[db-snapshot] documentation for metadata db snapshotsdb-snapshot

3 files changed, 84 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/doc/book/operations/durability-repairs.md b/doc/book/operations/durability-repairs.md
index f4450dae..c76dc39e 100644
--- a/doc/book/operations/durability-repairs.md
+++ b/doc/book/operations/durability-repairs.md
@@ -104,6 +104,24 @@ operation will also move out all data from locations marked as read-only.
 
 # Metadata operations
 
+## Metadata snapshotting
+
+It is good practice to setup automatic snapshotting of your metadata database
+file, to recover from situations where it becomes corrupted on disk. This can
+be done at the filesystem level if you are using ZFS or BTRFS.
+
+Since Garage v0.9.4, Garage is able to take snapshots of the metadata database
+itself. This basically amounts to copying the database file, except that it can
+be run live while Garage is running without the risk of corruption or
+inconsistencies.  This can be setup to run automatically on a schedule using
+[`metadata_auto_snapshot_interval`](@/documentation/reference-manual/configuration.md#metadata_auto_snapshot_interval).
+A snapshot can also be triggered manually using the `garage meta snapshot`
+command. Note that taking a snapshot using this method is very intensive as it
+requires making a full copy of the database file, so you might prefer using
+filesystem-level snapshots if possible. To recover a corrupted node from such a
+snapshot, read the instructions
+[here](@/documentation/operations/recovering.md#corrupted_meta).
+
 ## Metadata table resync
 
 Garage automatically resyncs all entries stored in the metadata tables every hour,
diff --git a/doc/book/operations/recovering.md b/doc/book/operations/recovering.md
index 7a830788..6e19db0e 100644
--- a/doc/book/operations/recovering.md
+++ b/doc/book/operations/recovering.md
@@ -108,3 +108,57 @@ garage layout apply   # once satisfied, apply the changes
 
 Garage will then start synchronizing all required data on the new node.
 This process can be monitored using the `garage stats -a` command.
+
+## Replacement scenario 3: corrupted metadata {#corrupted_meta}
+
+In some cases, your metadata DB file might become corrupted, for instance if
+your node suffered a power outage and did not shut down properly. In this case,
+you can recover without having to change the node ID and rebuilding a cluster
+layout. This means that data blocks will not need to be shuffled around, you
+must simply find a way to repair the metadata file. The best way is generally
+to discard the corrupted file and recover it from another source.
+
+First of all, start by locating the database file in your metadata directory,
+which [depends on your `db_engine`
+choice](@/documentation/reference-manual/configuration.md#db_engine).  Then,
+your recovery options are as follows:
+
+- **Option 1: resyncing from other nodes.** In case your cluster is replicated
+  with two or three copies, you can simply delete the database file, and Garage
+  will resync from other nodes. To do so, stop Garage, delete the database file
+  or directory, and restart Garage. Then, do a full table repair by calling
+  `garage repair -a --yes tables`.  This will take a bit of time to complete as
+  the new node will need to receive copies of the metadata tables from the
+  network.
+
+- **Option 2: restoring a snapshot taken by Garage.** Since v0.9.4, Garage can
+  [automatically take regular
+  snapshots](@/documentation/reference-manual/configuration.md#metadata_auto_snapshot_interval)
+  of your metadata DB file. This file or directory should be located under
+  `<metadata_dir>/snapshots`, and is named according to the UTC time at which it
+  was taken. Stop Garage, discard the database file/directory and replace it by the
+  snapshot you want to use. For instance, in the case of LMDB:
+
+  ```bash
+  cd $METADATA_DIR
+  mv db.lmdb db.lmdb.bak
+  cp -r snapshots/2024-03-15T12:13:52Z db.lmdb
+  ```
+
+  And for Sqlite:
+
+  ```bash
+  cd $METADATA_DIR
+  mv db.sqlite db.sqlite.bak
+  cp snapshots/2024-03-15T12:13:52Z db.sqlite
+  ```
+
+  Then, restart Garage and run a full table repair by calling `garage repair -a
+  --yes tables`.  This should run relatively fast as only the changes that
+  occurred since the snapshot was taken will need to be resynchronized. Of
+  course, if your cluster is not replicated, you will lose all changes that
+  occurred since the snapshot was taken.
+
+- **Option 3: restoring a filesystem-level snapshot.** If you are using ZFS or
+  BTRFS to snapshot your metadata partition, refer to their specific
+  documentation on rolling back or copying files from an old snapshot.
diff --git a/doc/book/operations/upgrading.md b/doc/book/operations/upgrading.md
index 6b6ea26d..c239bfe4 100644
--- a/doc/book/operations/upgrading.md
+++ b/doc/book/operations/upgrading.md
@@ -73,6 +73,18 @@ The entire procedure would look something like this:
   You can do all of the nodes in a single zone at once as that won't impact global cluster availability.
   Do not try to make a backup of the metadata folder of a running node.
 
+  **Since Garage v0.9.4,** you can use the `garage meta snapshot --all` command
+  to take a simultaneous snapshot of the metadata database files of all your
+  nodes.  This avoids the tedious process of having to take them down one by
+  one before upgrading. Be careful that if automatic snapshotting is enabled,
+  Garage only keeps the last two snapshots and deletes older ones, so you might
+  want to disable automatic snapshotting in your upgraded configuration file
+  until you have confirmed that the upgrade ran successfully.  In addition to
+  snapshotting the metadata databases of your nodes, you should back-up at
+  least the `cluster_layout` file of one of your Garage instances (this file
+  should be the same on all nodes and you can copy it safely while Garage is
+  running).
+
 3. Prepare your binaries and configuration files for the new Garage version
 
 4. Restart all nodes simultaneously in the new version