[Feature] Native Backup Option to S3-Compatible Storage

[Adamou02]

I have searched the existing feature requests, both open and closed, to make sure this is not a duplicate request.

• Yes

The feature

Hi,
I’d like to suggest a feature that I think would be really useful: having a native backup option in Immich that can send data directly to an S3-compatible storage (such as AWS S3, Wasabi, OVH Object Storage and many others).

The idea would be to allow users to back up both media files and metadata from within the app, without needing to rely on external tools or manual scripts. This would make long-term data protection much easier, especially for users running Immich on personal servers or NAS systems.

Is this something that’s been considered or discussed before? Thanks for the great work on the project.

Platform

• Server
• Web
• Mobile

[danieldietzler]

That's actually not only something we've considered before, but something we're actively hiring for right now to build out https://futo.org/jobs/immich-e2ee.

[Adamou02]

That's actually not only something we've considered before, but something we're actively hiring for right now to build out https://futo.org/jobs/immich-e2ee.

I’m a bit confused. The feature being requested is for Immich, which is often self-hosted on a personal server using Docker. So why is the associated job posting talking about Kubernetes clusters and distributed storage infrastructure?

From my point of view, this feature sounds like something that could be implemented directly in the application code. It would simply allow users to configure an S3-compatible storage backend (such as AWS S3, Wasabi, etc.) by providing an endpoint and access credentials. Each user would then be able to choose their preferred S3 provider.

So, unless I'm missing something, it seems like a relatively straightforward feature to implement at the application level, rather than requiring a full-scale Kubernetes infrastructure. Can you clarify the connection?

Unfortunately, I’m just a junior DevOps engineer, so I don’t yet have the level of experience with Kubernetes and distributed S3 solutions that you're looking for. Otherwise, I would have definitely applied :D

[danieldietzler]

We're building out a cloud-hosted backup solution with a native integration into Immich (i.e., one-click backup). Because we want to avoid vendor lock-in, you will also be able to use other services/backup targets with that solution.
Tl;dr: Imagine Immich shipped with restic, supporting S3 as well.

[diraneyya]

Questions:

1. Is the feature you are referring to going to become a part of the AGPL-licensed Immich project which we have been self-hosting? Or a part of another SaaS Immich implementation?
2. When backing up to an S3 bucket, is the Immich mobile app connecting directly to the S3 bucket or through the Immich server (for the bulk of the data transfer, think of DMA as an analogy).

PS: The job posting you linked does not exist or the link is wrong.

Thanks.

[danieldietzler]

I think you're confusing the meaning of "backup" here. This is about backing up your instance to an S3 bucket. Just like when you had configured restic yourself for instance to back up your DB and assets. It's the same thing, just built-in.

[diraneyya]

I apologise. I am mainly interested in having S3 as a storage layer for Immich which is explained by my contribution to the other discussion here