Define what to back up

Define what to back up#

The FileSet is a Bacula configuration resource used to define exactly what should be backed up from a Bacula Client host. A FileSet can specify:

  • Directory paths

  • File paths

  • Regular expressions for paths

  • Wildcard expressions for paths

  • Plugins (e.g., for database backups)

In addition, the FileSet’s Options block allows you to set additional behaviors and properties for the backed-up files, such as:

  • Signature – Hash algorithm used to verify data integrity (e.g., SHA1, SHA256, SHA512, MD5).

  • Compression – Software compression (e.g., GZIP[1–9], LZO, ZSTD).

  • …and many other directives.

What is required?#

  • Any version of the Bacularis web interface

How to do it?#

To create a new FileSet, follow these steps:

  • In the Bacularis web interface, go to the Director page from the main menu.

  • Open the Configure director tab.

  • Select the FileSet sub-tab to manage FileSet configurations.

Add FileSet window#

  • Click the Add FileSet button to open a new form.

  • Enter a FileSet name and an optional description.

  • To define backup paths, click the Add button and select Add include block from the dropdown menu.

Within the Include block, you can:

  • Add paths to back up

  • Add include options

  • Define plugins

Below you can read how you can set the includes.

../_images/bacularis_create_fileset_choose_what_to_back_up.png

Add single file/directory#

Use this option to manually enter paths (files or directories) from the Bacula Client host. To add multiple paths, repeat the Add single file/directory action — each click adds a new input field.

Add files by file browser#

This option lets you select backup paths directly from the Bacula Client file system without typing them manually.

Steps:

  • In the popup window, select the Bacula Client whose file system you want to browse.

  • Use the file browser on the left to navigate the file system.

  • Select paths by either:

    • Dragging them to the top-right box to include

    • Dragging them to the bottom-right box to exclude

    • Alternatively, you can click the Include or Exclude links next to each item.

Add options block#

This allows you to add an Options block within the current Include section, where you can define custom behavior (e.g., compression, signature type) for specific paths.

Add plugin#

Use this to attach Bacula or Bacularis plugins to the FileSet.

Plugins are used for backing up specialized resources (like databases or services) that cannot be handled by regular file paths. They perform dedicated actions beyond the standard FileSet functionality.

Assign FileSet to job#

Once your FileSet is created, you must assign it to a backup job to begin backing up the specified paths.

You can:

  • Create a new Job (see: Create backup job), or

  • Edit an existing Job to set the FileSet directive.

Video guide#

You can watch a video tutorial demonstrating how to create a FileSet using the Bacularis web interface: