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  • Duplicati Documentation
  • Getting Started
    • Installation
    • Set up a backup in the UI
    • Running a backup
    • Restoring files
  • Detailed descriptions
    • Choosing Duplicati Type
    • Using the secret provider
      • Local providers
      • Cloud providers
      • Advanced configurations
    • Using remote management
      • Using remote control with agent
    • Migrating Duplicati to a new machine
    • Scripts
    • Sending reports
      • Monitoring with Duplicati Console
      • Sending reports with email
      • Sending Jabber/XMPP notifications
      • Sending HTTP notifications
      • Sending Telegram notifications
      • Custom message content
    • Duplicati Access Password
    • Import and export backup configurations
    • Filters in Duplicati
    • The local database
    • The server database
    • Preload settings
    • Retention settings
    • Using Duplicati with Linux
    • Using Duplicati from Docker
    • Using Duplicati with MacOS
    • Using Duplicati with Windows
    • Running a self-hosted OAuth Server
  • Using tools
    • Encrypting and decrypting files
    • Using Duplicati from the Command Line
    • Recovering from failure
    • Disaster recovery
  • Backup destinations
    • Destination overview
    • Standard based destinations
      • File Destination
      • S3-compatible Destination
      • FTP Destination
      • SFTP (SSH) Destination
      • WebDAV Destination
      • OpenStack Destination
      • Rclone Destination
      • CIFS (aka SMB) Destination
    • Provider specific destinations
      • Backblaze B2 Destination
      • Box.com Destination
      • Rackspace CloudFiles Destination
      • IDrive e2 Destination
      • Mega.nz Destination
      • Aliyun OSS Destination
      • Tencent COS Destination
      • Jottacloud Destination
      • pCloud Destination
      • Azure Blob Storage Destination
      • Google Cloud Storage Destination
      • Microsoft Group Destination
      • SharePoint Destination
      • SharePoint v2 (Graph API)
      • Amazon S3 destination
    • File synchronization providers
      • Dropbox Destination
      • Google Drive Destination
      • OneDrive Destination
      • OneDrive For Business Destination
    • Decentralized providers
      • Sia Destination
      • Storj Destination
      • TahoeLAFS destination
  • Duplicati Programs
    • TrayIcon
    • Server
    • Command Line Interface CLI
    • Service and WindowsService
    • Command Line Tools
      • AutoUpdater
      • BackendTester
      • BackendTool
      • RecoveryTool
      • SecretTool
      • SharpAESCrypt
      • Snapshots
      • ServerUtil
    • Agent
    • LICENSE
      • Duplicati Inc & Open Source
      • License Agreement
    • OAuth Server
  • SUPPORT
  • Installation details
    • Release channels and versions
      • Upgrading and downgrading
      • Downgrade from 2.1.0.2 to 2.0.8.1
    • Package options
    • Developer
  • TECHNICAL DETAILS
    • Architecture Premises
    • Understanding Backup
      • How Backup Works
      • Encryption Algorithms
      • Backup size parameters
    • Understanding Restore
      • How Restore Works
      • Disaster Recovery
    • Database versions
    • Server authentication model
    • Option formats
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On this page
  • The TrayIcon
  • The Server
  • The Agent
  • The Command Line Interface (CLI)
  • Mixing types
  • Combining Server and TrayIcon
  • Triggering Server jobs externally
  • Using the CLI for on Server backups

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  1. Detailed descriptions

Choosing Duplicati Type

This page describes the different ways to run Duplicati

PreviousRestoring filesNextUsing the secret provider

Last updated 4 months ago

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When using Duplicati, you need to decide on what type of instance you want to use. Duplicati is designed to be flexible and work with many different setups, but generally you can use this overview to decide what is best for you:

  • Home user, single desktop machine: or

  • Server backup or headless: , or

  • Multiple machines: , or

The TrayIcon

The is meant to be the simplest way to run Duplicati with the minimal amount of effort required. The TrayIcon starts as a single process, registers with the machine desktop environment and shows a small icon in the system status bar (usually to the right, either top or bottom of the screen).

When running, the TrayIcon gives a visual indication of the current status, and provides access to the visual user interface by opening a browser window.

The Server

The mode is intended for users who want to run the full Duplicati with a user interface, but without a desktop connection. When running the Server it is usually running as a system service so it has elevated privileges and is started automatically with the system.

When running the server it will emit log messages to the system log and it will expose a web server that can be accessed via a browser. Beware that if you are running the Server as root/Administrator you are also running a web server with the same privileges that you need to protect.

When the Server is running it will lock down access to only listen on the loopback adapter and refuse connections not using an IP address as the hostname. If you need to access the Server from another machine, make sure you protect it and and also add .

When running the Server you also need to , either by getting a , , or .

The Agent

The mode is intended for users who wants to run Duplicati with remote access through the . The benefit from this is that you do not need to provide any local access as all access is protected with HTTPS and additional channel encryption from the Agent to the browser you are using.

If you have multiple machines to manage, using the console enables you to access all the backups, settings, logs, controls, etc. from one place.

The Command Line Interface (CLI)

Mixing types

For some additional flexibility in configurations it is also possible to combine the different types in some ways.

Combining Server and TrayIcon

It the server is used primarily to elevate privileges, it is possible to have the TrayIcon run in the local user desktop and connect to an already running Server. To do this, change the TrayIcon commandline and add additional arguments:

duplicati --no-hosted-server 
  --hosturl=http://localhost:8200 
  --webservice-password=<password>

The --no-hosted-server argument disables launching another (competing) server, and the two other arguments will give information on how to reach the running server.

Triggering Server jobs externally

Using the CLI for on Server backups

The mode is intended for advanced users who prefer to manage and configure each of the backups manually. The typical use for this is a server-like setup where the backups are running as cron scheduled tasks or triggered with some external tool.

If you prefer to use the Server (or TrayIcon) but would like to trigger the backups with an external scheduler or event system, you can use the to trigger a backup or pause/resume the server.

If you are using the Server (or TrayIcon) but you want to run a command that is not in the UI, it is possible to use the CLI to run commands on the backups defined in the Server. Note that the Server and CLI use different ways of keeping track of the , so you need to obtain the storage destination url and the database path from the Server and then run the CLI.

CLI
ServerUtil
local database
TrayIcon
Agent
Server
CLI
Agent
Server
CLI
Agent
TrayIcon
Server
configure a password
Agent
Duplicati Console
enable remote access
HTTPS protection
setting one explicitly
signing token from the logs
changing the password