Can I backup logs with Datashelter?

While it is technically possible to back up logs with Datashelter, it is generally not recommended for several reasons.

First, because of file deduplication, even a small change in a log file (such as adding a single line) results in a new file version being stored. Since log files are constantly updated, this can quickly increase storage usage.

Additionally, if you are storing logs for compliance purposes (for example under GDPR), it is usually better to rely on dedicated log management solutions such as Elasticsearch. These tools are specifically designed to handle log ingestion, indexing, and long-term retention efficiently.

Excluding Log Directories from Backups

If your logs are stored in directories such as /var/log, you can easily exclude them from your backups by adding them to the exclusion list:

snaper backup files --path /var --exclude /var/log,**/*.log

See more details about backup exclusions here.