fix: files

Back up and restore plain directories, alongside the database sources.

Files source and Archive (P0)
- `files` type: absolute path (not /), options.exclude and
  options.one_file_system; walk + tar.gz with symlinks kept as links,
  special files skipped, unreadable entries fail the run.
- Mirror restore: archive validated first, then everything not excluded
  is wiped (mount points and special files kept) and the archive is
  extracted, retrying without metadata on filesystems refusing chown/chmod.
- Windows-safe platform helpers; helm extraVolumes/extraVolumeMounts.

Universal rclone mapper (P1)
- rclone_target(storage) for s3, blob, gcs, drive, rclone and sftp; sftp
  goes through it; rclone obscure reads the password from stdin.

Snapshots, restic (P2)
- restic in the image; repository per source and channel, password
  derived from the master key (HKDF); stable host, bs:<row> tags,
  translated excludes; exit 3 fails and forgets the snapshot.
- Mirror restore with `restic restore --delete`; restore payload carries
  the encrypted channel; snapshot ids must be full ids.
- Engine in the ping and in scheduled task metadata.

One locked method per source (spec A)
- databases.json declares options.method (archive, snapshot, sync),
  reported in the ping for local sources only.
- Sync: rclone sync per channel onto <folder>/sync/<id>/current, refuses
  an empty source, reports transferred/deleted counters.

Local channel (spec B)
- Snapshots and Sync reach the dashboard's local storage through its
  append-only restic REST server and its WebDAV server.

Security
- Strict rclone config validation: one section, no duplicate keys, no
  command, credential or host-file keys, no quoted values, valid backend
  type, blocked backends.
- Scheduled task metadata (decrypted storages) is no longer logged.

.github/assets/plus-circle.svg

@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="150" height="150" viewBox="0 0 150 150">
+  <circle cx="75" cy="75" r="70" fill="none" stroke="#9ca3af" stroke-width="4" stroke-dasharray="10 8"/>
+  <path d="M75 45v60M45 75h60" stroke="#9ca3af" stroke-width="8" stroke-linecap="round"/>
+</svg>

.gitignore

@@ -9,3 +9,5 @@
 /docs
 
 .superpowers
+
+/test-files

Cargo.lock

@@ -994,6 +994,16 @@ dependencies = [
  "uuid",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "bstr"
+version = "1.13.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "6bb31b46c14244e20ee9984b11bf5c992b91fb6939fea616e3512c8baecdbe5f"
+dependencies = [
+ "memchr",
+ "serde_core",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "bumpalo"
 version = "3.20.3"
@@ -1956,6 +1966,19 @@ dependencies = [
  "polyval",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "globset"
+version = "0.4.20"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "07c34a9410465b45bd9787443bc7370f37735bad04b0f0cd57ff1a3186c98988"
+dependencies = [
+ "aho-corasick",
+ "bstr",
+ "log",
+ "regex-automata",
+ "regex-syntax",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "google-cloud-auth"
 version = "1.16.0"
@@ -3642,7 +3665,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "portabase-agent"
-version = "1.21.3"
+version = "1.22.0"
 dependencies = [
  "aes",
  "aes-gcm",
@@ -3664,11 +3687,13 @@ dependencies = [
  "futures",
  "futures-util",
  "generic-array",
+ "globset",
  "google-cloud-auth",
  "google-cloud-storage",
  "hex",
  "hmac 0.12.1",
  "hyper 1.11.1",
+ "libc",
  "log",
  "mockall",
  "mongodb",
@@ -3702,6 +3727,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "typenum",
  "url",
  "uuid",
+ "walkdir",
  "wiremock",
 ]
 

Cargo.toml

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "portabase-agent"
-version = "1.21.3"
+version = "1.22.0"
 edition = "2024"
 license = "Apache-2.0"
 
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ log = "0.4.29"
 toml = "0.9.10"
 reqwest = { version = "0.13.1", features = ["json", "blocking", "multipart", "stream", "query"] }
 anyhow = "1.0.100"
-tokio = { version = "1.49.0", features = ["rt", "rt-multi-thread", "macros", "fs", "process", "io-util"] }
+tokio = { version = "1.49.0", features = ["rt", "rt-multi-thread", "macros", "fs", "process", "io-util", "time"] }
 async-trait = "0.1.89"
 tempfile = "3.24.0"
 hmac = "0.12"
@@ -62,6 +62,11 @@ url = "2.5.8"
 percent-encoding = "2.3.2"
 bollard = "0.20.0"
 rustls = "0.23"
+globset = "0.4"
+walkdir = "2.5"
+
+[target.'cfg(unix)'.dependencies]
+libc = "0.2"
 
 [dev-dependencies]
 tokio = { version = "1", features = ["full"] }

README.md

@@ -63,7 +63,65 @@ You have 4 ways to install Portabase Agent:
 
 [![Contributors](https://contrib.rocks/image?repo=Portabase/agent-rust)](https://github.com/Portabase/agent-rust/graphs/contributors)
 
-[!["Support Portabase"](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/assets/img/custom_images/orange_img.png)](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/portabase)
+## Become a Sponsor
+
+🙏 Thank you to the incredible sponsors for supporting this project! Your contributions help keep Portabase running and growing. If you'd like to join and become a sponsor, please visit the [sponsorship page](https://github.com/sponsors/Portabase) and be part of something great! 🚀
+
+### 💎 Platinum Sponsors
+
+<table>
+  <tr>
+    <td align="center">
+      <a href="https://github.com/sponsors/Portabase">
+        <img src="/.github/assets/plus-circle.svg" height="180" alt="Become a platinum sponsor"/>
+        <br />
+        Become a platinum sponsor
+      </a>
+    </td>
+  </tr>
+</table>
+
+### 🥇 Gold Sponsors
+
+<table>
+  <tr>
+    <td align="center">
+      <a href="https://github.com/sponsors/Portabase">
+        <img src="/.github/assets/plus-circle.svg" height="150" alt="Become a gold sponsor"/>
+        <br />
+        Become a gold sponsor
+      </a>
+    </td>
+  </tr>
+</table>
+
+### 🥈 Silver Sponsors
+
+<table>
+  <tr>
+    <td align="center">
+      <a href="https://github.com/sponsors/Portabase">
+        <img src="/.github/assets/plus-circle.svg" height="100" alt="Become a silver sponsor"/>
+        <br />
+        Become a silver sponsor
+      </a>
+    </td>
+  </tr>
+</table>
+
+### 🤝 Community Sponsors
+
+<table>
+  <tr>
+    <td align="center">
+      <a href="https://github.com/sponsors/Portabase">
+        <img src="/.github/assets/plus-circle.svg" height="80" alt="Become a community sponsor"/>
+        <br />
+        Become a community sponsor
+      </a>
+    </td>
+  </tr>
+</table>
 
 ## License
 

databases.json

@@ -131,6 +131,38 @@
       "volume_name": "databases_sqlite-data",
       "generated_id": "16706126-ff7e-4c97-8c83-0adeff214690",
       "container_name": "db-sqlite"
+    },
+    {
+      "name": "Files - Archive",
+      "type": "files",
+      "path": "/data/files-archive",
+      "generated_id": "64aeaf80-e03b-4503-a5c1-00a1b829f0e5",
+      "options": {
+        "method": "archive",
+        "exclude": ["node_modules", "*.tmp", "/cache"],
+        "one_file_system": false
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "name": "Files - Snapshots",
+      "type": "files",
+      "path": "/data/files-snapshot",
+      "generated_id": "9093ad85-3f67-489f-9759-aa369572b30d",
+      "options": {
+        "method": "snapshot",
+        "exclude": ["node_modules", "*.log", "/build"],
+        "one_file_system": true
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "name": "Files - Sync",
+      "type": "files",
+      "path": "/data/files-sync",
+      "generated_id": "353ecc44-7c75-40e7-803e-ac07683c2c05",
+      "options": {
+        "method": "sync",
+        "exclude": ["*.tmp", "/cache"]
+      }
     }
   ]
 }

docker-compose.yml

@@ -16,12 +16,15 @@ services:
       - databases_sqlite-data:/sqlite-data/workspace/data
       - ./scripts/sqlite/test-db:/sqlite-data-2/workspace/data
 #      - /bigdisk:/scratch
+      - ./test-files/archive:/data/files-archive
+      - ./test-files/snapshot:/data/files-snapshot
+      - ./test-files/sync:/data/files-sync
     environment:
       APP_ENV: development
       LOG: debug
       TZ: "Europe/Paris"
 #      TMPDIR: /scratch
-      EDGE_KEY: "eyJzZXJ2ZXJVcmwiOiJodHRwOi8vbG9jYWxob3N0Ojg4ODciLCJhZ2VudElkIjoiYTQyNjQzNTQtZGE3Ni00OWFkLWJkYjctZDVjMjMwYzhjYmViIiwibWFzdGVyS2V5QjY0IjoiQlhWM1hvbEM2NTZTVjdkTmdjV1BHUWxrKytycExJNmxHRGk3Q1BCNWllbz0ifQ=="
+      EDGE_KEY: "eyJzZXJ2ZXJVcmwiOiJodHRwOi8vbG9jYWxob3N0Ojg4ODciLCJhZ2VudElkIjoiODBkZTY1NDktNzZjYS00NGZhLWIyNTItMTY0MWI2YTQzZjJkIiwibWFzdGVyS2V5QjY0IjoiQlhWM1hvbEM2NTZTVjdkTmdjV1BHUWxrKytycExJNmxHRGk3Q1BCNWllbz0ifQ=="
       #CHUNK_SIZE_MB: "1"
       #POOLING: 1
       #RETRY_ATTEMPTS: 3

docker/Dockerfile

@@ -58,6 +58,17 @@ RUN ARCH=$(dpkg --print-architecture) \
     && dpkg -i /tmp/rclone.deb \
     && rm /tmp/rclone.deb
 
+# =========================
+# restic (Snapshots mode)
+# =========================
+ARG RESTIC_VERSION=0.19.1
+RUN ARCH=$(dpkg --print-architecture) \
+    && curl -fsSL -o /tmp/restic.bz2 "https://github.com/restic/restic/releases/download/v${RESTIC_VERSION}/restic_${RESTIC_VERSION}_linux_${ARCH}.bz2" \
+    && bzip2 -d /tmp/restic.bz2 \
+    && install -m 0755 /tmp/restic /usr/local/bin/restic \
+    && rm /tmp/restic \
+    && restic version
+
 ARG TARGETARCH
 
 # =========================
@@ -146,6 +157,7 @@ RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
     libncurses6 \
     zlib1g \
     curl \
+    bzip2 \
     mariadb-client \
     sqlite3 \
     redis-tools \
@@ -159,6 +171,17 @@ RUN ARCH=$(dpkg --print-architecture) \
     && dpkg -i /tmp/rclone.deb \
     && rm /tmp/rclone.deb
 
+# =========================
+# restic (Snapshots mode)
+# =========================
+ARG RESTIC_VERSION=0.19.1
+RUN ARCH=$(dpkg --print-architecture) \
+    && curl -fsSL -o /tmp/restic.bz2 "https://github.com/restic/restic/releases/download/v${RESTIC_VERSION}/restic_${RESTIC_VERSION}_linux_${ARCH}.bz2" \
+    && bzip2 -d /tmp/restic.bz2 \
+    && install -m 0755 /tmp/restic /usr/local/bin/restic \
+    && rm /tmp/restic \
+    && restic version
+
 ENV DOTNET_ROOT=/usr/local/dotnet
 RUN curl -sSL https://dot.net/v1/dotnet-install.sh -o /tmp/dotnet-install.sh \
     && chmod +x /tmp/dotnet-install.sh \

helm/README.md

@@ -57,3 +57,23 @@ kubectl logs portabase-agent-6f7d4f5c6b-abc12
 ``` bash
 helm uninstall portabase-agent
 ```
+
+## Mount a directory for a `files` source
+
+A `files` source backs up a directory the agent can see. Mount it into the pod
+with `extraVolumes` and `extraVolumeMounts`:
+
+```yaml
+extraVolumes:
+  - name: shared-files
+    hostPath:
+      path: /srv/files
+      type: Directory
+
+extraVolumeMounts:
+  - name: shared-files
+    mountPath: /data/files
+```
+
+Mount it read-write: restores write into it. The `mountPath` (here `/data/files`)
+is the `path` to enter for the source in Portabase.

helm/templates/deployment.yaml

@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ spec:
               # uses ConfigMap content
               {{- end }}
             {{- end }}
+            {{- with .Values.extraVolumeMounts }}
+            {{- toYaml . | nindent 12 }}
+            {{- end }}
       volumes:
         {{- if .Values.volume.configFile.enabled }}
           {{- if .Values.volume.configFile.hostPath }}
@@ -59,4 +62,7 @@ spec:
               - key: config.json
                 path: config.json
           {{- end }}
+        {{- end }}
+        {{- with .Values.extraVolumes }}
+        {{- toYaml . | nindent 8 }}
         {{- end }}

helm/values.yaml

@@ -42,6 +42,17 @@ volume:
         ]
       }
 
+# Extra volumes for the agent pod, e.g. a host directory used by a `files`
+# source. Mount it read-write: restores write into it.
+extraVolumes: []
+#  - name: shared-files
+#    hostPath:
+#      path: /srv/files
+#      type: Directory
+
+extraVolumeMounts: []
+#  - name: shared-files
+#    mountPath: /data/files   # use this path as the source `path`
 
 network:
   hostAliases:

justfile

@@ -77,3 +77,6 @@ test:
     docker compose -f docker-compose.test.yml exec -e CARGO_INCREMENTAL -e RUSTFLAGS -e LLVM_PROFILE_FILE agent-test bash -c "cargo test --verbose && sync"
     echo "Down volumes tests databases"
     docker compose -f docker-compose.test.yml down --volumes
+
+seed-files:
+    for d in archive snapshot sync; do mkdir -p test-files/$d && echo one > test-files/$d/a.txt && echo two > test-files/$d/b.txt; done

src/core/agent.rs

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ use crate::core::context::Context;
 use crate::services::backup::BackupService;
 use crate::services::config::{ConfigService, DatabaseConfig};
 use crate::services::cron::CronService;
-use crate::services::dashboard_config::{collect_configs, load_cache, merge, persist_cache};
+use crate::services::dashboard_config::{collect_configs, load_cache, local_only_ids, merge, persist_cache};
 use crate::services::restore::RestoreService;
 use crate::services::status::StatusService;
 use crate::settings::CONFIG;
@@ -50,9 +50,10 @@ impl Agent {
 
     pub async fn run(&mut self, method: BackupMethod) -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
         let local = self.config_service.load_optional(None);
+        let local_ids = local_only_ids(&local.databases, &self.dashboard_cache);
 
         let merged_in = merge(&local.databases, &self.dashboard_cache);
-        let ping_result = self.status_service.ping(&merged_in.databases).await?;
+        let ping_result = self.status_service.ping(&merged_in.databases, &local_ids).await?;
 
         self.dashboard_cache = collect_configs(&ping_result);
         if let Err(e) = persist_cache(&self.cache_path, &self.dashboard_cache) {
@@ -85,6 +86,7 @@ impl Agent {
                         method.clone(),
                         &db.storages,
                         db.encrypt,
+                        db.data.backup.engine.as_deref().unwrap_or("archive"),
                     )
                     .await;
             } else if db.data.restore.action {

src/domain/factory.rs

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use crate::domain::docker_volume::database::DockerVolumeDatabase;
+use crate::domain::files::database::FilesDatabase;
 use crate::domain::mongodb::database::MongoDatabase;
 use crate::domain::mysql::database::MySQLDatabase;
 use crate::domain::postgres::cluster::database::PostgresClusterDatabase;
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ impl DatabaseFactory {
             DbType::Firebird => Arc::new(FirebirdDatabase::new(cfg)),
             DbType::Mssql => Arc::new(MssqlDatabase::new(cfg)),
             DbType::DockerVolume => Arc::new(DockerVolumeDatabase::new(cfg)),
+            DbType::Files => Arc::new(FilesDatabase::new(cfg)),
         }
     }
 
