[Feature]: Physical Database Backups

[MichalisDBA]

Problem or use case

We have very large databases and by using logical backups with mysqldump it takes too much time.

Proposed solution

Please add support for physical hot backups with mariabackup tool for MariaDB server and xtrabackup for MySQL server. It would be nice to have an option for incremental backups too with these tools.

Alternatives considered

No response

Component

Database backup

How important is this to you?

Nice to have

Additional context

No response

Checklist

• I searched existing issues and this is not a duplicate
• I would be willing to help test this feature

[wnstfy]

Hey @MichalisDBA! 👋

Thanks for this feature request! Physical backups with mariabackup/xtrabackup are definitely valuable for large databases where mysqldump becomes a bottleneck.

We've done a deep analysis of this request and wanted to share our findings and ask a few questions.

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What We Found

Your request actually covers two distinct features with different complexity levels:

Feature	Complexity	Notes
Full Physical Backups	Medium	Streaming to restic is proven to work
Incremental Backups	High	Requires state tracking, chain management, complex restore orchestration

Full physical backups (without incremental) could be added in a near-term release. The streaming approach works well with our existing architecture.

Incremental backups are significantly more complex — they require tracking LSN (Log Sequence Numbers) between runs, managing backup chains, and implementing multi-step restore procedures. This would be a larger undertaking planned for a future major release.

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A Few Questions

To help us prioritize and scope this properly:

1. How large are your databases?

• Under 50 GB
• 50-200 GB
• 200 GB - 1 TB
• Over 1 TB

2. Would full physical backups (without incremental) meet your immediate needs?

• Full physical backups alone would provide 4-10x speedup over mysqldump
• Incremental adds complexity but reduces daily backup size

3. Are you using MariaDB or MySQL?

• MariaDB 10.3+ requires mariabackup (xtrabackup is not compatible)
• MySQL 5.7/8.0 uses Percona xtrabackup

4. Have you considered parallel logical dumps as an alternative?

• Tools like mydumper can parallelize mysqldump-style backups
• Simpler restore process than physical backups
• Could be a middle-ground solution

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In the Meantime

For immediate large database backup needs, you might consider:

• mydumper/myloader — parallel logical dumps (faster than mysqldump, same restore simplicity)
• Direct mariabackup/xtrabackup — run alongside backupd for database, use backupd for files

We appreciate your input — it helps us understand real-world needs! 🙏

[MichalisDBA]

Yes we have approx. 700GB in data.

The Full physical backup would be enough from the time being and if it will be compressed while backing up would be great.

We use MariaDB 10+

I know the incremental procedure has complexity in the strategy that you have to define to make the a robust flow.