Re: [pbs-devel] [PATCH v2 proxmox-backup 1/2] docs: add security implications of prune and change detection mode

[Gabriel Goller <g.goller@proxmox.com>]

On 13.11.2024 16:55, Christian Ebner wrote:
>diff --git a/docs/maintenance.rst b/docs/maintenance.rst
>index 4bb135e4e..e8a26d69c 100644
>--- a/docs/maintenance.rst
>+++ b/docs/maintenance.rst
>@@ -6,8 +6,34 @@ Maintenance Tasks
> Pruning
> -------
>
>-Prune lets you specify which backup snapshots you want to keep.
>-The following retention options are available:
>+Prune lets you specify which backup snapshots you want to keep, removing others.
>+When pruning a snapshot, only the snapshot metadata (manifest, indices, blobs,
>+log and notes) is removed. The chunks containing the actual backup data and
>+previously referenced by the pruned snapshot, have to be removed by a garbage
>+collection run.
>+
>+.. Caution:: Take into consideration that sensitive information stored in a
>+   given data chunk will outlive pruned snapshots and remain present in the
>+   datastore as long as referenced by at least one backup snapshot. Further,
>+   *even* if no snapshot references a given chunk, it will remain present until
>+   removed by the garbage collection.
>+
>+   Further, file-level backups created using the change detection mode

Second sentence that begins with 'Further' – maybe substitute this one
with 'Moreover' or 'Additionally' so it reads better.

>+   `metadata` can reference backup chunks containing files which have vanished

use double backticks here to highlight correctly, so: ``metadata``.

>+   since the previous backup, but might still be accessible when reading the
>+   chunks raw data is possible (client or server side).

This sentence is a bit messy and long, maybe we could rewrite it as:

     Moreover, file-level backups created using the change detection mode
     ``metadata`` can reference backup chunks containing files which have
     vanished since the previous backup. These might still be accessible
     by reading the raw data (client or server side).

>+   To remove chunks containing sensitive data, prune any snapshot made while the
>+   data was part of the backup input and run a garbage collection. Further, if
>+   using file-based backups with change detection mode `metadata`, additionally

s/`metadata`/``metadata``/

>+   prune all snapshots since the sensitive data was no longer part of the backup
>+   input and run a garbage collection.
>+
>+   The no longer referenced chunks will then be marked for deletion on the next
>+   garbage collection run and removed by a subsequent run after the grace
>+   period.
>+
>+The following retention options are available for pruning:
>
> ``keep-last <N>``
>   Keep the last ``<N>`` backup snapshots.

Everything else is fine!



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