@@ -62,6 +64,7 @@ impl DatabaseFactory {
             DbType::Firebird => Arc::new(FirebirdDatabase::new(cfg)),
             DbType::Mssql => Arc::new(MssqlDatabase::new(cfg)),
             DbType::DockerVolume => Arc::new(DockerVolumeDatabase::new(cfg)),
+            DbType::Files => Arc::new(FilesDatabase::new(cfg)),
         }
     }
 }

src/domain/files/backup.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
+use super::matcher::ExcludeMatcher;
+use super::platform::dev;
+use crate::services::backup::logger::JobLogger;
+use crate::services::config::DatabaseConfig;
+use anyhow::{Context, Result, bail};
+use flate2::Compression;
+use flate2::write::GzEncoder;
+use std::fs::File;
+use std::io::Read;
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
+use std::sync::Arc;
+use walkdir::WalkDir;
+
+pub async fn run(
+    cfg: DatabaseConfig,
+    backup_dir: PathBuf,
+    logger: Arc<JobLogger>,
+) -> Result<PathBuf> {
+    tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || archive(&cfg, &backup_dir, &logger)).await?
+}
+
+fn archive(cfg: &DatabaseConfig, backup_dir: &Path, logger: &JobLogger) -> Result<PathBuf> {
+    // Canonical paths so the output location can be recognised while walking.
+    let root = std::fs::canonicalize(&cfg.path)
+        .with_context(|| format!("cannot read source directory {}", cfg.path))?;
+    if !root.is_dir() {
+        bail!("source path {} is not a directory", root.display());
+    }
+    let backup_real = std::fs::canonicalize(backup_dir)
+        .with_context(|| format!("cannot read backup directory {}", backup_dir.display()))?;
+    let matcher = ExcludeMatcher::from_config(cfg)?;
+    let one_file_system = cfg
+        .options
+        .get("one_file_system")
+        .and_then(|v| v.as_bool())
+        .unwrap_or(false);
+    let root_dev = dev(&std::fs::metadata(&root)
+        .with_context(|| format!("cannot read source directory {}", root.display()))?);
+
+    let file_name = format!("{}.tar.gz", cfg.generated_id);
+    let out = backup_dir.join(&file_name);
+    let out_real = backup_real.join(&file_name);
+    let gz = GzEncoder::new(File::create(&out)?, Compression::default());
+    let mut tar = tar::Builder::new(gz);
+    tar.follow_symlinks(false);
+
+    logger.log("info", format!("Archiving {}", root.display()));
+    let mut files = 0u64;
+    // Entries that could not be read: a mirror restore of this archive would delete them.
+    let mut unreadable = 0usize;
+    let mut walker = WalkDir::new(&root)
+        .follow_links(false)
+        .min_depth(1)
+        .into_iter();
+
+    while let Some(entry) = walker.next() {
+        let entry = match entry {
+            Ok(e) => e,
+            Err(e) => {
+                logger.log("warn", format!("Skipping unreadable entry: {e}"));
+                unreadable += 1;
+                continue;
+            }
+        };
+        let rel = entry.path().strip_prefix(&root)?.to_path_buf();
+        let ft = entry.file_type();
+
+        // Never archive our own output (backup dir under the source, or the archive itself).
+        let mut skip =
+            matcher.is_excluded(&rel) || entry.path() == backup_real || entry.path() == out_real;
+        if !skip && one_file_system && ft.is_dir() {
+            match entry.metadata() {
+                Ok(m) => skip = dev(&m) != root_dev,
+                Err(e) => {
+                    logger.log("warn", format!("Skipping {}: {e}", rel.display()));
+                    unreadable += 1;
+                    skip = true;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        if skip {
+            if ft.is_dir() {
+                walker.skip_current_dir();
+            }
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        if ft.is_file() {
+            // Only a failure to open is skippable: it happens before anything is
+            // written. Every later error leaves the tar stream misaligned and must abort.
+            let mut f = match File::open(entry.path()) {
+                Ok(f) => f,
+                Err(e) => {
+                    logger.log("warn", format!("Skipping {}: {e}", rel.display()));
+                    unreadable += 1;
+                    continue;
+                }
+            };
+            let meta = f.metadata()?;
+            let size = meta.len();
+            let mut header = tar::Header::new_gnu();
+            header.set_metadata(&meta);
+            // The header size is fixed up front: cap the copy if the file grew and
+            // zero-pad if it shrank, so the entry always matches its header.
+            let reader = (&mut f).take(size).chain(std::io::repeat(0)).take(size);
+            tar.append_data(&mut header, &rel, reader)
+                .with_context(|| format!("failed to archive {}", rel.display()))?;
+            files += 1;
+        } else if ft.is_dir() || ft.is_symlink() {
+            // These fail on lstat/readlink before the header is written.
+            if let Err(e) = tar.append_path_with_name(entry.path(), &rel) {
+                logger.log("warn", format!("Skipping {}: {e}", rel.display()));
+                unreadable += 1;
+            }
+        } else {
+            // Sockets, fifos and devices hold no data to restore; restore keeps them too.
+            logger.log("warn", format!("Skipping special file {}", rel.display()));
+        }
+    }
+
+    if unreadable > 0 {
+        let noun = if unreadable == 1 { "entry" } else { "entries" };
+        bail!(
+            "{unreadable} {noun} could not be read; backup aborted so a mirror restore cannot delete unarchived data (fix permissions or add an exclude)"
+        );
+    }
+    tar.into_inner()?.finish()?;
+    logger.log(
+        "info",
+        format!("Archived {files} file(s) into {}", out.display()),
+    );
+    Ok(out)
+}

src/domain/files/database.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+use anyhow::Result;
+use async_trait::async_trait;
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
+use std::sync::Arc;
+
+use super::{backup, ping, restore};
+use crate::domain::factory::Database;
+use crate::services::backup::logger::JobLogger;
+use crate::services::config::DatabaseConfig;
+use crate::utils::locks::{DbOpLock, FileLock};
+
+pub struct FilesDatabase {
+    cfg: DatabaseConfig,
+}
+
+impl FilesDatabase {
+    pub fn new(cfg: DatabaseConfig) -> Self {
+        Self { cfg }
+    }
+}
+
+#[async_trait]
+impl Database for FilesDatabase {
+    fn file_extension(&self) -> &'static str {
+        ".tar.gz"
+    }
+
+    async fn ping(&self) -> Result<bool> {
+        ping::run(self.cfg.clone()).await
+    }
+
+    async fn backup(&self, dir: &Path, logger: Arc<JobLogger>) -> Result<PathBuf> {
+        FileLock::acquire(&self.cfg.generated_id, DbOpLock::Backup.as_str()).await?;
+        let res = backup::run(self.cfg.clone(), dir.to_path_buf(), logger).await;
+        FileLock::release(&self.cfg.generated_id).await?;
+        res
+    }
+
+    async fn restore(&self, file: &Path, logger: Arc<JobLogger>) -> Result<()> {
+        FileLock::acquire(&self.cfg.generated_id, DbOpLock::Restore.as_str()).await?;
+        let res = restore::run(self.cfg.clone(), file.to_path_buf(), logger).await;
+        FileLock::release(&self.cfg.generated_id).await?;
+        res
+    }
+}

src/domain/files/matcher.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+use crate::services::config::DatabaseConfig;
+use anyhow::{Context, Result};
+use globset::{GlobBuilder, GlobSet, GlobSetBuilder};
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
+
+/// Exclude patterns, matched against paths relative to the source root.
+/// No leading `/` matches at any depth; a leading `/` anchors at the root.
+pub struct ExcludeMatcher {
+    set: GlobSet,
+    literal: Vec<PathBuf>,
+}
+
+impl ExcludeMatcher {
+    pub fn new(patterns: &[String]) -> Result<Self> {
+        let mut builder = GlobSetBuilder::new();
+        for raw in patterns {
+            let pattern = raw.trim();
+            if pattern.is_empty() {
+                continue;
+            }
+            let glob = match pattern.strip_prefix('/') {
+                Some(anchored) => anchored.trim_end_matches('/').to_string(),
+                None => format!("**/{}", pattern.trim_end_matches('/')),
+            };
+            builder.add(
+                GlobBuilder::new(&glob)
+                    .literal_separator(true)
+                    .build()
+                    .with_context(|| format!("invalid exclude pattern '{pattern}'"))?,
+            );
+        }
+        Ok(Self {
+            set: builder.build()?,
+            literal: Vec::new(),
+        })
+    }
+
+    pub fn from_config(cfg: &DatabaseConfig) -> Result<Self> {
+        Self::new(&exclude_patterns(cfg))
+    }
+
+    /// Also exclude exactly this root-relative path (and its subtree), compared
+    /// literally so glob characters in the name mean nothing.
+    pub fn exclude_path(&mut self, relative: PathBuf) {
+        self.literal.push(relative);
+    }
+
+    pub fn is_excluded(&self, relative: &Path) -> bool {
+        self.set.is_match(relative) || self.literal.iter().any(|p| p == relative)
+    }
+}
+
+/// The `options.exclude` patterns of a files source, as configured.
+pub fn exclude_patterns(cfg: &DatabaseConfig) -> Vec<String> {
+    cfg.options
+        .get("exclude")
+        .and_then(|v| v.as_array())
+        .map(|items| {
+            items
+                .iter()
+                .filter_map(|v| v.as_str().map(str::to_string))
+                .collect()
+        })
+        .unwrap_or_default()
+}
+
+/// `options.one_file_system` of a files source.
+pub fn one_file_system(cfg: &DatabaseConfig) -> bool {
+    cfg.options
+        .get("one_file_system")
+        .and_then(|v| v.as_bool())
+        .unwrap_or(false)
+}

src/domain/files/mod.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+pub mod backup;
+pub mod database;
+pub mod matcher;
+pub mod ping;
+pub mod platform;
+pub mod restore;

src/domain/files/ping.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+use crate::services::config::DatabaseConfig;
+use anyhow::Result;
+use std::path::Path;
+use tokio::time::{Duration, timeout};
+
+pub async fn run(cfg: DatabaseConfig) -> Result<bool> {
+    // A hung mount (NFS) blocks is_dir/read_dir: keep it off the runtime and bounded.
+    let check = tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || {
+        let root = Path::new(&cfg.path);
+        root.is_dir() && std::fs::read_dir(root).is_ok()
+    });
+    Ok(matches!(
+        timeout(Duration::from_secs(10), check).await,
+        Ok(Ok(true))
+    ))
+}

src/domain/files/platform.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+//! Unix-only metadata behind `cfg`, with inert fallbacks so the Windows release
+//! build compiles.
+
+/// Device id, used to spot mount points. Off unix every entry reports 0, so no
+/// directory is ever treated as a mount point.
+#[cfg(unix)]
+pub fn dev(meta: &std::fs::Metadata) -> u64 {
+    use std::os::unix::fs::MetadataExt;
+    meta.dev()
+}
+
+#[cfg(not(unix))]
+pub fn dev(_meta: &std::fs::Metadata) -> u64 {
+    0
+}
+
+/// Whether the agent can restore file ownership.
+#[cfg(unix)]
+pub fn is_root() -> bool {
+    unsafe { libc::geteuid() == 0 }
+}
+
+#[cfg(not(unix))]
+pub fn is_root() -> bool {
+    false
+}

src/domain/files/restore.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,247 @@
+use super::matcher::ExcludeMatcher;
+use super::platform::{dev, is_root};
+use crate::services::backup::logger::JobLogger;
+use crate::services::config::DatabaseConfig;
+use anyhow::{Context, Result, bail};
+use flate2::read::GzDecoder;
+use std::fs::{self, File};
+use std::io::{self, Read, Seek};
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
+use std::sync::Arc;
+
+pub async fn run(cfg: DatabaseConfig, archive: PathBuf, logger: Arc<JobLogger>) -> Result<()> {
+    tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || restore(&cfg, &archive, &logger)).await?
+}
+
+fn restore(cfg: &DatabaseConfig, archive: &Path, logger: &JobLogger) -> Result<()> {
+    // Everything below works on the canonical path, like backup.rs.
+    let root = ensure_restorable(Path::new(&cfg.path))?;
+    let mut matcher = ExcludeMatcher::from_config(cfg)?;
+    let one_file_system = cfg
+        .options
+        .get("one_file_system")
+        .and_then(|v| v.as_bool())
+        .unwrap_or(false);
+
+    // Opened once: the wipe may delete the archive's path, never an open handle.
+    let file = File::open(archive)
+        .with_context(|| format!("cannot open archive {}", archive.display()))?;
+
+    // The wipe is irreversible: prove the whole archive reads back before touching data.
+    logger.log("info", format!("Validating archive {}", archive.display()));
+    validate_archive(&file).context("archive is corrupt or truncated, nothing was changed")?;
+
+    // Keep the archive's own directory (or the archive itself when it sits directly
+    // in the target), like backup.rs prunes its output.
+    let archive_real = fs::canonicalize(archive)?;
+    let keep = match archive_real.parent() {
+        Some(dir) if dir != root => dir,
+        _ => archive_real.as_path(),
+    };
+    if let Ok(rel) = keep.strip_prefix(&root) {
+        matcher.exclude_path(rel.to_path_buf());
+    }
+
+    logger.log(
+        "info",
+        format!("Removing non-excluded content of {}", root.display()),
+    );
+    // Best effort: whatever could not be removed is kept, and extraction always runs.
+    let failures = wipe_except_excluded(&root, &matcher, one_file_system, logger)?;
+
+    logger.log(
+        "info",
+        format!("Extracting archive into {}", root.display()),
+    );
+    unpack(&file, &root, is_root(), logger)?;
+
+    if failures > 0 {
+        let noun = if failures == 1 { "entry" } else { "entries" };
+        bail!(
+            "restore extracted the archive but {failures} existing {noun} could not be removed; see warnings"
+        );
+    }
+    logger.log("info", "Files restore finished".to_string());
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+/// Extract the whole archive into `root`. Filesystems that refuse chown/chmod/utime
+/// (NFS root_squash, CIFS, NFSv4 idmap mismatch) fail the first pass, after the wipe,
+/// so retry once without metadata: the content matters more than owner and mode.
+pub fn unpack(
+    file: &File,
+    root: &Path,
+    preserve_ownerships: bool,
+    logger: &JobLogger,
+) -> Result<()> {
+    if let Err(e) = unpack_once(file, root, true, preserve_ownerships) {
+        logger.log(
+            "warn",
+            format!("extraction with ownership/permissions failed: {e:#}; retrying without metadata preservation"),
+        );
+        // ponytail: tar-rs still chmods to `mode & 0o777` with preservation off, so a
+        // filesystem that rejects chmod on files the agent just created fails this pass
+        // too; per-entry extraction with deferred directories if that shows up.
+        unpack_once(file, root, false, false)?;
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+fn unpack_once(
+    mut file: &File,
+    root: &Path,
+    preserve: bool,
+    preserve_ownerships: bool,
+) -> Result<()> {
+    file.rewind()?;
+    let mut ar = tar::Archive::new(GzDecoder::new(file));
+    ar.set_preserve_permissions(preserve);
+    ar.set_preserve_mtime(preserve);
+    ar.set_preserve_ownerships(preserve_ownerships);
+    ar.set_overwrite(true);
+    ar.unpack(root)?;
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+/// Read every entry to the end, then drain the gzip stream so its CRC is checked.
+fn validate_archive(file: &File) -> Result<()> {
+    let mut gz = GzDecoder::new(file);
+    let mut ar = tar::Archive::new(&mut gz);
+    for entry in ar.entries()? {
+        io::copy(&mut entry?, &mut io::sink())?;
+    }
+    drop(ar);
+    // tar stops at its end marker, before the gzip trailer.
+    gz.read_to_end(&mut Vec::new())?;
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+/// Refuse targets a mirror restore must never touch, and return the canonical path to
+/// restore into. The canonical path is checked too, because `/data/..` style escapes
+/// resolve to `/`.
+pub fn ensure_restorable(root: &Path) -> Result<PathBuf> {
+    if root.as_os_str().is_empty() || !root.is_absolute() || root == Path::new("/") {
+        bail!(
+            "refusing to restore into {:?}: path must be absolute and not /",
+            root
+        );
+    }
+    if !root.is_dir() {
+        bail!(
+            "restore target {} is not an existing directory",
+            root.display()
+        );
+    }
+    let canonical = fs::canonicalize(root)
+        .with_context(|| format!("cannot resolve restore target {}", root.display()))?;
+    if canonical == Path::new("/") {
+        bail!("refusing to restore into {:?}: it resolves to /", root);
+    }
+    Ok(canonical)
+}
+
+/// Delete everything under `root` that does not match an exclude pattern.
+/// Excluded entries (and their subtrees) are kept; `root` itself is kept.
+///
+/// Mount points (a directory on a different device than its parent): with
+/// `one_file_system` they are kept untouched like an excluded path, matching what
+/// backup never archived. Without it their contents are wiped but the mount point
+/// itself is never removed (`remove_dir` on it fails with EBUSY) and counts as kept.
+/// Special files (sockets, fifos, devices) are kept: backup never archives them.
+///
+/// Best effort: an entry that cannot be read or removed is logged, kept (so its
+/// parents are kept too) and counted; the returned count is how many failed.
+/// Only an unreadable `root` is an error, and then nothing was deleted.
+pub fn wipe_except_excluded(
+    root: &Path,
+    matcher: &ExcludeMatcher,
+    one_file_system: bool,
+    logger: &JobLogger,
+) -> Result<usize> {
+    let meta = fs::symlink_metadata(root).with_context(|| format!("reading {}", root.display()))?;
+    let mut wipe = Wipe {
+        matcher,
+        one_file_system,
+        logger,
+        failures: 0,
+    };
+    wipe.dir(root, Path::new(""), dev(&meta));
+    Ok(wipe.failures)
+}
+
+struct Wipe<'a> {
+    matcher: &'a ExcludeMatcher,
+    one_file_system: bool,
+    logger: &'a JobLogger,
+    failures: usize,
+}
+
+impl Wipe<'_> {
+    fn fail(&mut self, what: &str, path: &Path, e: io::Error) {
+        self.logger
+            .log("warn", format!("Could not {what} {}: {e}", path.display()));
+        self.failures += 1;
+    }
+
+    /// Returns true when something was kept inside `dir`. `rel` is `dir` relative to
+    /// the root and `dir_dev` its device.
+    fn dir(&mut self, dir: &Path, rel: &Path, dir_dev: u64) -> bool {
+        let entries = match fs::read_dir(dir) {
+            Ok(entries) => entries,
+            Err(e) => {
+                self.fail("read", dir, e);
+                return true;
+            }
+        };
+        let mut kept = false;
+        for entry in entries {
+            let entry = match entry {
+                Ok(entry) => entry,
+                Err(e) => {
+                    self.fail("read", dir, e);
+                    kept = true;
+                    continue;
+                }
+            };
+            let path = entry.path();
+            let rel = rel.join(entry.file_name());
+            if self.matcher.is_excluded(&rel) {
+                kept = true;
+                continue;
+            }
+            // symlink_metadata: a symlinked directory is removed as a link, never followed.
+            let meta = match fs::symlink_metadata(&path) {
+                Ok(meta) => meta,
+                Err(e) => {
+                    self.fail("read", &path, e);
+                    kept = true;
+                    continue;
+                }
+            };
+            let ft = meta.file_type();
+            let removed = if ft.is_dir() {
+                let mount_point = dev(&meta) != dir_dev;
+                if mount_point && self.one_file_system {
+                    kept = true;
+                    continue;
+                }
+                if self.dir(&path, &rel, dev(&meta)) || mount_point {
+                    kept = true;
+                    continue;
+                }
+                fs::remove_dir(&path)
+            } else if ft.is_file() || ft.is_symlink() {
+                fs::remove_file(&path)
+            } else {
+                // Socket, fifo or device: backup never archives them, so keep them.
+                kept = true;
+                continue;
+            };
+            if let Err(e) = removed {
+                self.fail("remove", &path, e);
+                kept = true;
+            }
+        }
+        kept
+    }
+}

