WebDAV

The WebDAV integration allows Plakar Control Plane to back up and restore files on any WebDAV remote, such as Nextcloud, ownCloud, or a self-hosted WebDAV server. WebDAV integration supports multiple protocols.

Inventory Management

Currently no managed inventory has the capability of discovering WebDAV resources. You need to set up a self-managed inventory before adding a WebDAV resource.

Adding WebDAV as a resource

Register the resource with no class or subclass. For the endpoint, use the hostname of the WebDAV server. See resources documentation for more information on how to set up resources on a self-managed inventory.

1. dav protocol

The dav protocol connects to a WebDAV remote over unencrypted HTTP. The Insecure option must be enabled to use this protocol.

Backup flow

flowchart TD
  subgraph Remote["WebDAV Remote"]
    Files["Files"]
  end

  subgraph Plakar["Plakar Control Plane"]
    Source["WebDAV
Source app"]
    Backup["Backup process
Encrypt & deduplicate"]
  end

  Store["Kloset Store"]

  Source -->|"dav connection"| Files
  Files -->|"read files"| Backup
  Backup --> Store

Restore flow

flowchart TD
  Store["Kloset Store"]

  subgraph Plakar["Plakar Control Plane"]
    Destination["WebDAV
Destination app"]
    Restore["Restore process"]
  end

  subgraph Remote["WebDAV Remote"]
    Files["Files"]
  end

  Store --> Restore
  Destination --> Restore
  Restore -->|"dav connection"| Files

Shared configuration

The following settings are available when configuring a source or destination app using the dav protocol.

• Insecure: Required. Must be enabled to connect over the unencrypted dav protocol.
• Password: Optional password, used only if Username is set.
• Username: Optional username.

2. davs protocol

The davs protocol connects to a WebDAV remote over TLS-encrypted HTTPS. This is the recommended protocol for all remote connections.

Backup flow

flowchart TD
  subgraph Remote["WebDAV Remote"]
    Files["Files"]
  end

  subgraph Plakar["Plakar Control Plane"]
    Source["WebDAV
Source app"]
    Backup["Backup process
Encrypt & deduplicate"]
  end

  Store["Kloset Store"]

  Source -->|"davs connection over TLS"| Files
  Files -->|"read files"| Backup
  Backup --> Store

Restore flow

flowchart TD
  Store["Kloset Store"]

  subgraph Plakar["Plakar Control Plane"]
    Destination["WebDAV
Destination app"]
    Restore["Restore process"]
  end

  subgraph Remote["WebDAV Remote"]
    Files["Files"]
  end

  Store --> Restore
  Destination --> Restore
  Restore -->|"davs connection over TLS"| Files

Shared configuration

The following settings are available when configuring a source or destination app using the davs protocol.

• Password: Optional password, used only if Username is set.
• Username: Optional username.

Limitations

WebDAV does not preserve all filesystem metadata, such as Unix permissions and symlinks. Only file content, directory structure, modification times and basic attributes are captured. Empty directories are preserved.

A symlink in a snapshot is skipped on restore rather than recreated.

WebDAV cannot tell a symlink on the server from a real directory. If the destination already contains one, a restore can write through it, outside the destination root, depending on how the server handles it. Only restore into a destination whose symlinks you control.