How to Install Proxmox Backup Server 4.0

In my previous post, I set up a single-node Proxmox VE 9 lab.

Now it’s time to give that lab a proper backup target: Proxmox Backup Server 4.0 (PBS).

In this post we will:

• Install Proxmox Backup Server 4.0 from the official ISO
• Log in to the PBS web interface and apply updates
• Use only the GUI to turn a second disk into a datastore (no shell commands)
• Add PBS as Proxmox Backup Server storage in Proxmox VE using the fingerprint button
• Create a scheduled backup job and run it once manually
• Restore a VM from that backup to a new VM ID

This works whether PBS runs on bare metal or as a VM.

Lab Overview

For this guide I use:

• Proxmox Backup Server node
  • Hostname: pbs.maksonlee.com
  • IP: 192.168.0.12/24
  • System disk: 64 GB
  • Backup disk: 64 GB (second disk, unused at the start)
  • ISO: proxmox-backup-server_4.0-1.iso
  • Datastore ID we’ll create: pbs-datastore1
• Proxmox VE node
  • Proxmox VE 9 single node
  • Will see PBS as storage pbs-backup
  • Test VM: VM 100 – ceph-test

1. Install Proxmox Backup Server 4.0 from ISO

• Download proxmox-backup-server_4.0-1.iso from the Proxmox website.
• Boot your server from this ISO:
• At the boot menu, select:

• License agreement

• Target harddisk

• Location and time zone

• Root password and email

• Network settings

• Summary

2. First Boot and Web Login

After PBS boots, the console shows something like:

On your workstation:

https://192.168.0.12:8007/

Accept the browser’s warning about the self-signed certificate and login with

You should now see the PBS dashboard.

3. Turn the Second Disk into a Datastore

Now we configure the second disk as a datastore for backups. No shell, no fstab, all via the web UI.

• Check the disks

• Initialize /dev/vdb with GPT
  • Select /dev/vdb
  • Click Initialize Disk with GPT
• Create a filesystem and datastore
  Still under Storage → Disks, switch to the Directory tab, then Click Create → Directory
• Click Create

4. Add PBS as Storage in Proxmox VE

Next we add PBS to Proxmox VE as Proxmox Backup Server storage.

• Copy the PBS certificate fingerprint
  On PBS:
  • Go to Dashboard
  • Click the blue Show Fingerprint button on the top-right
  • A dialog pops up with the SHA-256 fingerprint
  • Click Copy and keep this value in your clipboard

• Fill out “Add: Proxmox Backup Server” in PVE
  On the Proxmox VE 9 web UI:
  • Go to Datacenter → Storage → Add → Proxmox Backup Server
  • Click Add

If there’s no error, PVE now has a storage called pbs-backup, you can use it as backup storage for your VMs.