src/domain/mod.rs

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 pub mod docker_volume;
+pub mod files;
 pub mod factory;
 pub mod mongodb;
 pub mod mysql;

src/services/api/endpoints/agent/backup/upload/init.rs

@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ pub struct InitUploadRequest {
     pub storage_channel_id: String,
     #[serde(rename = "backupId")]
     pub backup_id: String,
+    /// "restic" for snapshots; omitted for archives (older dashboards ignore it).
+    #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
+    pub engine: Option<String>,
 }
 
 impl ApiClient {
@@ -21,11 +24,13 @@ impl ApiClient {
         generated_id: impl Into<String>,
         storage_channel_id: impl Into<String>,
         backup_id: impl Into<String>,
+        engine: Option<&str>,
     ) -> Result<Option<BackupUploadResponse>, ApiError> {
         let body = InitUploadRequest {
             generated_id: generated_id.into(),
             storage_channel_id: storage_channel_id.into(),
             backup_id: backup_id.into(),
+            engine: engine.map(str::to_string),
         };
 
         let agent_id = agent_id.into();

src/services/api/endpoints/agent/backup/upload/status.rs

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ use crate::services::api::{ApiClient, ApiError};
 use anyhow::Result;
 use reqwest::Method;
 use serde::Serialize;
+use serde_json::Value;
 
 #[derive(Serialize)]
 pub struct StatusUploadRequest {
@@ -15,6 +16,9 @@ pub struct StatusUploadRequest {
     pub size: u64,
     #[serde(rename = "backupId")]
     pub backup_id: String,
+    /// Counters of a successful snapshot or sync run, shown by the dashboard.
+    #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
+    pub stats: Option<Value>,
 }
 
 impl ApiClient {
@@ -35,12 +39,40 @@ impl ApiClient {
             path: remote_path.into(),
             size: total_size.into(),
             backup_id: backup_id.into(),
+            stats: None,
         };
+        self.send_upload_status(agent_id.into(), &body).await
+    }
 
-        let agent_id = agent_id.into();
+    /// Success status of one snapshot or sync run, with its counters.
+    pub async fn backup_upload_success(
+        &self,
+        agent_id: impl Into<String>,
+        generated_id: impl Into<String>,
+        backup_storage_id: impl Into<String>,
+        path: String,
+        size: u64,
+        stats: Value,
+        backup_id: impl Into<String>,
+    ) -> Result<Option<BackupUploadResponse>, ApiError> {
+        let body = StatusUploadRequest {
+            generated_id: generated_id.into(),
+            backup_storage_id: backup_storage_id.into(),
+            status: "success".into(),
+            path,
+            size,
+            backup_id: backup_id.into(),
+            stats: Some(stats),
+        };
+        self.send_upload_status(agent_id.into(), &body).await
+    }
+
+    async fn send_upload_status(
+        &self,
+        agent_id: String,
+        body: &StatusUploadRequest,
+    ) -> Result<Option<BackupUploadResponse>, ApiError> {
         let path = format!("/agent/{}/backup/upload/status", agent_id);
-
-        self.request_with_body(Method::PATCH, path.as_str(), &body)
-            .await
+        self.request_with_body(Method::PATCH, path.as_str(), body).await
     }
 }

src/services/api/endpoints/agent/status.rs

@@ -12,7 +12,9 @@ pub struct DatabasePayload<'a> {
     #[serde(rename = "generatedId")]
     pub generated_id: &'a str,
     #[serde(rename = "pingStatus")]
-    pub ping_status: bool
+    pub ping_status: bool,
+    #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
+    pub method: Option<&'a str>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Serialize)]

src/services/api/models/agent/status.rs

@@ -61,14 +61,29 @@ pub struct DatabaseData {
 pub struct BackupInfo {
     pub action: bool,
     pub cron: Option<String>,
+    /// "archive" | "restic"; absent from dashboards older than P2 (→ archive).
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub engine: Option<String>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Deserialize)]
 pub struct RestoreInfo {
     pub action: bool,
+    #[serde(default)]
     pub file: Option<String>,
-    #[serde(rename = "metaFile")]
+    #[serde(default, rename = "metaFile")]
     pub meta_file: Option<String>,
     #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_or_number_to_string")]
     pub size: Option<String>,
+    /// "restic" for a snapshot restore; absent for archives.
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub engine: Option<String>,
+    #[serde(default, rename = "snapshotId")]
+    pub snapshot_id: Option<String>,
+    /// AES-GCM JSON array holding the snapshot's storage channel.
+    #[serde(default, rename = "storageCiphertext")]
+    pub storage_ciphertext: Option<String>,
+    /// Filled in memory from `storage_ciphertext`; never on the wire.
+    #[serde(skip)]
+    pub storage: Option<DatabaseStorage>,
 }

src/services/backup/dispatcher.rs

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ impl BackupService {
         method: BackupMethod,
         storages: &Vec<DatabaseStorage>,
         encrypt: bool,
+        engine: &str,
     ) {
         let Some(cfg) = config
             .databases
@@ -29,10 +30,11 @@ impl BackupService {
         let db_cfg = cfg.clone();
         let storages = storages.clone();
         let generated_id = generated_id.clone();
+        let engine = engine.to_string();
 
         tokio::spawn(async move {
             if let Err(e) = service
-                .execute_backup(generated_id, db_cfg, method, storages, encrypt)
+                .execute_backup(generated_id, db_cfg, method, storages, encrypt, engine)
                 .await
             {
                 error!("Backup execution failed: {}", e);

src/services/backup/executor.rs

@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 use super::logger::JobLogger;
+use super::models::BackupResult;
 use super::service::BackupService;
 use crate::services::api::models::agent::status::DatabaseStorage;
-use crate::services::config::DatabaseConfig;
+use crate::services::config::{DatabaseConfig, DbType};
+use crate::services::restic;
+use crate::services::sync;
 use crate::utils::common::BackupMethod;
 use crate::utils::locks::FileLock;
 
@@ -18,6 +21,7 @@ impl BackupService {
         method: BackupMethod,
         storages: Vec<DatabaseStorage>,
         encrypt: bool,
+        engine: String,
     ) -> Result<()> {
         let logger = Arc::new(JobLogger::new());
 
@@ -30,6 +34,31 @@ impl BackupService {
         let backup = self.create_backup_record(&generated_id, &method).await?;
         let backup_id = backup.backup.id;
 
+        if engine == "restic" || engine == "sync" {
+            if matches!(db_cfg.db_type, DbType::Files) {
+                let uploads = if engine == "restic" {
+                    restic::backup::run(&self.ctx, &db_cfg, &storages, &backup_id, &logger).await
+                } else {
+                    sync::backup::run(&self.ctx, &db_cfg, &storages, &backup_id, &logger).await
+                };
+                logger.log("info", "Database backup job finished".to_string());
+                let result = BackupResult {
+                    generated_id: generated_id.clone(),
+                    db_type: db_cfg.db_type.clone(),
+                    status: "success".into(),
+                    backup_file: None,
+                    code: None,
+                };
+                let duration_ms = start.elapsed().as_millis() as f64;
+                let logs = Arc::try_unwrap(logger).unwrap_or_else(|_| JobLogger::new()).into_entries();
+                // fileSize = average logical size across storages (send_result): restic reports
+                // the size each snapshot processed; sync reports none, so it stays null.
+                self.send_result(result, uploads, &backup_id, logs, duration_ms).await?;
+                return Ok(());
+            }
+            logger.log("warn", format!("The {engine} method only applies to files sources; making an archive"));
+        }
+
         let temp_dir = TempDir::new()?;
         let tmp_path = temp_dir.path();
 

src/services/backup/result.rs

@@ -21,11 +21,9 @@ impl BackupService {
             "failed"
         };
 
-        let file_size = upload_results
-            .iter()
-            .filter_map(|r| r.total_size)
-            .reduce(|a, b| a + b)
-            .map(|sum| sum / upload_results.len() as u64);
+        // Average over the uploads that reported a size: failed ones have none.
+        let sizes: Vec<u64> = upload_results.iter().filter_map(|r| r.total_size).collect();
+        let file_size = (!sizes.is_empty()).then(|| sizes.iter().sum::<u64>() / sizes.len() as u64);
 
         self.ctx
             .api

src/services/backup/uploader.rs

@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ impl BackupService {
                         generated_id.clone(),
                         storage_id.clone(),
                         backup_id,
+                        None,
                     )
                     .await
                 {

src/services/config.rs

@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ pub enum DbType {
     Mssql,
     #[serde(rename = "docker-volume")]
     DockerVolume,
+    Files,
 }
 
 impl DbType {
@@ -44,6 +45,7 @@ impl DbType {
             DbType::Firebird => "firebird",
             DbType::Mssql => "mssql",
             DbType::DockerVolume => "docker-volume",
+            DbType::Files => "files",
         }
     }
 }
@@ -112,6 +114,17 @@ fn optional<T: Clone + Default>(opt: &Option<T>) -> T {
     opt.clone().unwrap_or_default()
 }
 
+pub const FILES_METHODS: [&str; 3] = ["archive", "snapshot", "sync"];
+
+/// The method a files source declares in `options.method` (`archive` when absent).
+pub fn files_method(cfg: &DatabaseConfig) -> &'static str {
+    match cfg.options.get("method").and_then(|v| v.as_str()) {
+        Some("snapshot") => "snapshot",
+        Some("sync") => "sync",
+        _ => "archive",
+    }
+}
+
 pub fn build_config(db: InputDatabaseConfig) -> Result<DatabaseConfig, String> {
     if Uuid::parse_str(&db.generated_id).is_err() {
         return Err(format!("Invalid UUID for database '{}'", db.name));
@@ -143,7 +156,7 @@ pub fn build_config(db: InputDatabaseConfig) -> Result<DatabaseConfig, String> {
         | DbType::Firebird
         | DbType::Valkey
         | DbType::Mssql => required(&db.host, &db.name, "host")?,
-        DbType::Sqlite | DbType::DockerVolume => optional(&db.host),
+        DbType::Sqlite | DbType::DockerVolume | DbType::Files => optional(&db.host),
     };
 
     let port = match db.db_type {
@@ -155,11 +168,13 @@ pub fn build_config(db: InputDatabaseConfig) -> Result<DatabaseConfig, String> {
         | DbType::Firebird
         | DbType::Valkey
         | DbType::Mssql => required(&db.port, &db.name, "port")?,
-        DbType::MongoDB | DbType::Sqlite | DbType::DockerVolume => db.port.unwrap_or(0),
+        DbType::MongoDB | DbType::Sqlite | DbType::DockerVolume | DbType::Files => {
+            db.port.unwrap_or(0)
+        }
     };
 
     let database_name = match db.db_type {
-        DbType::Sqlite | DbType::Redis | DbType::Valkey | DbType::DockerVolume => {
+        DbType::Sqlite | DbType::Redis | DbType::Valkey | DbType::DockerVolume | DbType::Files => {
             optional(&db.database)
         }
         DbType::PostgresqlCluster => db
@@ -170,8 +185,28 @@ pub fn build_config(db: InputDatabaseConfig) -> Result<DatabaseConfig, String> {
     };
     let path_val = match db.db_type {
         DbType::Sqlite => required(&db.path, &db.name, "path")?,
+        DbType::Files => {
+            let p = required(&db.path, &db.name, "path")?;
+            if !p.starts_with('/') || p.trim_end_matches('/').is_empty() {
+                return Err(format!(
+                    "Path for files source '{}' must be absolute and not '/'",
+                    db.name
+                ));
+            }
+            p
+        }
         _ => optional(&db.path),
     };
+    if matches!(db.db_type, DbType::Files) {
+        if let Some(method) = db.options.as_ref().and_then(|o| o.get("method")) {
+            if !method.as_str().is_some_and(|m| FILES_METHODS.contains(&m)) {
+                return Err(format!(
+                    "Unknown method {method} for files source '{}' (expected archive, snapshot or sync)",
+                    db.name
+                ));
+            }
+        }
+    }
     let max_packet_size = match db.db_type {
         DbType::Mysql | DbType::Mariadb => db.max_packet_size.unwrap_or_else(|| "512M".to_string()),
         _ => String::new(),

src/services/cron.rs

@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@ impl CronService {
         let encrypt: bool = database.encrypt;
         let metadata = json!({
             "storages": storages,
-            "encrypt": encrypt
+            "encrypt": encrypt,
+            "engine": database.data.backup.engine.as_deref().unwrap_or("archive"),
         });
 
         check_and_update_cron(

src/services/dashboard_config.rs

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 use crate::services::api::models::agent::status::PingResult;
 use crate::services::config::{DatabaseConfig, DatabasesConfig};
+use std::collections::HashSet;
 use std::path::Path;
 
 pub fn merge(local: &[DatabaseConfig], dashboard: &[DatabaseConfig]) -> DatabasesConfig {
@@ -19,6 +20,15 @@ pub fn merge(local: &[DatabaseConfig], dashboard: &[DatabaseConfig]) -> Database
     DatabasesConfig { databases }
 }
 
