 -## Overview +** Overview +:PROPERTIES: +:CUSTOM_ID: overview +:END: +Backblaze [[https://www.backblaze.com/b2/cloud-storage.html][B2 Cloud +Storage]] is an inexpensive and reliable on-demand cloud storage and +backup solution. -Backblaze [B2 Cloud Storage](https://www.backblaze.com/b2/cloud-storage.html) is -an inexpensive and reliable on-demand cloud storage and backup solution. - -The service starts at $5/TB/month ($0.005/GB/month) with a download rate of -$0.01/GB/month. +The service starts at $5/TB/month ($0.005/GB/month) with a download rate +of $0.01/GB/month. However, there are free tiers: @@ -20,162 +20,188 @@ However, there are free tiers: - The first 2500 Class B transactions each day are free. - The first 2500 Class C transactions each day are free. -You can see which API calls fall into categories A, B, or C here: -[Pricing Organized by API -Calls](https://www.backblaze.com/b2/b2-transactions-price.html). - -For someone like me, who wants an offsite backup of their server's `/home/` -directory and various other server configs that fall under 10 GB total, -Backblaze is a great solution from a financial perspective. - -## Create An Account - -To start with Backblaze, you'll need to [create a free -account](https://www.backblaze.com/b2/sign-up.html) - no payment method is -required to sign up. - -Once you have an account, you can test out the service with their web GUI, their -mobile app, or their CLI tool. I'm going to use the CLI tool below to test a -file upload and then sync an entire directory to my Backblaze bucket. - -## Create a Bucket - -Before you can start uploading, you need to create a bucket. If you're familiar -with other object storage services, this will feel familiar. If not, it's pretty -simple to create one. +You can see which API calls fall into categories A, B, or C here: +[[https://www.backblaze.com/b2/b2-transactions-price.html][Pricing +Organized by API Calls]]. + +For someone like me, who wants an offsite backup of their server's +=/home/= directory and various other server configs that fall under 10 +GB total, Backblaze is a great solution from a financial perspective. + +** Create An Account +:PROPERTIES: +:CUSTOM_ID: create-an-account +:END: +To start with Backblaze, you'll need to +[[https://www.backblaze.com/b2/sign-up.html][create a free account]] - +no payment method is required to sign up. + +Once you have an account, you can test out the service with their web +GUI, their mobile app, or their CLI tool. I'm going to use the CLI tool +below to test a file upload and then sync an entire directory to my +Backblaze bucket. + +** Create a Bucket +:PROPERTIES: +:CUSTOM_ID: create-a-bucket +:END: +Before you can start uploading, you need to create a bucket. If you're +familiar with other object storage services, this will feel familiar. If +not, it's pretty simple to create one. As their webpage says: -> A bucket is a container that holds files that are uploaded into B2 Cloud -> Storage. The bucket name must be globally unique and must have a minimum of 6 -> characters. A limit of 100 buckets may be created per account. An unlimited -> number of files may be uploaded into a bucket. - -Once you click the `Create a Bucket` button on their webpage or mobile app, you -need to provide the following: - -- Bucket Unique Name -- Files in Bucket are: `Private` or `Public` -- Default Encryption: `Disable` or `Enable` -- Object Lock: `Disable` or `Enable` - -For my bucket, I created a private bucket with encryption enabled and object -lock disabled. - -Once your bucket is created, you can test the upload/download feature on their -web GUI or mobile app! At this point, you have a fully functional bucket and -account. - -## Linux CLI Tool +#+begin_quote +A bucket is a container that holds files that are uploaded into B2 Cloud +Storage. The bucket name must be globally unique and must have a minimum +of 6 characters. A limit of 100 buckets may be created per account. An +unlimited number of files may be uploaded into a bucket. -### Installation +#+end_quote -To install the `b2` CLI tool, you'll need to download it from the [CLI -Tools](https://www.backblaze.com/docs/cloud-storage-command-line-tools) page. -I recommend copying the URL from the link that says `Linux` and using wget to -download it, as shown below. +Once you click the =Create a Bucket= button on their webpage or mobile +app, you need to provide the following: -Once downloaded, make the file executable and move it to a location on your -`$PATH`, so that you can execute that command from anywhere on the machine. - -```sh +- Bucket Unique Name +- Files in Bucket are: =Private= or =Public= +- Default Encryption: =Disable= or =Enable= +- Object Lock: =Disable= or =Enable= + +For my bucket, I created a private bucket with encryption enabled and +object lock disabled. + +Once your bucket is created, you can test the upload/download feature on +their web GUI or mobile app! At this point, you have a fully functional +bucket and account. + +** Linux CLI Tool +:PROPERTIES: +:CUSTOM_ID: linux-cli-tool +:END: +*** Installation +:PROPERTIES: +:CUSTOM_ID: installation +:END: +To install the =b2= CLI tool, you'll need to download it from the +[[https://www.backblaze.com/docs/cloud-storage-command-line-tools][CLI +Tools]] page. I recommend copying the URL from the link that says +=Linux= and using wget to download it, as shown below. + +Once downloaded, make the file executable and move it to a location on +your =$PATH=, so that you can execute that command from anywhere on the +machine. + +#+begin_src sh wget <b2_cli_url> chmod +x b2_linux mv b2_linux /usr/bin/b2 -``` - -### Log In +#+end_src -The first step after installation is to log in. To do this, execute the -following command and provide your `<applicationKeyId>` and `<applicationKey>`. +*** Log In +:PROPERTIES: +:CUSTOM_ID: log-in +:END: +The first step after installation is to log in. To do this, execute the +following command and provide your =<applicationKeyId>= and +=<applicationKey>=. -If you don't want to provide these values in the command itself, you can simply -execute the base command and it will request them in an interactive prompt. +If you don't want to provide these values in the command itself, you can +simply execute the base command and it will request them in an +interactive prompt. -```sh +#+begin_src sh # if you want to provide the keys directly: b2 authorize-account [<applicationKeyId>] [<applicationKey>] # or, if you don't want your keys in your shell history: b2 authorize-account -``` +#+end_src -### Upload a Test File - -In order to test the functionality of the CLI tool, I'll start by uploading -a single test file to the bucket I created above. -We can do this with the `upload_file` function. +*** Upload a Test File +:PROPERTIES: +:CUSTOM_ID: upload-a-test-file +:END: +In order to test the functionality of the CLI tool, I'll start by +uploading a single test file to the bucket I created above. We can do +this with the =upload_file= function. The command is issued as follows: -```sh +#+begin_src sh b2 upload_file <bucket_name> <local_file> <remote_file> -``` +#+end_src In my situation, I executed the following command with my username. -```sh +#+begin_src sh b2 upload_file my_unique_bucket /home/<user>/test.md test.md -``` +#+end_src -To confirm that the file was uploaded successfully, list the files in your -bucket: +To confirm that the file was uploaded successfully, list the files in +your bucket: -```sh +#+begin_src sh b2 ls <bucket_name> -``` +#+end_src -```txt +#+begin_src txt test.md -``` - -### Sync a Directory +#+end_src -If you have numerous files, you can use the `sync` function to perform -functionality similar to `rsync`, where you can check what's in your bucket -and sync anything that is new or modified. +*** Sync a Directory +:PROPERTIES: +:CUSTOM_ID: sync-a-directory +:END: +If you have numerous files, you can use the =sync= function to perform +functionality similar to =rsync=, where you can check what's in your +bucket and sync anything that is new or modified. The command is issued as follows: -```sh +#+begin_src sh b2 sync <source file location> <B2 bucket destination> -``` +#+end_src -In my case, I can sync my user's entire home directory to my bucket without -specifying any of the files directly: +In my case, I can sync my user's entire home directory to my bucket +without specifying any of the files directly: -```sh +#+begin_src sh b2 sync /home/<user>/ "b2://<bucketName>/home/<user>" -``` - -## Caveats - -### Timing of Updates to the Web GUI - -When performing actions over a bucket, there is a slight delay in the web -GUI when inspecting a bucket or its file. -Note that simple actions such as uploading or deleting files may have a -delay of a few minutes up to 24 hours. -In my experience (<10 GB and ~20,000 files), any actions took only a few -minutes to update across clients. - -### Symlinks - -Note that symlinks are resolved by b2, so if you have a link from -`/home/<user>/nas-storage` that symlinks out to a `/mnt/nas-storage` folder -that has 10TB of data, `b2` will resolve that link and start uploading all 10TB -of data linked within the folder. - -If you're not sure if you have any symlinks, a symlink will look like this -(note the `->` symbol): - -```sh +#+end_src + +** Caveats +:PROPERTIES: +:CUSTOM_ID: caveats +:END: +*** Timing of Updates to the Web GUI +:PROPERTIES: +:CUSTOM_ID: timing-of-updates-to-the-web-gui +:END: +When performing actions over a bucket, there is a slight delay in the +web GUI when inspecting a bucket or its file. Note that simple actions +such as uploading or deleting files may have a delay of a few minutes up +to 24 hours. In my experience (<10 GB and ~20,000 files), any actions +took only a few minutes to update across clients. + +*** Symlinks +:PROPERTIES: +:CUSTOM_ID: symlinks +:END: +Note that symlinks are resolved by b2, so if you have a link from +=/home/<user>/nas-storage= that symlinks out to a =/mnt/nas-storage= +folder that has 10TB of data, =b2= will resolve that link and start +uploading all 10TB of data linked within the folder. + +If you're not sure if you have any symlinks, a symlink will look like +this (note the =->= symbol): + +#+begin_src sh > ls -lha lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 20 Jun 28 13:32 nas -> /mnt/nas-storage/ -``` +#+end_src You can recursively find symlink in a path with the following command: -```sh +#+begin_src sh ls -lR /path/to/search | grep '^l' -``` +#+end_src |