Install agents
Every host you protect runs the BackupMunk agent, bment-agent. The agent connects out to the server over HTTPS, receives its backup configuration, and runs backups and restores locally. It's a single binary with no dependencies, built for Linux (amd64, arm64), macOS (Intel and Apple silicon) and Windows (amd64). The server hosts everything you need. Open Install agent in the console for ready-to-copy commands with your server's address filled in. Set the Public URL under Settings → General first, so the commands point at the right address. Requirements The host can reach the server's public URL over HTTPS. For Docker Compose backups, Docker must be installed on the host. On Linux, the agent runs as root, so that it can read any file during a backup and restore files with their original owners and permissions. Choose how the host enrolls A host joins the server once, with either a join token or a registration key. After that it uses its own credentials. Join token Registration key Use it for One host Many hosts: golden images, configuration management, scripted rollouts Where Install agent → Step 1 — Get a join token, or Clients → + Invite client Install agent → Fleet installs — reusable registration key → Create key Uses Once. Cleared as soon as the host enrolls Any number of hosts, optionally limited by Max uses and Expires Lifetime 10 minutes Until it expires or you disable or delete it Client name The name you give the invite The host name, or --name Treat both as secrets. A registration key's secret is shown only once, when you create it. You can Disable or Delete a key at any time to stop new registrations. Hosts that already enrolled are not affected. Install on Linux (recommended) The one-line installer detects the architecture (amd64 or arm64), installs the agent in /opt/bment-agent/bin with a link at /usr/local/bin/bment-agent, enrolls the host, installs the bment-agent systemd service and starts it. Read the join token into the shell without echoing it or saving it in your shell history: Run the installer. Replace https://backup.example.com with your server's public URL: For a fleet install, use the registration key instead: Check the service: On the Clients page, the host changes from invited to active and shows its host name, operating system and agent version. Installer options Option Meaning --token TOKEN Enroll with a one-time join token. --key KEY Enroll with a reusable registration key. Use exactly one of --token or --key. --name NAME Client name for a key-based enrollment. Default: the host name. --server URL Use a different server URL than the one the script was downloaded from. --install-dir DIR Where to install the binary. Default /opt/bment-agent/bin. --state-dir DIR Where the agent keeps its enrollment and state. Default /var/lib/bment-agent. --no-service Install and enroll only. Don't install the systemd service. --force Clear the existing enrollment and enroll again. Running the installer again on an enrolled host upgrades the binary and restarts the service in place. Installing many hosts at once The server limits how fast new hosts can enroll and download the agent from a single IP address (default: 2 requests per second, burst of 10). Each host makes about two such requests. Before a large rollout from behind one NAT address, raise the limit or turn it off under Settings → Agent → Enrollment rate limit, then tighten it again afterwards. The change applies immediately. Install from a .deb or .rpm package The server also serves Debian/Ubuntu (.deb) and RHEL/Fedora/Amazon Linux (.rpm) packages for amd64 and arm64. You can find them under Install agent → Raw downloads, or at /api/v1/download/agent/package/deb/ARCH and /api/v1/download/agent/package/rpm/ARCH (where ARCH is amd64 or arm64). The package installs the agent and its systemd service but doesn't start it, because the host must enroll first. Then enroll the host, using the same state directory as the service, and start the service: Removing the…
BackupMunk Enterprise documentation