+/// `generated_id`s of local (databases.json) sources that no dashboard config replaces.
+pub fn local_only_ids(local: &[DatabaseConfig], dashboard: &[DatabaseConfig]) -> HashSet<String> {
+    local
+        .iter()
+        .filter(|c| !dashboard.iter().any(|d| d.generated_id == c.generated_id))
+        .map(|c| c.generated_id.clone())
+        .collect()
+}
+
 pub fn collect_configs(ping: &PingResult) -> Vec<DatabaseConfig> {
     ping.databases
         .iter()

src/services/mod.rs

@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ pub mod backup;
 pub mod config;
 pub mod cron;
 pub mod dashboard_config;
+pub mod restic;
 pub mod restore;
 pub mod status;
 pub mod storage;
+pub mod sync;

src/services/restic/backup.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,224 @@
+use super::command::{ResticRepo, short};
+use super::excludes::backup_excludes;
+use super::json::{BackupSummary, Snapshot, files_removed};
+use crate::core::context::Context as CoreContext;
+use crate::domain::files::matcher::{exclude_patterns, one_file_system};
+use crate::services::api::models::agent::status::DatabaseStorage;
+use crate::services::backup::logger::JobLogger;
+use crate::services::backup::models::UploadResult;
+use crate::services::config::DatabaseConfig;
+use crate::utils::locks::{DbOpLock, FileLock};
+use anyhow::{Context, Result, bail};
+
+/// One snapshot of `cfg.path`, tagged with its `backup_storage` id.
+/// Exit 3 (unreadable files) fails the run and forgets the snapshot: a mirror
+/// restore of it would delete the files it is missing (P0 rule R21). On an
+/// append-only repository the agent cannot forget it, so the dashboard does.
+pub async fn snapshot(
+    repo: &ResticRepo,
+    cfg: &DatabaseConfig,
+    backup_storage_id: &str,
+    logger: &JobLogger,
+) -> Result<BackupSummary> {
+    let root = std::fs::canonicalize(&cfg.path)
+        .with_context(|| format!("cannot read source directory {}", cfg.path))?;
+    if !root.is_dir() {
+        bail!("source path {} is not a directory", root.display());
+    }
+    repo.ensure_initialized(logger).await?;
+
+    // Stable host: container hostnames change on recreate and would break
+    // parent-snapshot detection (full rescan every time).
+    let host = format!("portabase-{}", cfg.generated_id);
+    let mut args: Vec<String> = vec![
+        "backup".into(),
+        root.to_string_lossy().into_owned(),
+        "--json".into(),
+        "--host".into(),
+        host.clone(),
+        "--tag".into(),
+        "portabase".into(),
+        "--tag".into(),
+        format!("bs:{backup_storage_id}"),
+    ];
+    for pattern in backup_excludes(&root, &exclude_patterns(cfg))? {
+        args.push("--exclude".into());
+        args.push(pattern);
+    }
+    if one_file_system(cfg) {
+        args.push("--one-file-system".into());
+    }
+
+    logger.log("info", format!("Snapshotting {} into {}", root.display(), repo.repository()));
+    let run = repo.run(&args, logger).await?;
+    for error in &run.errors {
+        logger.log("warn", format!("Unreadable: {error}"));
+    }
+    let summary: Option<BackupSummary> = run
+        .summary
+        .clone()
+        .map(serde_json::from_value)
+        .transpose()
+        .context("unexpected restic backup summary")?;
+
+    match (run.code, summary) {
+        (0, Some(mut s)) => {
+            s.files_removed = match removed(repo, &host, &s, logger).await {
+                Ok(removed) => removed,
+                Err(e) => {
+                    logger.log("warn", format!("Could not count removed files: {e:#}"));
+                    None
+                }
+            };
+            let removed = s.files_removed.map(|n| format!(", {n} removed")).unwrap_or_default();
+            logger.log(
+                "info",
+                // data_added_packed: new file and directory blobs, compressed and encrypted. The
+                // repository grows a little more (pack headers, index and snapshot files).
+                format!(
+                    "Snapshot {}: {} new, {} changed, {} unmodified{removed} file(s); {} byte(s) scanned, {} byte(s) of new data",
+                    short(&s.snapshot_id), s.files_new, s.files_changed, s.files_unmodified, s.total_bytes_processed, s.data_added_packed
+                ),
+            );
+            Ok(s)
+        }
+        (0, None) => bail!("restic backup returned no summary"),
+        (3, summary) => {
+            let mut fate = "snapshot discarded";
+            if let Some(s) = summary {
+                if repo.is_append_only() {
+                    logger.log(
+                        "warn",
+                        format!("Incomplete snapshot {} left for the dashboard to forget", short(&s.snapshot_id)),
+                    );
+                    fate = "snapshot not restorable (the dashboard forgets it)";
+                } else {
+                    let forget = repo.run(["forget", s.snapshot_id.as_str()], logger).await?;
+                    if forget.code != 0 {
+                        logger.log(
+                            "error",
+                            format!("Could not forget incomplete snapshot {}: {}", s.snapshot_id, forget.error("forget")),
+                        );
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+            bail!(
+                "{} file(s) could not be read; {fate} so a mirror restore cannot delete them (fix permissions or add an exclude)",
+                run.errors.len()
+            )
+        }
+        _ => Err(run.error("backup")),
+    }
+}
+
+/// Removed files of snapshot `s`, against the parent restic actually used (one listing of
+/// the source's snapshots, no index load).
+async fn removed(repo: &ResticRepo, host: &str, s: &BackupSummary, logger: &JobLogger) -> Result<Option<u64>> {
+    let listed = repo.run(["snapshots", "--json", "--host", host], logger).await?;
+    if listed.code != 0 {
+        return Err(listed.error("snapshots"));
+    }
+    let snapshots: Vec<Snapshot> =
+        serde_json::from_str(listed.stdout.trim()).context("unexpected `restic snapshots` output")?;
+    Ok(files_removed(&snapshots, &s.snapshot_id, s.files_changed, s.files_unmodified))
+}
+
+/// Snapshots every storage in turn (one scan each, v1). Never errors: each
+/// storage reports its own `backup_storage` row, like the archive uploader.
+pub async fn run(
+    ctx: &CoreContext,
+    cfg: &DatabaseConfig,
+    storages: &[DatabaseStorage],
+    backup_id: &str,
+    logger: &JobLogger,
+) -> Vec<UploadResult> {
+    if let Err(e) = FileLock::acquire(&cfg.generated_id, DbOpLock::Backup.as_str()).await {
+        logger.log("error", format!("Snapshot aborted: {e}"));
+        return Vec::new();
+    }
+    let mut results = Vec::with_capacity(storages.len());
+    for storage in storages {
+        results.push(one_storage(ctx, cfg, storage, backup_id, logger).await);
+    }
+    if let Err(e) = FileLock::release(&cfg.generated_id).await {
+        logger.log("warn", format!("Failed to release the backup lock: {e}"));
+    }
+    results
+}
+
+pub(crate) async fn one_storage(
+    ctx: &CoreContext,
+    cfg: &DatabaseConfig,
+    storage: &DatabaseStorage,
+    backup_id: &str,
+    logger: &JobLogger,
+) -> UploadResult {
+    let agent_id = ctx.edge_key.agent_id.clone();
+    let failed = |error: String| UploadResult {
+        storage_id: storage.id.clone(),
+        success: false,
+        error: Some(error),
+        remote_file_path: None,
+        total_size: None,
+    };
+
+    let backup_storage_id = match ctx
+        .api
+        .backup_upload_init(agent_id.clone(), cfg.generated_id.clone(), storage.id.clone(), backup_id, Some("restic"))
+        .await
+    {
+        Ok(Some(response)) => response.backup_storage.id,
+        Ok(None) => {
+            logger.log("error", "Upload init returned empty response");
+            return failed("backup_upload_init returned empty response".into());
+        }
+        Err(e) => {
+            logger.log("error", format!("Upload init failed: {e}"));
+            return failed("backup_upload_init failed".into());
+        }
+    };
+
+    let outcome = match ResticRepo::open(storage, &cfg.generated_id, &ctx.edge_key) {
+        Ok(repo) => snapshot(&repo, cfg, &backup_storage_id, logger).await,
+        Err(e) => Err(e),
+    };
+
+    match outcome {
+        Ok(summary) => match ctx
+            .api
+            .backup_upload_success(
+                agent_id,
+                cfg.generated_id.clone(),
+                backup_storage_id,
+                summary.snapshot_id.clone(),
+                summary.data_added_packed,
+                summary.report(),
+                backup_id,
+            )
+            .await
+        {
+            Ok(_) => UploadResult {
+                storage_id: storage.id.clone(),
+                success: true,
+                error: None,
+                remote_file_path: Some(summary.snapshot_id),
+                total_size: Some(summary.total_bytes_processed),
+            },
+            Err(e) => {
+                logger.log("error", format!("Upload status update failed for {}: {e}", storage.id));
+                failed(e.to_string())
+            }
+        },
+        Err(e) => {
+            logger.log("error", format!("Snapshot to storage {} failed: {e:#}", storage.id));
+            if let Err(err) = ctx
+                .api
+                .backup_upload_status(agent_id, cfg.generated_id.clone(), backup_storage_id, "failed", String::new(), 0u64, backup_id)
+                .await
+            {
+                logger.log("error", format!("Failed-status update failed for {}: {err}", storage.id));
+            }
+            failed(format!("{e:#}"))
+        }
+    }
+}

src/services/restic/command.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,254 @@
+use super::json::{self, Line};
+use super::password::{derive_password, local_storage_password, LOCAL_STORAGE_USER};
+use crate::services::api::models::agent::status::DatabaseStorage;
+use crate::services::backup::logger::JobLogger;
+use crate::services::storage::providers::rclone::helpers::{remote_target, write_config};
+use crate::services::storage::providers::rclone::target::{RcloneTarget, rclone_target};
+use crate::settings::CONFIG;
+use crate::utils::edge_key::EdgeKey;
+use anyhow::{Context, Result, anyhow};
+use serde_json::Value;
+use std::ffi::{OsStr, OsString};
+use std::path::PathBuf;
+use std::process::Stdio;
+use tempfile::NamedTempFile;
+use tokio::io::{AsyncBufReadExt, BufReader};
+use tokio::process::Command;
+
+/// One source's repository on one storage channel:
+/// `rclone:<remote>:<base>/<folder>/restic/<generated_id>`, or
+/// `rest:<server_url>/storage/restic/<generated_id>/` on the dashboard's local storage.
+pub struct ResticRepo {
+    repository: String,
+    password: String,
+    /// `None` when the cache directory cannot be created: restic then runs `--no-cache`.
+    cache_dir: Option<PathBuf>,
+    /// rclone config of `rclone:` repositories; `None` on the dashboard's REST server.
+    config: Option<NamedTempFile>,
+    /// HTTP basic auth of `rest:` repositories (the dashboard's local storage).
+    rest_auth: Option<(String, String)>,
+    /// Keeps temp files referenced by the config (sftp key) alive.
+    _target: Option<RcloneTarget>,
+}
+
+/// What a finished restic command left behind.
+pub struct ResticRun {
+    pub code: i32,
+    /// stdout lines that are neither `status` nor `summary` (e.g. `snapshots --json`).
+    pub stdout: String,
+    /// The last `summary` line, if any.
+    pub summary: Option<Value>,
+    /// `error` lines as "item: message" (unreadable files and the like).
+    pub errors: Vec<String>,
+    /// Last plain-text / `exit_error` stderr lines, for failure messages.
+    pub stderr_tail: String,
+}
+
+impl ResticRun {
+    pub fn error(&self, op: &str) -> anyhow::Error {
+        match self.code {
+            10 => anyhow!("restic {op}: repository does not exist"),
+            11 => anyhow!("restic {op}: repository is locked by another operation (waited 5 minutes)"),
+            12 => anyhow!("restic {op}: wrong repository password (did the master key change?)"),
+            code => anyhow!("restic {op} failed (exit {code}): {}", self.stderr_tail.trim()),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// A full snapshot id. Ids from the dashboard reach restic as positional arguments:
+/// anything else could be parsed as a flag (e.g. `--password-command=<shell>`).
+pub fn is_snapshot_id(id: &str) -> bool {
+    id.len() == 64 && id.bytes().all(|b| matches!(b, b'0'..=b'9' | b'a'..=b'f'))
+}
+
+pub fn short(id: &str) -> &str {
+    id.get(..8).unwrap_or(id)
+}
+
+/// restic fails hard (not warns) on an unusable cache dir, so probe it up front.
+fn usable_cache_dir(cache_dir: PathBuf) -> Option<PathBuf> {
+    match std::fs::create_dir_all(&cache_dir) {
+        Ok(()) => Some(cache_dir),
+        Err(e) => {
+            tracing::warn!("restic cache dir {} unusable ({e}); running without cache", cache_dir.display());
+            None
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl ResticRepo {
+    pub fn open(storage: &DatabaseStorage, generated_id: &str, edge_key: &EdgeKey) -> Result<Self> {
+        let password = derive_password(&edge_key.master_key_b64, generated_id)?;
+        let cache_dir = PathBuf::from(&CONFIG.data_path).join("cache/restic");
+        if storage.provider == "local" {
+            return Ok(Self::rest(
+                &format!("{}/storage/restic", edge_key.server_url.trim_end_matches('/')),
+                generated_id,
+                &password,
+                &local_storage_password(&edge_key.master_key_b64)?,
+                cache_dir,
+            ));
+        }
+        let target = rclone_target(storage)?;
+        let folder = storage
+            .folder_name
+            .as_deref()
+            .map(|f| f.trim().trim_matches('/'))
+            .filter(|f| !f.is_empty())
+            .unwrap_or("backups");
+        let mut repo = Self::new(
+            &target.config_text,
+            &target.remote_name,
+            &target.base_path,
+            folder,
+            generated_id,
+            &password,
+            cache_dir,
+        )?;
+        repo._target = Some(target);
+        Ok(repo)
+    }
+
+    pub fn new(
+        config_text: &str,
+        remote_name: &str,
+        base_path: &str,
+        folder: &str,
+        generated_id: &str,
+        password: &str,
+        cache_dir: PathBuf,
+    ) -> Result<Self> {
+        let path = remote_target(remote_name, base_path, &format!("{folder}/restic/{generated_id}"));
+        Ok(Self {
+            repository: format!("rclone:{path}"),
+            password: password.to_string(),
+            cache_dir: usable_cache_dir(cache_dir),
+            config: Some(write_config(config_text)?),
+            rest_auth: None,
+            _target: None,
+        })
+    }
+
+    /// The dashboard's local storage (`rclone serve restic --append-only`):
+    /// `rest:<base_url>/<generated_id>/`, basic auth only in the child env.
+    pub fn rest(base_url: &str, generated_id: &str, password: &str, server_password: &str, cache_dir: PathBuf) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            repository: format!("rest:{}/{generated_id}/", base_url.trim_end_matches('/')),
+            password: password.to_string(),
+            cache_dir: usable_cache_dir(cache_dir),
+            config: None,
+            rest_auth: Some((LOCAL_STORAGE_USER.to_string(), server_password.to_string())),
+            _target: None,
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// The dashboard's server refuses deletions: the agent cannot forget there.
+    pub fn is_append_only(&self) -> bool {
+        self.rest_auth.is_some()
+    }
+
+    pub fn repository(&self) -> &str {
+        &self.repository
+    }
+
+    /// `restic <args> --retry-lock 5m` (+ `--no-cache` without a cache dir); secrets only in the child env. `status`
+    /// lines are logged every 10 %.
+    pub async fn run<I, S>(&self, args: I, logger: &JobLogger) -> Result<ResticRun>
+    where
+        I: IntoIterator<Item = S>,
+        S: AsRef<OsStr>,
+    {
+        let args: Vec<OsString> = args.into_iter().map(|a| a.as_ref().to_owned()).collect();
+        let shown: Vec<String> = args.iter().map(|a| a.to_string_lossy().into_owned()).collect();
+        logger.log("debug", format!("restic {}", shown.join(" ")));
+
+        let mut cmd = Command::new("restic");
+        cmd.args(&args).args(["--retry-lock", "5m"]);
+        match &self.cache_dir {
+            Some(dir) => cmd.env("RESTIC_CACHE_DIR", dir),
+            None => cmd.arg("--no-cache"),
+        };
+        if let Some(config) = &self.config {
+            cmd.env("RCLONE_CONFIG", config.path());
+        }
+        if let Some((user, pass)) = &self.rest_auth {
+            cmd.env("RESTIC_REST_USERNAME", user).env("RESTIC_REST_PASSWORD", pass);
+        }
+        let mut child = cmd
+            .env("RESTIC_REPOSITORY", &self.repository)
+            .env("RESTIC_PASSWORD", &self.password)
+            // No TTY: without this restic prints no status lines at all.
+            .env("RESTIC_PROGRESS_FPS", "0.2")
+            .stdin(Stdio::null())
+            .stdout(Stdio::piped())
+            .stderr(Stdio::piped())
+            .kill_on_drop(true)
+            .spawn()
+            .map_err(|e| match e.kind() {
+                std::io::ErrorKind::NotFound => anyhow!("restic binary not found"),
+                _ => anyhow!(e).context("failed to start restic"),
+            })?;
+
+        let stderr = child.stderr.take().context("restic stderr unavailable")?;
+        let stderr_task = tokio::spawn(async move {
+            let mut errors = Vec::new();
+            let mut tail = Vec::new();
+            let mut lines = BufReader::new(stderr).lines();
+            while let Ok(Some(line)) = lines.next_line().await {
+                match json::parse(&line) {
+                    Line::Error { message, item } => errors.push(match item {
+                        Some(item) => format!("{item}: {message}"),
+                        None => message,
+                    }),
+                    Line::ExitError { message, .. } => tail.push(message),
+                    Line::Text(text) if !text.trim().is_empty() => tail.push(text),
+                    _ => {}
+                }
+            }
+            (errors, tail)
+        });
+
+        let mut run = ResticRun { code: -1, stdout: String::new(), summary: None, errors: Vec::new(), stderr_tail: String::new() };
+        let stdout = child.stdout.take().context("restic stdout unavailable")?;
+        let mut lines = BufReader::new(stdout).lines();
+        let mut next_pct = 10u32;
+        while let Some(line) = lines.next_line().await.context("failed to read restic output")? {
+            match json::parse(&line) {
+                Line::Status { percent_done } => {
+                    let pct = (percent_done * 100.0) as u32;
+                    if pct >= next_pct {
+                        logger.log("info", format!("restic: {pct}% done"));
+                        next_pct = pct / 10 * 10 + 10;
+                    }
+                }
+                Line::Summary(value) => run.summary = Some(value),
+                _ => {
+                    run.stdout.push_str(&line);
+                    run.stdout.push('\n');
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        let status = child.wait().await.context("failed to wait for restic")?;
+        let (errors, tail) = stderr_task.await.unwrap_or_default();
+        run.code = status.code().unwrap_or(-1);
+        run.errors = errors;
+        run.stderr_tail = tail[tail.len().saturating_sub(10)..].join("\n");
+        Ok(run)
+    }
+
+    /// `restic cat config`; exit 10 (no repository) → `restic init`. Callers hold
+    /// the source's FileLock, so two inits never race.
+    pub async fn ensure_initialized(&self, logger: &JobLogger) -> Result<()> {
+        let cat = self.run(["cat", "config"], logger).await?;
+        match cat.code {
+            0 => Ok(()),
+            10 => {
+                logger.log("info", format!("Initializing restic repository {}", self.repository));
+                let init = self.run(["init"], logger).await?;
+                if init.code == 0 { Ok(()) } else { Err(init.error("init")) }
+            }
+            _ => Err(cat.error("cat config")),
+        }
+    }
+}

src/services/restic/excludes.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+use anyhow::{Result, bail};
+use std::path::Path;
+
+/// Escapes restic/filepath.Match metacharacters so a literal path matches only itself.
+pub fn glob_escape(literal: &str) -> String {
+    let mut out = String::with_capacity(literal.len());
+    for c in literal.chars() {
+        if matches!(c, '\\' | '*' | '?' | '[' | ']') {
+            out.push('\\');
+        }
+        out.push(c);
+    }
+    out
+}
+
+/// globset (the P0 matcher) reads `[!x]` as bracket negation; restic (Go
+/// `filepath.Match`) and rclone only know `[^x]` and take `!` literally.
+pub(crate) fn bracket_negation(pattern: &str) -> String {
+    let mut out = String::with_capacity(pattern.len());
+    let mut chars = pattern.chars();
+    let mut in_class = false;
+    while let Some(c) = chars.next() {
+        out.push(c);
+        match c {
+            '\\' => out.extend(chars.next()),
+            '[' if !in_class => {
+                in_class = true;
+                if chars.as_str().starts_with('!') {
+                    chars.next();
+                    out.push('^');
+                }
+            }
+            ']' => in_class = false,
+            _ => {}
+        }
+    }
+    out
+}
+
+/// P0 patterns, trimmed like the P0 matcher, as `(anchored, pattern)`; a leading `/` marks anchored ones.
+fn normalized(patterns: &[String]) -> Result<Vec<(bool, String)>> {
+    let mut out = Vec::new();
+    for raw in patterns {
+        let pattern = raw.trim();
+        if pattern.contains(['{', '}']) {
+            bail!("exclude pattern '{pattern}': brace patterns are not supported in Snapshots mode");
+        }
+        let (anchored, rest) = match pattern.strip_prefix('/') {
+            Some(rest) => (true, rest),
+            None => (false, pattern),
+        };
+        let rest = rest.trim_end_matches('/');
+        if !rest.is_empty() {
+            out.push((anchored, bracket_negation(rest)));
+        }
+    }
+    Ok(out)
+}
+
+/// `restic backup` matches patterns against absolute paths, so every pattern is
+/// rooted at the source; unanchored ones would otherwise also match directories
+/// above it and exclude the whole source (spike S5).
+pub fn backup_excludes(root: &Path, patterns: &[String]) -> Result<Vec<String>> {
+    let root = glob_escape(root.to_string_lossy().trim_end_matches('/'));
+    Ok(normalized(patterns)?
+        .into_iter()
+        .map(|(anchored, p)| {
+            if anchored { format!("{root}/{p}") } else { format!("{root}/**/{p}") }
+        })
+        .collect())
+}
+
+/// `restic restore <id>:<path>` matches patterns relative to that subfolder (spike S1).
+pub fn restore_excludes(patterns: &[String]) -> Result<Vec<String>> {
+    Ok(normalized(patterns)?
+        .into_iter()
+        .map(|(anchored, p)| if anchored { format!("/{p}") } else { format!("/**/{p}") })
+        .collect())
+}

src/services/restic/json.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+use serde::Deserialize;
+use serde_json::{Value, json};
+
+/// One line of `restic --json` output. stdout carries `status` / `summary`,
+/// stderr carries `error` / `exit_error` and plain-text fatal messages.
+#[derive(Debug, PartialEq)]
+pub enum Line {
+    Status { percent_done: f64 },
+    Summary(Value),
+    Error { message: String, item: Option<String> },
+    ExitError { code: i32, message: String },
+    Text(String),
+}
+
+pub fn parse(line: &str) -> Line {
+    let Ok(value) = serde_json::from_str::<Value>(line) else {
+        return Line::Text(line.to_string());
+    };
+    match value.get("message_type").and_then(Value::as_str) {
+        Some("status") => Line::Status {
+            percent_done: value["percent_done"].as_f64().unwrap_or(0.0),
+        },
+        Some("summary") => Line::Summary(value),
+        Some("error") => Line::Error {
+            message: value["error"]["message"].as_str().unwrap_or("unknown error").to_string(),
+            item: value["item"].as_str().map(str::to_string),
+        },
+        Some("exit_error") => Line::ExitError {
+            code: value["code"].as_i64().unwrap_or(1) as i32,
+            message: value["message"].as_str().unwrap_or_default().to_string(),
+        },
+        _ => Line::Text(line.to_string()),
+    }
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, Deserialize)]
+pub struct BackupSummary {
+    pub snapshot_id: String,
+    pub data_added_packed: u64,
+    pub total_bytes_processed: u64,
+    pub files_new: u64,
+    pub files_changed: u64,
+    pub files_unmodified: u64,
+    /// Files of the parent snapshot this one no longer has: restic does not count them
+    /// (see `files_removed`). None when unknown.
+    #[serde(skip)]
+    pub files_removed: Option<u64>,
+}
+
+impl BackupSummary {
+    /// Counters the dashboard shows for this snapshot (`size` carries `data_added_packed`).
+    pub fn report(&self) -> Value {
+        json!({
+            "filesNew": self.files_new,
+            "filesChanged": self.files_changed,
+            "filesUnmodified": self.files_unmodified,
+            "filesRemoved": self.files_removed,
+        })
+    }
+}
+
+/// One entry of `restic snapshots --json`.
+#[derive(Debug, Deserialize)]
+pub struct Snapshot {
+    pub id: String,
+    pub paths: Vec<String>,
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub parent: Option<String>,
+    /// Written by restic >= 0.17.
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub summary: Option<SnapshotSummary>,
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, Deserialize)]
+pub struct SnapshotSummary {
+    pub total_files_processed: u64,
+}
+
+/// Files of the parent missing from `snapshot_id`, from a `restic snapshots --json` listing:
+/// restic counts a file as changed or unmodified only when the parent has it, so the parent's
+/// file count minus those is what was removed. Some(0) without a parent; None when the parent
+/// is not listed or has no summary.
+pub fn files_removed(snapshots: &[Snapshot], snapshot_id: &str, changed: u64, unmodified: u64) -> Option<u64> {
+    let find = |id: &str| snapshots.iter().find(|s| s.id == id);
+    let Some(parent) = find(snapshot_id)?.parent.as_deref() else {
+        return Some(0);
+    };
+    let total = find(parent)?.summary.as_ref()?.total_files_processed;
+    Some(total.saturating_sub(changed + unmodified))
+}

src/services/restic/mod.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+//! Snapshots mode: restic repositories reached through the P1 rclone mapper.
+pub mod backup;
+pub mod command;
+pub mod excludes;
+pub mod json;
+pub mod password;
+pub mod restore;

src/services/restic/password.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+use anyhow::{Context, Result};
+use base64::{Engine as _, engine::general_purpose};
+use hmac::{Hmac, Mac};
+use sha2::Sha256;
+
+type HmacSha256 = Hmac<Sha256>;
+
+/// Repository password: hex(HKDF-SHA256(master key, salt = "",
+/// info = "portabase/restic/v1/<generated_id>", 32 bytes)). The dashboard derives
+/// the same value (`src/lib/restic/repo.ts`), so it is never stored nor sent.
+pub fn derive_password(master_key_b64: &str, generated_id: &str) -> Result<String> {
+    let master_key = general_purpose::STANDARD
+        .decode(master_key_b64.trim())
+        .context("master key is not valid base64")?;
+    let info = format!("portabase/restic/v1/{generated_id}");
+    Ok(hex::encode(hkdf_sha256_32(&master_key, info.as_bytes())))
+}
+
+/// User of the dashboard's local-storage servers (`/storage/restic`, `/storage/sync`).
+pub const LOCAL_STORAGE_USER: &str = "portabase";
+
+/// Their password: hex(HKDF-SHA256(master key, salt = "", info = "portabase/local-storage/v1",
+/// 32 bytes)). The dashboard derives the same value (`src/lib/local-storage/credential.ts`).
+pub fn local_storage_password(master_key_b64: &str) -> Result<String> {
+    let master_key = general_purpose::STANDARD
+        .decode(master_key_b64.trim())
+        .context("master key is not valid base64")?;
+    Ok(hex::encode(hkdf_sha256_32(&master_key, b"portabase/local-storage/v1")))
+}
+
+/// RFC 5869 with an empty salt and a single expand block (L = HashLen = 32).
+pub fn hkdf_sha256_32(ikm: &[u8], info: &[u8]) -> [u8; 32] {
+    // An empty HMAC key is zero-padded: the RFC's default salt of HashLen zeros.
+    let mut extract = HmacSha256::new_from_slice(&[]).expect("HMAC takes any key length");
+    extract.update(ikm);
+    let prk = extract.finalize().into_bytes();
+
+    let mut expand = HmacSha256::new_from_slice(&prk).expect("HMAC takes any key length");
+    expand.update(info);
+    expand.update(&[1]);
+    expand.finalize().into_bytes().into()
+}

src/services/restic/restore.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,124 @@
+use super::command::{ResticRepo, is_snapshot_id, short};
+use super::excludes::{glob_escape, restore_excludes};
+use super::json::Snapshot;
+use crate::domain::files::matcher::{exclude_patterns, one_file_system};
+use crate::domain::files::platform::dev;
+use crate::domain::files::restore::ensure_restorable;
+use crate::services::api::models::agent::status::DatabaseStorage;
+use crate::services::backup::logger::JobLogger;
+use crate::services::config::{DatabaseConfig, DbType};
+use crate::utils::edge_key::EdgeKey;
+use crate::utils::locks::{DbOpLock, FileLock};
+use anyhow::{Context, Result, bail};
+use std::path::Path;
+use walkdir::WalkDir;
+
+/// Mirror restore of `snapshot_id` into `cfg.path`: files created since are
+/// deleted, paths matching the current exclude patterns are kept (spike S1).
+pub async fn restore(
+    repo: &ResticRepo,
+    cfg: &DatabaseConfig,
+    snapshot_id: &str,
+    logger: &JobLogger,
+) -> Result<()> {
+    if !is_snapshot_id(snapshot_id) {
+        bail!("invalid snapshot id in the restore payload");
+    }
+    let target = ensure_restorable(Path::new(&cfg.path))?;
+
+    let listed = repo.run(["snapshots", snapshot_id, "--json"], logger).await?;
+    if listed.code != 0 {
+        return Err(listed.error("snapshots"));
+    }
+    let snapshots: Vec<Snapshot> = serde_json::from_str(listed.stdout.trim())
+        .context("unexpected `restic snapshots` output")?;
+    // The original path inside the snapshot; the mount point may have moved since.
+    let Some(original) = snapshots.first().and_then(|s| s.paths.first()) else {
+        bail!("snapshot {} not found in {}", short(snapshot_id), repo.repository());
+    };
+
+    let mut excludes = restore_excludes(&exclude_patterns(cfg))?;
+    if one_file_system(cfg) {
+        excludes.extend(mount_points(&target).into_iter().map(|rel| format!("/{}", glob_escape(&rel))));
+    }
+    let mut args: Vec<String> = vec![
+        "restore".into(),
+        format!("{snapshot_id}:{original}"),
+        "--target".into(),
+        target.to_string_lossy().into_owned(),
+        "--delete".into(),
+        "--json".into(),
+    ];
+    for pattern in excludes {
+        args.push("--exclude".into());
+        args.push(pattern);
+    }
+
+    logger.log(
+        "info",
+        format!("Restoring snapshot {} ({original}) into {}", short(snapshot_id), target.display()),
+    );
+    let run = repo.run(&args, logger).await?;
+    for error in &run.errors {
+        logger.log("warn", format!("Restore error: {error}"));
+    }
+    if run.code != 0 {
+        return Err(run.error("restore"));
+    }
+    if let Some(s) = &run.summary {
+        logger.log(
+            "info",
+            format!(
+                "Restored {} file(s), deleted {} file(s)",
+                s["files_restored"].as_u64().unwrap_or(0),
+                s["files_deleted"].as_u64().unwrap_or(0)
+            ),
+        );
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+/// Directories under `root` on another device. With `one_file_system` backup
+/// never entered them, so the mirror restore must not delete their content.
+fn mount_points(root: &Path) -> Vec<String> {
+    let Ok(meta) = std::fs::metadata(root) else { return Vec::new() };
+    let root_dev = dev(&meta);
+    let mut out = Vec::new();
+    let mut walker = WalkDir::new(root).min_depth(1).follow_links(false).into_iter();
+    while let Some(entry) = walker.next() {
+        let Ok(entry) = entry else { continue };
+        if !entry.file_type().is_dir() {
+            continue;
+        }
+        if matches!(entry.metadata(), Ok(m) if dev(&m) != root_dev) {
+            if let Ok(rel) = entry.path().strip_prefix(root) {
+                out.push(rel.to_string_lossy().into_owned());
+            }
+            walker.skip_current_dir();
+        }
+    }
+    out
+}
+
+/// Snapshot restore job: the source's FileLock is held for the whole restore.
+pub async fn run(
+    edge_key: &EdgeKey,
+    cfg: &DatabaseConfig,
+    snapshot_id: &str,
+    storage: &DatabaseStorage,
+    logger: &JobLogger,
+) -> Result<()> {
+    if !matches!(cfg.db_type, DbType::Files) {
+        bail!("snapshot restore needs a files source, got {}", cfg.db_type.as_str());
+    }
+    FileLock::acquire(&cfg.generated_id, DbOpLock::Restore.as_str())
+        .await
+        .context("another backup or restore of this source is running")?;
+    let result = async {
+        let repo = ResticRepo::open(storage, &cfg.generated_id, edge_key)?;
+        restore(&repo, cfg, snapshot_id, logger).await
+    }
+    .await;
+    FileLock::release(&cfg.generated_id).await?;
+    result
+}

src/services/restore/archive.rs

@@ -60,6 +60,11 @@ impl RestoreService {
             archive = decrypted;
         }
 
+        if matches!(db_type, DbType::Files) {
+            logger.log("info", "Files archive ready for extraction".to_string());
+            return Ok(archive);
+        }
+
         if matches!(db_type, DbType::DockerVolume) {
             let raw_tar = tmp_path.join("volume.tar");
             crate::utils::compress::gunzip_to_file(archive.as_path(), &raw_tar).await?;

src/services/restore/dispatcher.rs

@@ -15,6 +15,19 @@ impl RestoreService {
             return;
         };
 
+        if db.data.restore.engine.as_deref() == Some("restic") {
+            let snapshot_id = db.data.restore.snapshot_id.clone();
+            let storage = db.data.restore.storage.clone();
+            let service = Self { ctx: self.ctx.clone() };
+            let db_cfg = cfg.clone();
+            tokio::spawn(async move {
+                if let Err(e) = service.execute_restic_restore(db_cfg, snapshot_id, storage).await {
+                    error!("Snapshot restore failed: {}", e);
+                }
+            });
+            return;
+        }
+
         let Some(file_to_restore) = db.data.restore.file.clone() else {
             error!("restore file not found");
             return;

src/services/restore/executor.rs

@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
+use super::models::RestoreResult;
 use super::service::RestoreService;
+use crate::services::api::models::agent::status::DatabaseStorage;
 use crate::services::backup::logger::JobLogger;
 use crate::services::config::DatabaseConfig;
+use crate::services::restic;
 use anyhow::Result;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::time::Instant;
@@ -43,4 +46,40 @@ impl RestoreService {
 
         Ok(())
     }
+
+    pub async fn execute_restic_restore(
+        &self,
+        cfg: DatabaseConfig,
+        snapshot_id: Option<String>,
+        storage: Option<DatabaseStorage>,
+    ) -> Result<()> {
+        let logger = Arc::new(JobLogger::new());
+        let start = Instant::now();
+        logger.log("info", "Snapshot restore job started".to_string());
+
+        let outcome = match (snapshot_id, storage) {
+            (Some(id), Some(storage)) => {
+                restic::restore::run(&self.ctx.edge_key, &cfg, &id, &storage, &logger).await
+            }
+            _ => Err(anyhow::anyhow!(
+                "incomplete snapshot restore payload (snapshotId or storage missing)"
+            )),
+        };
+        let status = match outcome {
+            Ok(()) => {
+                logger.log("info", "Snapshot restore job finished".to_string());
+                "success"
+            }
+            Err(e) => {
+                logger.log("error", format!("Snapshot restore failed: {e:#}"));
+                "failed"
+            }
+        };
+
+        let duration_ms = start.elapsed().as_millis() as f64;
+        let logs = Arc::try_unwrap(logger).unwrap_or_else(|_| JobLogger::new()).into_entries();
+        let result = RestoreResult { generated_id: cfg.generated_id.clone(), status: status.into() };
+        self.send_result(result, logs, duration_ms).await?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
 }

src/services/status.rs

@@ -6,11 +6,12 @@ use crate::services::api::endpoints::status::DatabasePayload;
 use crate::services::api::models::agent::status::DatabaseStatus;
 use crate::services::api::models::agent::status::DatabaseStorage;
 use crate::services::api::models::agent::status::PingResult;
-use crate::services::config::{build_config, DatabaseConfig, InputDatabaseConfig};
+use crate::services::config::{build_config, files_method, DatabaseConfig, DbType, InputDatabaseConfig};
 use crate::settings::CONFIG;
 use crate::utils::file::decrypt_json_gcm;
 use futures_util::future::try_join_all;
 use reqwest::Client;
+use std::collections::HashSet;
 use std::error::Error;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use tracing::info;
@@ -35,6 +36,29 @@ pub fn resolve_dashboard_config(
     Ok(())
 }
 
