cbbackupmgr

What cbbackupmgr is

cbbackupmgr is a self-hosted command-line client for backing up and restoring Couchbase Server clusters. It creates incremental backups by default, transferring data added since the repository’s previous backup. Its commands cover repository and backup operations: create repositories, inspect or compact backups, merge or remove them, gather diagnostic information, and restore data. A merge deduplicates data, so the resulting backup can take less disk space than the backups it combines.

For Couchbase Server 7.1.2 and later, native cloud storage options include AWS S3, Google Storage, and Azure Blob Storage. Repositories can be encrypted with AES256GCM by default or AES256CBC, and can use AWS KMS, GCP KMS, Azure Key Vault, or HashiCorp Vault Transit for external key management. Cluster authentication supports a username and password or a client certificate and private key.

Couchbase identifies cbbackupmgr as an Enterprise Edition tool and recommends Enterprise Edition binaries for commercial production systems. It is available for Linux, macOS, and Windows. The minimum hardware requirement is four CPU cores and 8 GiB RAM; the recommended configuration is sixteen CPU cores, 16 GiB RAM, and SSD disks. Cluster-connected commands are unsupported during major cluster configuration changes, though they may run during a rebalance.

Who it suits

cbbackupmgr suits teams managing Couchbase Server backups and restores who want incremental backup operations and repository-level controls. It is positioned for Enterprise Edition use, including commercial production systems, and supports self-hosted deployment on Linux, macOS, or Windows.

Limits

The free plan is available, but commercial production systems are directed toward Enterprise Edition binaries. Passphrase-based encryption is for development or testing, not production. Cluster-connected commands are unsupported during major cluster configuration changes.

Getting started

1. Open the Couchbase documentation page for cbbackupmgr.
2. Use an Enterprise Edition binary for commercial production systems.
3. Run it on Linux, macOS, or Windows in a self-hosted environment.
4. Prepare at least four CPU cores and 8 GiB RAM; SSD disks and sixteen cores with 16 GiB RAM are recommended.
5. Authenticate to the cluster with a username and password or a client certificate and private key.
6. Create a repository, then use the commands to manage backups and restore data.

Verdict

Choose cbbackupmgr if you manage Couchbase Server and need incremental backups, restore operations, and control over backup repositories. Look elsewhere if point-in-time recovery is essential, or if your cluster may undergo major configuration changes while connected commands must run.