Remote backup - is this right?

[trentnbauer]

Hi guys,
I'm looking at this as a replacement for Veeam - have I configured this correct for remote backups? Borg-UI is running on a separate VM from the backup source (cocoa) and the backup directory (macaroni)

I can kick off a backup, but it instantly succeeds and has no content.

Per here, the path exists and has content:

This is my back up log:
{"type": "log_message", "time": 1764899455.0051818, "message": "root@cocoa.agg.local:/var/lib/docker/volumes: stat: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: 'root@cocoa.agg.local:/var/lib/docker/volumes'", "levelname": "WARNING", "name": "borg.archiver", "msgid": "BackupFileNotFoundError"} {"time": 1764899455.0052083, "type": "archive_progress", "finished": true} {"message": "Initializing cache transaction: Reading config", "operation": 1, "msgid": "cache.begin_transaction", "type": "progress_message", "finished": false, "time": 1764899455.0054393} {"message": "Initializing cache transaction: Reading chunks", "operation": 1, "msgid": "cache.begin_transaction", "type": "progress_message", "finished": false, "time": 1764899455.0056133} {"message": "Initializing cache transaction: Reading files", "operation": 1, "msgid": "cache.begin_transaction", "type": "progress_message", "finished": false, "time": 1764899455.0057132} {"operation": 1, "msgid": "cache.begin_transaction", "type": "progress_message", "finished": true, "time": 1764899455.0058012} {"message": "Saving files cache", "operation": 2, "msgid": "cache.commit", "type": "progress_message", "finished": false, "time": 1764899455.23246} {"message": "Saving chunks cache", "operation": 2, "msgid": "cache.commit", "type": "progress_message", "finished": false, "time": 1764899455.2330093} {"message": "Saving cache config", "operation": 2, "msgid": "cache.commit", "type": "progress_message", "finished": false, "time": 1764899455.2337353} {"operation": 2, "msgid": "cache.commit", "type": "progress_message", "finished": true, "time": 1764899455.242426} {"type": "log_message", "time": 1764899455.2556975, "message": "------------------------------------------------------------------------------", "levelname": "INFO", "name": "borg.output.stats"} {"type": "log_message", "time": 1764899455.2558744, "message": "Repository: ssh://borg@macaroni.agg.local:22/hdd-mirror/borg", "levelname": "INFO", "name": "borg.output.stats"} {"type": "log_message", "time": 1764899455.255939, "message": "Archive name: manual-backup-2025-12-05T01:50:54", "levelname": "INFO", "name": "borg.output.stats"} {"type": "log_message", "time": 1764899455.2559886, "message": "Archive fingerprint: 0f4a6f561f4096eb3de157dd5a5915bb082cd909c0cf35ff9ad9181156add171", "levelname": "INFO", "name": "borg.output.stats"} {"type": "log_message", "time": 1764899455.256036, "message": "Time (start): Fri, 2025-12-05 01:50:55", "levelname": "INFO", "name": "borg.output.stats"} {"type": "log_message", "time": 1764899455.2560782, "message": "Time (end): Fri, 2025-12-05 01:50:55", "levelname": "INFO", "name": "borg.output.stats"} {"type": "log_message", "time": 1764899455.2561183, "message": "Duration: 0.00 seconds", "levelname": "INFO", "name": "borg.output.stats"} {"type": "log_message", "time": 1764899455.2561572, "message": "Number of files: 0", "levelname": "INFO", "name": "borg.output.stats"} {"type": "log_message", "time": 1764899455.2561965, "message": "Utilization of max. archive size: 0%", "levelname": "INFO", "name": "borg.output.stats"} {"type": "log_message", "time": 1764899455.2562366, "message": "------------------------------------------------------------------------------", "levelname": "INFO", "name": "borg.output.stats"} {"type": "log_message", "time": 1764899455.256276, "message": " Original size Compressed size Deduplicated size", "levelname": "INFO", "name": "borg.output.stats"} {"type": "log_message", "time": 1764899455.2563138, "message": "This archive: 0 B 0 B 0 B", "levelname": "INFO", "name": "borg.output.stats"} {"type": "log_message", "time": 1764899455.2563534, "message": "All archives: 0 B 0 B 3.65 kB", "levelname": "INFO", "name": "borg.output.stats"} {"type": "log_message", "time": 1764899455.2563922, "message": "", "levelname": "INFO", "name": "borg.output.stats"} {"type": "log_message", "time": 1764899455.2564325, "message": " Unique chunks Total chunks", "levelname": "INFO", "name": "borg.output.stats"} {"type": "log_message", "time": 1764899455.256472, "message": "Chunk index: 5 5", "levelname": "INFO", "name": "borg.output.stats"} {"type": "log_message", "time": 1764899455.2565117, "message": "------------------------------------------------------------------------------", "levelname": "INFO", "name": "borg.output.stats"} {"type": "log_message", "time": 1764899455.285562, "message": "terminating with warning status, rc 107", "levelname": "WARNING", "name": "borg.output.show-rc"}

[karanhudia]

@trentnbauer I think you are almost there. The only concerning thing i see is the "Source Directory" path. Currently borg-ui only supports backing up directories from your local machine on which borg-ui is running. So root@cocoa.agg.local:/var/lib/docker/volumes is not required or will not work. If you have mapped your local volume as /local then something like /ocal/var/lib/docker/volumes would work.
For better visibility you can use the folder icon next to source directories and use that to browse what directories are you going to back up.

Also, in the logs, [Errno 2] No such file or directory: 'root@cocoa.agg.local:/var/lib/docker/volumes'" proves my theory. Hope this helps!

[trentnbauer]

I realized I provided an incorrect screenshot above - I have amended it.

It sounds like what I am trying to do isn't possible from your comment? Borg-UI is running on server "espresso" and trying to backup the docker volumes path on server "cocoa" to "macaroni" - they are all different VMs / hardware.
I am trying to replicate this: https://karanhudia.github.io/borg-ui/usage-guide.html#step-5-create-ssh-repository-in-borg-web-ui

cocoa and macaroni are set up as a remote connections;

Do I need a copy of Borg-UI running on each server / machine I want to back up?

[trentnbauer]

After re-reading the doco, it does look like I need Borg-UI docker container on per server. Is there any interest in having this set up?

[karanhudia]

@trentnbauer I have now added the functionality to backup from "Remote machine to local machine". Checkout the latest release! And feel free to create a github issue if you face any problems.

[PrzemekSkw]

Hello, I use always deja-dup and when times come it failed me. I cannot restore backup from old laptop in new one. Backup is stored on my local NAS.
Is it wright tool to make repo in my NAS and store there my backups? Make backup of old laptop and restore on new one?
Regards.

[karanhudia]

With borg-ui you should be able to do this flawlessly. I would recommend you to give it a spin. Feel free to create a github issue if you face any problems.

[karanhudia]

@PrzemekSkw yes, Borg UI can be a good fit for backing up a laptop to a NAS and restoring later, but it cannot read existing Deja Dup backup archives directly.

For a new Borg-based setup, the current best model is:

1. Put the Borg repository on the NAS.
2. Install a Managed Agent on the laptop, or otherwise make the laptop's files visible to the Borg UI host.
3. Let Borg UI create Borg backups into the NAS repository.
4. Restore from that repository to a path visible to Borg UI or to a managed agent machine.

For your old Deja Dup backup, first restore/export the data with Deja Dup, then start a new Borg/Borg UI backup set from that restored data.