+/// A storage channel sent encrypted as a one-element JSON array.
+fn decrypt_storage(ciphertext: &str, master_key_b64: &str, what: &str) -> Result<Option<DatabaseStorage>, String> {
+    let plaintext = decrypt_json_gcm(ciphertext, master_key_b64)
+        .map_err(|e| format!("Failed to decrypt {what} storage: {e}"))?;
+    let storages: Vec<DatabaseStorage> = serde_json::from_slice(&plaintext)
+        .map_err(|e| format!("Failed to parse {what} storage: {e}"))?;
+    Ok(storages.into_iter().next())
+}
+
+/// Decrypts the storage channel of a snapshot restore (`restore.storageCiphertext`).
+pub fn resolve_restore_storage(status: &mut DatabaseStatus, master_key_b64: &str) -> Result<(), String> {
+    if let Some(ciphertext) = status.data.restore.storage_ciphertext.clone() {
+        status.data.restore.storage = decrypt_storage(&ciphertext, master_key_b64, "restore")?;
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+/// `method` reported in the ping for a files source declared in databases.json;
+/// `None` for dashboard-managed sources (the dashboard owns their method) and other dbms.
+pub fn payload_method(db: &DatabaseConfig, local_ids: &HashSet<String>) -> Option<&'static str> {
+    (matches!(db.db_type, DbType::Files) && local_ids.contains(&db.generated_id)).then(|| files_method(db))
+}
+
 pub struct StatusService {
     ctx: Arc<Context>,
     client: Client,
@@ -48,7 +72,11 @@ impl StatusService {
         }
     }
 
-    pub async fn ping(&self, databases: &[DatabaseConfig]) -> Result<PingResult, Box<dyn Error>> {
+    pub async fn ping(
+        &self,
+        databases: &[DatabaseConfig],
+        local_ids: &HashSet<String>,
+    ) -> Result<PingResult, Box<dyn Error>> {
         let edge_key = &self.ctx.edge_key;
 
         let databases_payload: Vec<DatabasePayload> =
@@ -63,6 +91,7 @@ impl StatusService {
                     dbms: &db.db_type.as_str(),
                     generated_id: &db.generated_id,
                     ping_status: reachable,
+                    method: payload_method(db, local_ids),
                 })
             }))
             .await?;
@@ -92,6 +121,9 @@ impl StatusService {
             if let Err(e) = resolve_dashboard_config(db, &edge_key.master_key_b64) {
                 tracing::warn!("Skipping dashboard config for {}: {e}", db.generated_id);
             }
+            if let Err(e) = resolve_restore_storage(db, &edge_key.master_key_b64) {
+                tracing::warn!("Snapshot restore storage unreadable for {}: {e}", db.generated_id);
+            }
         }
         Ok(result)
     }

src/services/storage/providers/google_cloud_storage/helpers.rs

@@ -8,25 +8,26 @@ use google_cloud_storage::client::Storage;
 use google_cloud_storage::streaming_source::{SizeHint, StreamingSource};
 use std::pin::Pin;
 
-pub fn build_credentials(cfg: &GoogleCloudStorageProviderConfig) -> Result<Credentials> {
+/// Service-account key JSON (keys in alphabetical order so the rclone mapper
+/// emits byte-identical output to the dashboard's).
+pub fn service_account_key(cfg: &GoogleCloudStorageProviderConfig) -> serde_json::Value {
     // Service-account JSON stores the PEM with `\n` escape sequences. When the key is
     // carried through config as a JSON string those can arrive as literal two-char `\n`
-    // sequences rather than real newlines, so the PEM parser finds no `-----BEGIN-----`
-    // line ("no items found"). Normalize them back to real newlines. A PEM that already
-    // has real newlines contains no literal `\n` pairs, so this is a no-op for it.
+    // sequences rather than real newlines. Normalize them back to real newlines.
     let private_key = cfg.private_key.replace("\\n", "\n");
-
-    let key = serde_json::json!({
-        "type": "service_account",
-        "project_id": cfg.project_id,
+    serde_json::json!({
         "client_email": cfg.client_email,
         "private_key": private_key,
         "private_key_id": "",
+        "project_id": cfg.project_id,
         "token_uri": "https://oauth2.googleapis.com/token",
+        "type": "service_account",
         "universe_domain": "googleapis.com",
-    });
+    })
+}
 
-    google_cloud_auth::credentials::service_account::Builder::new(key)
+pub fn build_credentials(cfg: &GoogleCloudStorageProviderConfig) -> Result<Credentials> {
+    google_cloud_auth::credentials::service_account::Builder::new(service_account_key(cfg))
         .build()
         .context("failed to build GCS service account credentials")
 }

src/services/storage/providers/google_cloud_storage/mod.rs

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 pub mod helpers;
-mod models;
+pub mod models;
 
 use crate::core::context::Context;
 use crate::services::api::models::agent::status::DatabaseStorage;

src/services/storage/providers/google_drive/mod.rs

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 mod helpers;
-mod models;
+pub mod models;
 
 use crate::core::context::Context;
 use crate::services::api::models::agent::status::DatabaseStorage;

src/services/storage/providers/rclone/helpers.rs

@@ -10,7 +10,9 @@ use tokio::io::{AsyncReadExt, AsyncWriteExt};
 use tokio::process::Command;
 use tracing::info;
 
-const BLOCKED_BACKEND_TYPES: [&str; 13] = [
+/// Entries must not contain spaces: the type is compared with its spaces removed (rclone resolves a
+/// backend by name, registered prefix, or name without spaces: `google photos` = `googlephotos`).
+const BLOCKED_BACKEND_TYPES: [&str; 14] = [
     "local",
     "alias",
     "crypt",
@@ -24,67 +26,133 @@ const BLOCKED_BACKEND_TYPES: [&str; 13] = [
     "memory",
     "http",
     "googlephotos",
+    "gphotos",
 ];
 
-fn sections(config_text: &str) -> Vec<(String, Option<String>)> {
-    let mut out: Vec<(String, Option<String>)> = Vec::new();
-
-    for line in config_text.lines() {
-        let line = line.trim();
-
-        if line.starts_with('[') && line.ends_with(']') && line.len() > 2 {
-            out.push((line[1..line.len() - 1].trim().to_string(), None));
-            continue;
-        }
-
-        let Some((key, value)) = line.split_once('=') else {
-            continue;
-        };
-
-        if key.trim().eq_ignore_ascii_case("type")
-            && let Some(current) = out.last_mut()
-            && current.1.is_none()
-        {
-            current.1 = Some(value.trim().to_ascii_lowercase());
-        }
-    }
-
-    out
+fn valid_remote_name(name: &str) -> bool {
+    let mut chars = name.chars();
+    chars.next().is_some_and(|c| c.is_ascii_alphanumeric() || c == '_')
+        && chars.all(|c| c.is_ascii_alphanumeric() || matches!(c, '_' | '.' | '+' | '@' | '-'))
 }
 
+fn valid_key(key: &str) -> bool {
+    !key.is_empty() && key.chars().all(|c| c.is_ascii_alphanumeric() || c == '_')
+}
 
+fn forbidden_key(key: &str) -> bool {
+    let key = key.to_ascii_lowercase();
+    matches!(
+        key.as_str(),
+        "ssh" | "env_auth" | "use_msi" | "use_az" | "use_kerberos" | "kerberos_ccache" | "key_use_agent" | "set_env" | "unix_socket"
+    ) || key.ends_with("_command")
+        || key.ends_with("_file")
+        || key.ends_with("_path")
+}
+
+/// Strict check for user-pasted rclone configs (never for configs Portabase builds itself).
+/// Exactly one `[remote]` of plain `key = value` lines: rclone and a naive parser must read it
+/// identically, and nothing may run a local command or read host credentials.
 pub fn validate_config(config_text: &str, remote_name: &str) -> Result<()> {
-    let sections = sections(config_text);
+    let mut names = Vec::new();
+    let mut pairs = Vec::new();
+    let mut before_header = None;
 
-    if sections.is_empty() {
-        bail!("rclone config contains no remote sections");
-    }
-
-    for (name, backend) in &sections {
-        let Some(backend) = backend else { continue };
-        if BLOCKED_BACKEND_TYPES.contains(&backend.as_str()) {
-            bail!("rclone backend type '{backend}' is not allowed (remote '{name}')");
+    for (i, line) in config_text.split('\n').enumerate() {
+        let (n, line) = (i + 1, line.trim());
+        if line.is_empty() || line.starts_with(['#', ';']) {
+            continue;
+        }
+        if line.starts_with('[') && line.ends_with(']') {
+            names.push(line[1..line.len() - 1].trim());
+        } else if let Some((key, value)) = line.split_once('=').filter(|(k, _)| !k.is_empty()) {
+            if names.is_empty() {
+                before_header.get_or_insert(n);
+            }
+            pairs.push((key.trim(), value.trim()));
+        } else {
+            bail!("rclone config line {n} is not a [section] header or a 'key = value' pair");
         }
     }
 
-    if !sections.iter().any(|(name, _)| name == remote_name) {
-        let available: Vec<&str> = sections.iter().map(|(name, _)| name.as_str()).collect();
-        bail!(
-            "remote '{remote_name}' is not defined in the rclone config (available: {})",
-            available.join(", ")
-        );
+    if let Some(n) = before_header {
+        bail!("rclone config line {n} appears before any [section]");
+    }
+    if names.len() != 1 {
+        bail!("rclone config must contain exactly one [section] (found {})", names.len());
+    }
+    let name = names[0];
+    if !valid_remote_name(name) {
+        bail!("invalid rclone remote name '{name}'");
+    }
+    for (key, _) in &pairs {
+        if !valid_key(key) {
+            bail!("invalid rclone config key '{key}' (remote '{name}')");
+        }
+    }
+    // rclone (goconfig) unquotes `value` and `"""value"""` and drops what follows the closing quote.
+    for (key, value) in &pairs {
+        if value.starts_with('`') || value.starts_with("\"\"\"") {
+            bail!("rclone config value for key '{key}' must not be quoted (remote '{name}')");
+        }
+    }
+    let mut seen = std::collections::HashSet::new();
+    for (key, _) in &pairs {
+        if !seen.insert(key.to_ascii_lowercase()) {
+            bail!("duplicate rclone config key '{key}' (remote '{name}')");
+        }
+    }
+    for (key, _) in &pairs {
+        if forbidden_key(key) {
+            bail!("rclone config key '{key}' is not allowed (remote '{name}')");
+        }
+    }
+    let Some((_, backend)) = pairs.iter().find(|(k, _)| k.eq_ignore_ascii_case("type")) else {
+        bail!("rclone remote '{name}' has no type");
+    };
+    let backend = backend.to_ascii_lowercase();
+    if backend.is_empty() || !backend.chars().all(|c| c.is_ascii_lowercase() || c.is_ascii_digit() || c == ' ') {
+        bail!("invalid rclone backend type '{backend}' (remote '{name}')");
+    }
+    let compact = backend.replace(' ', "");
+    if BLOCKED_BACKEND_TYPES.contains(&compact.as_str()) {
+        bail!("rclone backend type '{backend}' is not allowed (remote '{name}')");
+    }
+    // The other OCI providers read the host's OCI config or instance identity. Exact match on
+    // purpose: rclone 1.75.1 compares the key and the value case-sensitively, and falls back to
+    // host credentials for `PROVIDER = no_auth` (key ignored) and `provider = NO_AUTH` (unknown value).
+    if compact == "oracleobjectstorage" {
+        if !pairs.contains(&("provider", "no_auth")) {
+            bail!("rclone oracleobjectstorage remotes must use provider = no_auth (remote '{name}')");
+        }
+    }
+    if remote_name != name {
+        bail!("remote '{remote_name}' is not defined in the rclone config (available: {name})");
     }
 
     Ok(())
 }
 
+/// `rclone obscure -` reads the password from stdin, so it never shows up in argv.
 pub fn obscure_password(password: &str) -> Result<String> {
-    let out = std::process::Command::new("rclone")
+    let mut child = std::process::Command::new("rclone")
         .arg("obscure")
-        .arg(password)
-        .output()
+        .arg("-")
+        .stdin(Stdio::piped())
+        .stdout(Stdio::piped())
+        .stderr(Stdio::piped())
+        .spawn()
         .context("failed to spawn rclone (is the binary installed in this image?)")?;
 
+    // Dropping the handle closes stdin, which is what ends rclone's read.
+    child
+        .stdin
+        .take()
+        .context("rclone stdin unavailable")?
+        .write_all(password.as_bytes())
+        .context("failed to write the password to rclone obscure")?;
+
+    let out = child.wait_with_output().context("failed to wait for rclone obscure")?;
+
     if !out.status.success() {
         bail!(
             "rclone obscure failed: {}",

src/services/storage/providers/rclone/mod.rs

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 pub mod helpers;
 pub mod models;
+pub mod target;
 
 use crate::core::context::Context;
 use crate::services::api::models::agent::status::DatabaseStorage;

src/services/storage/providers/rclone/target.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,137 @@
+use crate::services::api::models::agent::status::DatabaseStorage;
+use crate::services::storage::providers::azure_blob::models::AzureBlobProviderConfig;
+use crate::services::storage::providers::google_cloud_storage::helpers::service_account_key;
+use crate::services::storage::providers::google_cloud_storage::models::GoogleCloudStorageProviderConfig;
+use crate::services::storage::providers::google_drive::models::GoogleDriveProviderConfig;
+use crate::services::storage::providers::rclone::helpers::{build_rclone_config, validate_config};
+use crate::services::storage::providers::rclone::models::RcloneProviderConfig;
+use crate::services::storage::providers::s3::models::S3ProviderConfig;
+use crate::services::storage::providers::sftp::helpers::build_sftp_config;
+use crate::services::storage::providers::sftp::models::SftpProviderConfig;
+use anyhow::{Context, Result, bail};
+use tempfile::TempPath;
+
+/// A storage channel expressed as an rclone remote. Temp files the config refers
+/// to (e.g. an sftp key) live as long as this value.
+pub struct RcloneTarget {
+    pub config_text: String,
+    pub remote_name: String,
+    pub base_path: String,
+    _guards: Vec<TempPath>,
+}
+
+impl RcloneTarget {
+    fn new(config_text: String, remote_name: &str, base_path: String) -> Self {
+        Self { config_text, remote_name: remote_name.to_string(), base_path, _guards: Vec::new() }
+    }
+}
+
+pub fn rclone_target(storage: &DatabaseStorage) -> Result<RcloneTarget> {
+    let config = storage.config.clone();
+    match storage.provider.as_str() {
+        "s3" => s3(config.try_into().context("invalid s3 storage config")?),
+        "blob" => blob(config.try_into().context("invalid azure blob storage config")?),
+        "google-cloud-storage" => gcs(config.try_into().context("invalid google cloud storage config")?),
+        "google-drive" => drive(config.try_into().context("invalid google drive storage config")?),
+        "rclone" => user_rclone(config.try_into().context("invalid rclone storage config")?),
+        "sftp" => sftp(config.try_into().context("invalid sftp storage config")?),
+        "local" => bail!("a local storage channel cannot be used as an rclone target"),
+        other => bail!("unknown storage provider '{other}'"),
+    }
+}
+
+fn s3(c: S3ProviderConfig) -> Result<RcloneTarget> {
+    let scheme = if c.ssl { "https" } else { "http" };
+    let endpoint = match c.port.as_deref().map(str::trim).filter(|p| !p.is_empty()) {
+        Some(port) => format!("{scheme}://{}:{port}", c.end_point_url),
+        None => format!("{scheme}://{}", c.end_point_url),
+    };
+    let region = c.region.as_deref().map(str::trim).filter(|r| !r.is_empty()).unwrap_or("us-east-1");
+    let fields = [
+        ("type", "s3".to_string()),
+        ("provider", "Other".to_string()),
+        ("access_key_id", c.access_key),
+        ("secret_access_key", c.secret_key),
+        ("endpoint", endpoint),
+        ("region", region.to_string()),
+        ("force_path_style", "true".to_string()),
+        ("no_check_bucket", "true".to_string()),
+    ];
+    Ok(RcloneTarget::new(build_rclone_config("s3", &fields)?, "s3", c.bucket_name))
+}
+
+fn blob(c: AzureBlobProviderConfig) -> Result<RcloneTarget> {
+    let resolved = c.resolve().context("invalid azure blob storage config")?;
+    if resolved.account_key.trim().is_empty() {
+        bail!("azure blob needs an account key to be used as an rclone target (SAS-only connection strings are not supported)");
+    }
+    let fields = [
+        ("type", "azureblob".to_string()),
+        ("account", resolved.account_name),
+        ("key", resolved.account_key),
+        ("endpoint", resolved.blob_endpoint),
+        // Native uploads never create the container; neither should rclone.
+        ("no_check_container", "true".to_string()),
+    ];
+    Ok(RcloneTarget::new(build_rclone_config("blob", &fields)?, "blob", c.container_name))
+}
+
+fn gcs(c: GoogleCloudStorageProviderConfig) -> Result<RcloneTarget> {
+    let mut fields = vec![
+        ("type", "google cloud storage".to_string()),
+        ("project_number", c.project_id.clone()),
+    ];
+    match c.api_endpoint.as_deref().map(str::trim).filter(|e| !e.is_empty()) {
+        // A custom endpoint means the fake-gcs emulator, which does not verify credentials.
+        // rclone's `endpoint` is the JSON API base path, not the bare host.
+        Some(endpoint) => {
+            fields.push(("anonymous", "true".to_string()));
+            fields.push(("endpoint", format!("{}/storage/v1/", endpoint.trim_end_matches('/'))));
+        }
+        None => fields.push((
+            "service_account_credentials",
+            serde_json::to_string(&service_account_key(&c))?,
+        )),
+    }
+    // Uniform bucket-level access (the GCS default) rejects rclone's default
+    // `predefinedAcl=private`; and native uploads never create the bucket.
+    fields.push(("bucket_policy_only", "true".to_string()));
+    fields.push(("no_check_bucket", "true".to_string()));
+    Ok(RcloneTarget::new(
+        build_rclone_config("google-cloud-storage", &fields)?,
+        "google-cloud-storage",
+        c.bucket_name,
+    ))
+}
+
+fn drive(c: GoogleDriveProviderConfig) -> Result<RcloneTarget> {
+    let token = serde_json::json!({
+        "access_token": "",
+        "expiry": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
+        "refresh_token": c.refresh_token,
+        "token_type": "Bearer",
+    });
+    let fields = [
+        ("type", "drive".to_string()),
+        ("client_id", c.client_id),
+        ("client_secret", c.client_secret),
+        ("scope", "drive.file".to_string()),
+        ("token", serde_json::to_string(&token)?),
+        ("root_folder_id", c.folder_id),
+        // Deletes (retention, restic prune) must free space, not fill the Drive trash.
+        ("use_trash", "false".to_string()),
+    ];
+    Ok(RcloneTarget::new(build_rclone_config("google-drive", &fields)?, "google-drive", String::new()))
+}
+
+fn user_rclone(c: RcloneProviderConfig) -> Result<RcloneTarget> {
+    validate_config(&c.config_text, &c.remote_name)?;
+    Ok(RcloneTarget::new(c.config_text, &c.remote_name, c.remote_path))
+}
+
+fn sftp(c: SftpProviderConfig) -> Result<RcloneTarget> {
+    let (config_text, key_file) = build_sftp_config(&c)?;
+    let mut target = RcloneTarget::new(config_text, "sftp", c.remote_path);
+    target._guards.extend(key_file.map(|f| f.into_temp_path()));
+    Ok(target)
+}

