Holland Backup
Holland Backup is a free, open-source database backup framework for Linux and self-hosted deployments.
What Holland Backup is
Holland Backup is a free, open-source database backup framework for Linux and self-hosted deployments. Originally developed by Rackspace and written in Python, it uses plugins to connect backup jobs with data sources. Documented providers support MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB through tools including mysqldump, MySQL LVM snapshots, XtraBackup, pgdump, pg_basebackup, mariabackup, and mongodump. A command provider can run custom backup commands and substitute the backup data directory at runtime. Backup sets and providers are configured separately, with backup-set settings able to override provider defaults. Retention settings include backups-to-keep values and purge policies, while the command line can run jobs, list backups and plugins, generate configuration templates, and purge backups. The framework supports point-in-time recovery. Installation documentation covers RHEL/CentOS, Ubuntu, SUSE, and Debian. Holland requires Python 3.6 or later. Its MySQL LVM provider has volume, snapshot, filesystem, and storage requirements.
Good
- Free and open source
- Supports four listed databases
- Plugin framework supports additional providers
- Includes retention and purge policies
- Supports point-in-time recovery
Watch out
- Linux and self-hosted only
- Requires Python 3.6 or later
- MySQL LVM needs reserved snapshot space
- Backup directory needs a separate filesystem
Who it suits
Holland suits Linux administrators who need self-hosted, database-focused backups and can manage Python-based configuration. It is also relevant when plugin providers or custom commands are needed.
Verdict
Holland Backup provides configurable, command-line database backups with documented providers for major databases. Its Linux, self-hosted model and MySQL LVM requirements make deployment considerations important.
The facts
Each one read from Holland Backup's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Backup management
- The command line can run backups, list available backups and plugins, generate backup-set configuration, and purge backups.checked 10 Oct 2026
- Backup methods
- Providers include mysqldump, MySQL with LVM snapshots, XtraBackup, pgdump, pg_basebackup, mariabackup, and mongodump.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Backup providers
- Documented providers include mysqldump, MySQL with LVM, XtraBackup, PostgreSQL tools, MariaDB tools, and mongodump.checked 10 Oct 2026
- Backup storage constraint
- For mysql-lvm, the configured backup directory must be on a different filesystem from the running database filesystem.checked 10 Oct 2026
- Compression
- Provider configuration supports choosing a compression method and related options for backups.checked 10 Oct 2026
- Configuration
- Backup sets select a provider and can override provider defaults, including database or table selection, compression, and locking options.checked 10 Oct 2026
- Custom commands
- The command provider can run custom backup commands and substitute the backup data directory path at runtime.checked 10 Oct 2026
- Database support
- Documented providers include MySQL, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB backup tools.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Installation
- The maker documents package installation for RHEL/CentOS, Ubuntu, SUSE, and Debian, plus manual installation; its Docker instructions point to third-party containers.checked 10 Oct 2026
- License
- The basic holland-core framework is licensed under the New-BSD three-clause license; the site says plugins have their respective licenses.checked 10 Oct 2026
- LVM constraint
- The MySQL LVM provider requires the database to run on an LVM volume with space reserved for snapshots.checked 4 Oct 2026
- LVM requirement
- The mysql-lvm provider requires adequate free volume-group extents and a snapshot large enough for changes during the backup.checked 10 Oct 2026
- Operations
- The command line supports running backups, listing backups and installed plugins, generating configuration templates, and purging backups.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Plugin design
- Its plugin structure lets users configure backups for different data sources, including sources beyond databases when a provider is available.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Plugin framework
- Holland uses plugins and says it can back up other kinds of data when a provider is available.checked 10 Oct 2026
- Product
- Holland is an open source database backup framework originally developed by Rackspace and written in Python.checked 10 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- The project says it aims to make database backups more configurable, consistent, and easy to manage.checked 10 Oct 2026
- Retention
- Holland's backup-set configuration supports a backups-to-keep setting, which defaults to retaining one backup.checked 10 Oct 2026
- Runtime requirement
- The documentation lists Python 3.6 or later as a core dependency and says Python 2 support was removed in Holland 1.2.0.checked 4 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Linux distributions
- Installation instructions cover RHEL/CentOS, Ubuntu, SUSE, and Debian.checked 4 Oct 2026
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