src/services/storage/providers/s3/mod.rs

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-mod models;
+pub mod models;
 
 use crate::core::context::Context;
 use crate::services::api::models::agent::status::DatabaseStorage;

src/services/storage/providers/sftp/mod.rs

@@ -6,8 +6,7 @@ use crate::services::api::models::agent::status::DatabaseStorage;
 use crate::services::backup::models::{BackupResult, UploadResult};
 use crate::services::storage::StorageProvider;
 use crate::services::storage::providers::rclone::helpers::{rcat, remote_target, write_config};
-use crate::services::storage::providers::sftp::helpers::build_sftp_config;
-use crate::services::storage::providers::sftp::models::SftpProviderConfig;
+use crate::services::storage::providers::rclone::target::rclone_target;
 use crate::utils::common::BackupMethod;
 use crate::utils::file::{full_file_name, full_file_path};
 use crate::utils::stream::build_stream;
@@ -53,19 +52,13 @@ impl StorageProvider for SftpProvider {
             }
         };
 
-        let config: SftpProviderConfig = match storage.clone().config.try_into() {
-            Ok(c) => c,
+        // `target` owns the sftp key file: keep it alive until `rcat` returns.
+        let target = match rclone_target(storage) {
+            Ok(t) => t,
             Err(e) => {
-                error!("sftp config deserialization failed: {}", e);
-                return failed(&storage_id, e, Some(total_size));
-            }
-        };
-
-        let (config_text, _key_file) = match build_sftp_config(&config) {
-            Ok(v) => v,
-            Err(e) => {
-                error!("sftp config build failed: {}", e);
-                return failed(&storage_id, e, Some(total_size));
+                // `{:#}` keeps the whole anyhow chain (the serde cause), which is what the user sees.
+                error!("sftp config build failed: {e:#}");
+                return failed(&storage_id, format!("{e:#}"), Some(total_size));
             }
         };
 
@@ -82,7 +75,7 @@ impl StorageProvider for SftpProvider {
         let file_name = full_file_name(encrypt);
         let remote_file_path = full_file_path(&file_name, storage.folder_name.as_deref());
 
-        let config_file = match write_config(&config_text) {
+        let config_file = match write_config(&target.config_text) {
             Ok(f) => f,
             Err(e) => {
                 error!("sftp config write failed: {}", e);
@@ -90,11 +83,11 @@ impl StorageProvider for SftpProvider {
             }
         };
 
-        let target = remote_target("sftp", &config.remote_path, &remote_file_path);
+        let remote = remote_target(&target.remote_name, &target.base_path, &remote_file_path);
 
-        info!("Starting sftp (rclone) upload to {}", target);
+        info!("Starting sftp (rclone) upload to {}", remote);
 
-        match rcat(config_file.path(), &target, upload.stream).await {
+        match rcat(config_file.path(), &remote, upload.stream).await {
             Ok(()) => {
                 info!("sftp upload successful: {}", remote_file_path);
                 UploadResult {

src/services/sync/backup.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,147 @@
+//! Sync as a backup method: one `rclone sync` per storage channel, each reported
+//! as its own `backup_storage` row (`engine = sync`), like restic snapshots.
+use super::rclone::{replica_target, sync_dir};
+use super::stats::SyncStats;
+use crate::core::context::Context as CoreContext;
+use crate::services::api::models::agent::status::DatabaseStorage;
+use crate::services::backup::logger::JobLogger;
+use crate::services::backup::models::UploadResult;
+use crate::services::config::DatabaseConfig;
+use crate::services::restic::password::{LOCAL_STORAGE_USER, local_storage_password};
+use crate::services::storage::providers::rclone::helpers::{build_rclone_config, obscure_password};
+use crate::services::storage::providers::rclone::target::rclone_target;
+use crate::utils::edge_key::EdgeKey;
+use crate::utils::locks::{DbOpLock, FileLock};
+use anyhow::Result;
+
+/// Syncs every storage in turn, under the source's backup lock. Never errors:
+/// each storage reports its own `backup_storage` row.
+pub async fn run(
+    ctx: &CoreContext,
+    cfg: &DatabaseConfig,
+    storages: &[DatabaseStorage],
+    backup_id: &str,
+    logger: &JobLogger,
+) -> Vec<UploadResult> {
+    if let Err(e) = FileLock::acquire(&cfg.generated_id, DbOpLock::Backup.as_str()).await {
+        logger.log("error", format!("Sync aborted: {e}"));
+        return Vec::new();
+    }
+    let mut results = Vec::with_capacity(storages.len());
+    for storage in storages {
+        results.push(one_storage(ctx, cfg, storage, backup_id, logger).await);
+    }
+    if let Err(e) = FileLock::release(&cfg.generated_id).await {
+        logger.log("warn", format!("Failed to release the backup lock: {e}"));
+    }
+    results
+}
+
+fn folder(storage: &DatabaseStorage) -> &str {
+    storage
+        .folder_name
+        .as_deref()
+        .map(|f| f.trim().trim_matches('/'))
+        .filter(|f| !f.is_empty())
+        .unwrap_or("backups")
+}
+
+/// `<folder>/sync/<generated_id>/current`, relative to the channel's base path.
+pub fn replica_path(storage: &DatabaseStorage, generated_id: &str) -> String {
+    format!("{}/sync/{generated_id}/current", folder(storage))
+}
+
+const LOCAL_REMOTE: &str = "pblocal";
+
+/// rclone config of the dashboard's local storage (`rclone serve webdav` at `/storage/sync`).
+pub fn local_sync_config(edge_key: &EdgeKey) -> Result<String> {
+    build_rclone_config(
+        LOCAL_REMOTE,
+        &[
+            ("type", "webdav".into()),
+            ("url", format!("{}/storage/sync", edge_key.server_url.trim_end_matches('/'))),
+            // rclone's own WebDAV extensions keep modification times: unchanged files are skipped.
+            ("vendor", "rclone".into()),
+            ("user", LOCAL_STORAGE_USER.into()),
+            ("pass", obscure_password(&local_storage_password(&edge_key.master_key_b64)?)?),
+        ],
+    )
+}
+
+async fn replicate(ctx: &CoreContext, cfg: &DatabaseConfig, storage: &DatabaseStorage, logger: &JobLogger) -> Result<SyncStats> {
+    if storage.provider == "local" {
+        let dest = format!("{LOCAL_REMOTE}:{}/current", cfg.generated_id);
+        return sync_dir(&local_sync_config(&ctx.edge_key)?, &dest, cfg, logger).await;
+    }
+    let target = rclone_target(storage)?;
+    let dest = replica_target(&target.remote_name, &target.base_path, folder(storage), &cfg.generated_id);
+    sync_dir(&target.config_text, &dest, cfg, logger).await
+}
+
+pub(crate) async fn one_storage(
+    ctx: &CoreContext,
+    cfg: &DatabaseConfig,
+    storage: &DatabaseStorage,
+    backup_id: &str,
+    logger: &JobLogger,
+) -> UploadResult {
+    let agent_id = ctx.edge_key.agent_id.clone();
+    let failed = |error: String| UploadResult {
+        storage_id: storage.id.clone(),
+        success: false,
+        error: Some(error),
+        remote_file_path: None,
+        total_size: None,
+    };
+
+    let backup_storage_id = match ctx
+        .api
+        .backup_upload_init(agent_id.clone(), cfg.generated_id.clone(), storage.id.clone(), backup_id, Some("sync"))
+        .await
+    {
+        Ok(Some(response)) => response.backup_storage.id,
+        Ok(None) => {
+            logger.log("error", "Upload init returned empty response");
+            return failed("backup_upload_init returned empty response".into());
+        }
+        Err(e) => {
+            logger.log("error", format!("Upload init failed: {e}"));
+            return failed("backup_upload_init failed".into());
+        }
+    };
+
+    match replicate(ctx, cfg, storage, logger).await {
+        Ok(stats) => {
+            let path = replica_path(storage, &cfg.generated_id);
+            match ctx
+                .api
+                .backup_upload_success(agent_id, cfg.generated_id.clone(), backup_storage_id, path.clone(), stats.bytes, stats.report(), backup_id)
+                .await
+            {
+                Ok(_) => UploadResult {
+                    storage_id: storage.id.clone(),
+                    success: true,
+                    error: None,
+                    remote_file_path: Some(path),
+                    // backups.file_size: the replica's size, like an archive's file size.
+                    total_size: stats.replica_bytes,
+                },
+                Err(e) => {
+                    logger.log("error", format!("Upload status update failed for {}: {e}", storage.id));
+                    failed(e.to_string())
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        Err(e) => {
+            logger.log("error", format!("Sync to storage {} failed: {e:#}", storage.id));
+            if let Err(err) = ctx
+                .api
+                .backup_upload_status(agent_id, cfg.generated_id.clone(), backup_storage_id, "failed", String::new(), 0u64, backup_id)
+                .await
+            {
+                logger.log("error", format!("Failed-status update failed for {}: {err}", storage.id));
+            }
+            failed(format!("{e:#}"))
+        }
+    }
+}

src/services/sync/excludes.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+use crate::services::restic::excludes::bracket_negation;
+
+/// P0 exclude patterns → `rclone sync --exclude` values. rclone filters are
+/// relative to the sync root (spike 2026-10-03: 19/19 patterns give the P0 file set).
+pub fn sync_excludes(patterns: &[String]) -> Vec<String> {
+    let mut out = Vec::new();
+    for raw in patterns {
+        let pattern = raw.trim();
+        let (anchored, rest) = match pattern.strip_prefix('/') {
+            Some(rest) => (true, rest),
+            None => (false, pattern),
+        };
+        let mut rest = rest.trim_end_matches('/');
+        if !anchored {
+            // Unanchored rclone patterns already match at any depth; a leading
+            // `**/` would stop them from matching at the root.
+            while let Some(stripped) = rest.strip_prefix("**/") {
+                rest = stripped;
+            }
+        }
+        if rest.is_empty() {
+            continue;
+        }
+        let rest = bracket_negation(rest);
+        // Collapse repeated /**/ into a single /**/
+        let rest = collapse_double_stars(&rest);
+        let full = if anchored { format!("/{rest}") } else { rest };
+        for variant in zero_dir_variants(&full) {
+            out.push(variant.clone());
+            out.push(format!("{variant}/**"));
+        }
+    }
+    out
+}
+
+/// Collapse repeated `/**/` sequences into a single `/**/`.
+/// E.g., `a/**/**/b` becomes `a/**/b`.
+fn collapse_double_stars(pattern: &str) -> String {
+    let mut result = pattern.to_string();
+    while result.contains("/**/**/") {
+        result = result.replace("/**/**/", "/**/");
+    }
+    result
+}
+
+/// rclone's `**` between slashes needs at least one directory; globset's also
+/// matches none. Emit every combination of each `/**/` kept or collapsed to `/`.
+fn zero_dir_variants(pattern: &str) -> Vec<String> {
+    let parts: Vec<&str> = pattern.split("/**/").collect();
+    let gaps = parts.len() - 1;
+    // ponytail: 2^gaps variants; past 4 gaps only "all kept" and "all collapsed".
+    if gaps > 4 {
+        return vec![pattern.to_string(), pattern.replace("/**/", "/")];
+    }
+    (0..1u32 << gaps)
+        .map(|mask| {
+            let mut variant = parts[0].to_string();
+            for (i, part) in parts[1..].iter().enumerate() {
+                variant.push_str(if mask & (1 << i) == 0 { "/**/" } else { "/" });
+                variant.push_str(part);
+            }
+            variant
+        })
+        .collect()
+}

src/services/sync/mod.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+//! Sync mode: a destination kept identical to a files source (`rclone sync`).
+//! Replication, not backup: deletions propagate.
+pub mod backup;
+pub mod excludes;
+pub mod stats;
+pub mod rclone;

src/services/sync/rclone.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+use super::excludes::sync_excludes;
+use super::stats::{SyncStats, parse_log};
+use crate::domain::files::matcher::{exclude_patterns, one_file_system};
+use crate::services::backup::logger::JobLogger;
+use crate::services::config::DatabaseConfig;
+use crate::services::storage::providers::rclone::helpers::{remote_target, write_config};
+use anyhow::{Context, Result, anyhow, bail};
+use std::path::Path;
+use std::process::Stdio;
+use tokio::process::Command;
+
+/// `<remote>:<base>/<folder>/sync/<generated_id>/current`
+pub fn replica_target(remote_name: &str, base_path: &str, folder: &str, generated_id: &str) -> String {
+    remote_target(remote_name, base_path, &format!("{folder}/sync/{generated_id}/current"))
+}
+
+/// Mirrors `cfg.path` onto `dest` (`<remote>:<path>`); files matching an exclude are removed
+/// from the replica too (`--delete-excluded`). rclone skips its deletions when an error
+/// happens before the delete phase ("not deleting files as there were IO errors");
+/// an error during the delete phase can leave the replica partially updated.
+/// An empty source is refused so an unmounted volume cannot wipe the replica.
+pub async fn sync_dir(config_text: &str, dest: &str, cfg: &DatabaseConfig, logger: &JobLogger) -> Result<SyncStats> {
+    let root = std::fs::canonicalize(&cfg.path)
+        .with_context(|| format!("cannot read source directory {}", cfg.path))?;
+    if !root.is_dir() {
+        bail!("source path {} is not a directory", root.display());
+    }
+    if std::fs::read_dir(&root)
+        .with_context(|| format!("cannot read source directory {}", root.display()))?
+        .next()
+        .is_none()
+    {
+        bail!(
+            "source directory {} is empty; refusing to sync so an unmounted volume cannot wipe the replica",
+            root.display()
+        );
+    }
+    let config = write_config(config_text)?;
+
+    let mut cmd = Command::new("rclone");
+    cmd.arg("--config")
+        .arg(config.path())
+        .arg("sync")
+        .arg(&root)
+        .arg(dest)
+        .args([
+            "--links", "--delete-excluded", "--use-json-log", "--stats", "1h", "--stats-log-level", "NOTICE", "--retries", "1",
+            // An unreachable endpoint fails in ~1–2 min instead of blocking the next runs.
+            "--contimeout", "30s", "--low-level-retries", "3",
+        ]);
+    if one_file_system(cfg) {
+        cmd.arg("--one-file-system");
+    }
+    for pattern in sync_excludes(&exclude_patterns(cfg)) {
+        cmd.arg("--exclude").arg(pattern);
+    }
+
+    logger.log("info", format!("Syncing {} to {dest}", root.display()));
+    let out = cmd
+        .stdin(Stdio::null())
+        .kill_on_drop(true)
+        .output()
+        .await
+        .map_err(|e| match e.kind() {
+            std::io::ErrorKind::NotFound => anyhow!("rclone binary not found"),
+            _ => anyhow!(e).context("failed to start rclone"),
+        })?;
+
+    let log = parse_log(&String::from_utf8_lossy(&out.stderr));
+    for error in &log.errors {
+        logger.log("warn", format!("rclone: {error}"));
+    }
+    if !out.status.success() {
+        let reason = log
+            .stats
+            .as_ref()
+            .and_then(|s| s.last_error.clone())
+            .or_else(|| log.errors.last().cloned())
+            .unwrap_or_else(|| "no error message".to_string());
+        bail!("rclone sync failed ({}): {reason}; the replica may be partially updated", out.status);
+    }
+    let mut stats = log.stats.unwrap_or_default();
+    // Measured on the replica itself, so it is what is stored, not inferred from the source.
+    stats.replica_bytes = match remote_size(config.path(), dest).await {
+        Ok(bytes) => Some(bytes),
+        Err(e) => {
+            logger.log("warn", format!("Could not measure the replica size: {e:#}"));
+            None
+        }
+    };
+    let replica = stats.replica_bytes.map(|b| format!("; replica holds {b} bytes")).unwrap_or_default();
+    logger.log(
+        "info",
+        format!("Synced: {} file(s) transferred ({} bytes), {} deleted{replica}", stats.transfers, stats.bytes, stats.deletes),
+    );
+    Ok(stats)
+}
+
+/// Bytes stored under `target` (`<remote>:<path>`), per `rclone size`.
+async fn remote_size(config: &Path, target: &str) -> Result<u64> {
+    let out = Command::new("rclone")
+        .args(["--contimeout", "30s", "--low-level-retries", "3", "--config"])
+        .arg(config)
+        .arg("size")
+        .arg(target)
+        .arg("--json")
+        .stdin(Stdio::null())
+        .kill_on_drop(true)
+        .output()
+        .await
+        .context("failed to start rclone")?;
+    if !out.status.success() {
+        bail!("rclone size failed ({}): {}", out.status, String::from_utf8_lossy(&out.stderr).trim());
+    }
+    let size: serde_json::Value = serde_json::from_slice(&out.stdout).context("unexpected rclone size output")?;
+    size["bytes"].as_u64().context("rclone size returned no byte count")
+}

src/services/sync/stats.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+use serde::Deserialize;
+use serde_json::{Value, json};
+
+/// Final `stats` object of `rclone --use-json-log --stats 1h --stats-log-level NOTICE`.
+#[derive(Debug, Default, Deserialize, PartialEq)]
+pub struct SyncStats {
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub bytes: u64,
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub transfers: u64,
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub deletes: u64,
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub errors: u64,
+    #[serde(default, rename = "lastError")]
+    pub last_error: Option<String>,
+    /// Replica size after a successful run, from `rclone size` on the destination (not an rclone stat).
+    #[serde(skip)]
+    pub replica_bytes: Option<u64>,
+}
+
+impl SyncStats {
+    /// Counters the dashboard shows for this run (`size` carries `bytes`).
+    pub fn report(&self) -> Value {
+        json!({
+            "filesTransferred": self.transfers,
+            "filesDeleted": self.deletes,
+            "replicaBytes": self.replica_bytes,
+        })
+    }
+}
+
+/// What `rclone sync` printed on stderr: its last stats object and its error
+/// messages (JSON `level: error|critical|alert|emergency` lines and any plain-text line).
+#[derive(Debug, Default)]
+pub struct SyncLog {
+    pub stats: Option<SyncStats>,
+    pub errors: Vec<String>,
+}
+
+pub fn parse_log(stderr: &str) -> SyncLog {
+    let mut log = SyncLog::default();
+    for line in stderr.lines().map(str::trim).filter(|l| !l.is_empty()) {
+        let Ok(value) = serde_json::from_str::<Value>(line) else {
+            if !log.errors.contains(&line.to_string()) {
+                log.errors.push(line.to_string());
+            }
+            continue;
+        };
+        if let Some(stats) = value.get("stats").and_then(|s| serde_json::from_value(s.clone()).ok()) {
+            log.stats = Some(stats);
+        }
+        if let Some(level) = value.get("level").and_then(Value::as_str) {
+            if matches!(level, "error" | "critical" | "alert" | "emergency") {
+                if let Some(msg) = value.get("msg").and_then(Value::as_str) {
+                    let msg_str = msg.to_string();
+                    if !log.errors.contains(&msg_str) {
+                        log.errors.push(msg_str);
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    // Keep only the last 20 messages
+    if log.errors.len() > 20 {
+        log.errors = log.errors.into_iter().rev().take(20).collect::<Vec<_>>();
+        log.errors.reverse();
+    }
+    log
+}

src/tests/domain/files.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,616 @@
+use crate::domain::files::matcher::ExcludeMatcher;
+use std::path::Path;
+
+fn matcher(patterns: &[&str]) -> ExcludeMatcher {
+    let owned: Vec<String> = patterns.iter().map(|p| p.to_string()).collect();
+    ExcludeMatcher::new(&owned).unwrap()
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn matcher_unanchored_matches_any_depth() {
+    let m = matcher(&["node_modules", "*.log"]);
+    assert!(m.is_excluded(Path::new("node_modules")));
+    assert!(m.is_excluded(Path::new("app/node_modules")));
+    assert!(m.is_excluded(Path::new("x.log")));
+    assert!(m.is_excluded(Path::new("a/b/x.log")));
+    assert!(!m.is_excluded(Path::new("src/main.rs")));
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn matcher_anchored_matches_root_only() {
+    let m = matcher(&["/cache", "/build/"]);
+    assert!(m.is_excluded(Path::new("cache")));
+    assert!(!m.is_excluded(Path::new("app/cache")));
+    assert!(m.is_excluded(Path::new("build")));
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn matcher_star_does_not_cross_separator_but_double_star_does() {
+    let m = matcher(&["/logs/*.txt", "/data/**/tmp"]);
+    assert!(m.is_excluded(Path::new("logs/a.txt")));
+    assert!(!m.is_excluded(Path::new("logs/sub/a.txt")));
+    assert!(m.is_excluded(Path::new("data/tmp")));
+    assert!(m.is_excluded(Path::new("data/a/b/tmp")));
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn matcher_ignores_blank_patterns_and_rejects_invalid_ones() {
+    let m = matcher(&["", "   "]);
+    assert!(!m.is_excluded(Path::new("anything")));
+    assert!(ExcludeMatcher::new(&["[".to_string()]).is_err());
+}
+
+use crate::domain::files::backup;
+use crate::services::backup::logger::JobLogger;
+use crate::services::config::{DatabaseConfig, DbType};
+use flate2::read::GzDecoder;
+use std::collections::HashMap;
+use std::fs;
+use std::io::Read;
+use std::sync::Arc;
+
+pub(crate) fn files_config(root: &Path, exclude: &[&str]) -> DatabaseConfig {
+    let mut options = HashMap::new();
+    options.insert("exclude".to_string(), serde_json::json!(exclude));
+    DatabaseConfig {
+        name: "files-test".to_string(),
+        database: String::new(),
+        db_type: DbType::Files,
+        username: String::new(),
+        password: String::new(),
+        port: 0,
+        host: String::new(),
+        generated_id: uuid::Uuid::new_v4().to_string(),
+        path: root.to_string_lossy().into_owned(),
+        max_packet_size: String::new(),
+        volume_name: String::new(),
+        container_name: None,
+        options,
+    }
+}
+
+fn sample_tree(root: &Path) {
+    fs::create_dir_all(root.join("docs")).unwrap();
+    fs::write(root.join("docs/a.txt"), "v1").unwrap();
+    fs::create_dir_all(root.join("app/node_modules")).unwrap();
+    fs::write(root.join("app/node_modules/dep.js"), "dep").unwrap();
+    fs::write(root.join("app/index.js"), "app").unwrap();
+    std::os::unix::fs::symlink("docs/a.txt", root.join("link")).unwrap();
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn backup_writes_tar_gz_without_excluded_paths() {
+    let src = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    sample_tree(src.path());
+    let cfg = files_config(src.path(), &["node_modules"]);
+    let out = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+
+    let archive = backup::run(
+        cfg.clone(),
+        out.path().to_path_buf(),
+        Arc::new(JobLogger::new()),
+    )
+    .await
+    .unwrap();
+
+    assert_eq!(
+        archive.file_name().unwrap().to_string_lossy(),
+        format!("{}.tar.gz", cfg.generated_id)
+    );
+
+    let mut ar = tar::Archive::new(GzDecoder::new(fs::File::open(&archive).unwrap()));
+    let mut files = Vec::new();
+    let mut link_is_symlink = false;
+    let mut a_txt = String::new();
+    for entry in ar.entries().unwrap() {
+        let mut entry = entry.unwrap();
+        let name = entry
+            .path()
+            .unwrap()
+            .to_string_lossy()
+            .trim_end_matches('/')
+            .to_string();
+        if name == "link" {
+            link_is_symlink = entry.header().entry_type().is_symlink();
+        }
+        if name == "docs/a.txt" {
+            entry.read_to_string(&mut a_txt).unwrap();
+        }
+        files.push(name);
+    }
+    assert!(files.contains(&"docs/a.txt".to_string()));
+    assert!(files.contains(&"app/index.js".to_string()));
+    assert!(
+        !files.iter().any(|n| n.contains("node_modules")),
+        "excluded path archived: {files:?}"
+    );
+    assert!(link_is_symlink, "symlink must be stored as a link");
+    assert_eq!(a_txt, "v1", "file content must be archived");
+}
+
+fn entry_names(archive: &Path) -> Vec<String> {
+    let mut ar = tar::Archive::new(GzDecoder::new(fs::File::open(archive).unwrap()));
+    ar.entries()
+        .unwrap()
+        .map(|e| {
+            e.unwrap()
+                .path()
+                .unwrap()
+                .to_string_lossy()
+                .trim_end_matches('/')
+                .to_string()
+        })
+        .collect()
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn backup_does_not_archive_its_own_output() {
+    let src = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    sample_tree(src.path());
+    let out_dir = src.path().join("backups");
+    fs::create_dir_all(&out_dir).unwrap();
+    let cfg = files_config(src.path(), &[]);
+
+    let archive = backup::run(cfg, out_dir.clone(), Arc::new(JobLogger::new()))
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+
+    assert!(archive.exists());
+    let names = entry_names(&archive);
+    assert!(names.contains(&"docs/a.txt".to_string()));
+    assert!(
+        !names.iter().any(|n| n.starts_with("backups")),
+        "own output archived: {names:?}"
+    );
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn backup_skips_sockets_with_a_warning() {
+    let src = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    sample_tree(src.path());
+    let _listener = std::os::unix::net::UnixListener::bind(src.path().join("sock")).unwrap();
+    let cfg = files_config(src.path(), &[]);
+    let out = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+
+    let archive = backup::run(cfg, out.path().to_path_buf(), Arc::new(JobLogger::new()))
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+
+    let names = entry_names(&archive);
+    assert!(names.contains(&"docs/a.txt".to_string()));
+    assert!(
+        !names.iter().any(|n| n == "sock"),
+        "socket archived: {names:?}"
+    );
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn backup_fails_when_source_is_not_a_directory() {
+    let src = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let file = src.path().join("plain.txt");
+    fs::write(&file, "x").unwrap();
+    let cfg = files_config(&file, &[]);
+    let out = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+
+    let result = backup::run(cfg, out.path().to_path_buf(), Arc::new(JobLogger::new())).await;
+
+    assert!(
+        result.is_err(),
+        "a file path must not produce an empty archive"
+    );
+}
+
+use crate::domain::files::restore;
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn restore_is_a_mirror_that_keeps_excluded_paths() {
+    let src = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let root = src.path();
+    sample_tree(root);
+    let cfg = files_config(root, &["node_modules"]);
+    let out = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let logger = Arc::new(JobLogger::new());
+
+    let archive = backup::run(cfg.clone(), out.path().to_path_buf(), logger.clone())
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+
+    fs::write(root.join("docs/a.txt"), "v2").unwrap();
+    fs::write(root.join("new.txt"), "new").unwrap();
+    fs::create_dir_all(root.join("newdir/sub")).unwrap();
+    fs::write(root.join("app/node_modules/dep.js"), "changed").unwrap();
+
+    restore::run(cfg, archive, logger).await.unwrap();
+
+    assert_eq!(fs::read_to_string(root.join("docs/a.txt")).unwrap(), "v1");
+    assert_eq!(
+        fs::read_to_string(root.join("app/index.js")).unwrap(),
+        "app"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        !root.join("new.txt").exists(),
+        "file created after backup must be deleted"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        !root.join("newdir").exists(),
+        "dir created after backup must be deleted"
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        fs::read_to_string(root.join("app/node_modules/dep.js")).unwrap(),
+        "changed",
+        "excluded path must be left untouched"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        fs::symlink_metadata(root.join("link"))
+            .unwrap()
+            .file_type()
+            .is_symlink()
+    );
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn ensure_restorable_rejects_dangerous_targets() {
+    assert!(restore::ensure_restorable(Path::new("/")).is_err());
+    assert!(restore::ensure_restorable(Path::new("")).is_err());
+    assert!(restore::ensure_restorable(Path::new("relative/dir")).is_err());
+    assert!(restore::ensure_restorable(Path::new("/definitely/not/here")).is_err());
+    let dir = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    assert!(restore::ensure_restorable(dir.path()).is_ok());
+    let escapes_to_root = dir.path().join("../../../../../../../../../..");
+    assert!(restore::ensure_restorable(&escapes_to_root).is_err());
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn restore_refuses_corrupt_archive_without_touching_data() {
+    let src = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let root = src.path();
+    sample_tree(root);
+    let cfg = files_config(root, &[]);
+    let out = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let logger = Arc::new(JobLogger::new());
+
+    let archive = backup::run(cfg.clone(), out.path().to_path_buf(), logger.clone())
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+    let len = fs::metadata(&archive).unwrap().len();
+    fs::OpenOptions::new()
+        .write(true)
+        .open(&archive)
+        .unwrap()
+        .set_len(len / 2)
+        .unwrap();
+    fs::write(root.join("keep.txt"), "keep").unwrap();
+
+    let result = restore::run(cfg, archive, logger).await;
+
+    assert!(result.is_err(), "a truncated archive must be refused");
+    assert!(
+        root.join("keep.txt").exists(),
+        "data must survive a refused restore"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        root.join("docs/a.txt").exists(),
+        "data must survive a refused restore"
+    );
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn ping_reports_directory_reachability() {
+    let dir = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let ok = files_config(dir.path(), &[]);
+    assert!(crate::domain::files::ping::run(ok).await.unwrap());
+    let missing = files_config(Path::new("/definitely/not/here"), &[]);
+    assert!(!crate::domain::files::ping::run(missing).await.unwrap());
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn restore_survives_archive_stored_inside_the_source() {
+    let src = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let root = src.path();
+    sample_tree(root);
+    let cfg = files_config(root, &[]);
+    let tmp_dir = root.join(".tmp-restore");
+    fs::create_dir_all(&tmp_dir).unwrap();
+    let logger = Arc::new(JobLogger::new());
+
+    let archive = backup::run(cfg.clone(), tmp_dir.clone(), logger.clone())
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+    fs::write(root.join("docs/a.txt"), "v2").unwrap();
+    fs::write(root.join("new.txt"), "new").unwrap();
+
+    restore::run(cfg, archive.clone(), logger).await.unwrap();
+
+    assert_eq!(fs::read_to_string(root.join("docs/a.txt")).unwrap(), "v1");
+    assert_eq!(
+        fs::read_to_string(root.join("app/node_modules/dep.js")).unwrap(),
+        "dep"
+    );
+    assert!(!root.join("new.txt").exists());
+    assert!(
+        archive.exists(),
+        "the directory holding the archive must not be wiped"
+    );
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn restore_survives_archive_stored_directly_in_the_source() {
+    let src = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let root = src.path();
+    sample_tree(root);
+    let cfg = files_config(root, &[]);
+    let out = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let logger = Arc::new(JobLogger::new());
+
+    let outside = backup::run(cfg.clone(), out.path().to_path_buf(), logger.clone())
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+    let archive = root.join("snapshot.tar.gz");
+    fs::copy(&outside, &archive).unwrap();
+    fs::write(root.join("new.txt"), "new").unwrap();
+
+    restore::run(cfg, archive.clone(), logger).await.unwrap();
+
+    assert_eq!(fs::read_to_string(root.join("docs/a.txt")).unwrap(), "v1");
+    assert!(!root.join("new.txt").exists());
+    assert!(archive.exists(), "the archive itself must not be wiped");
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn restore_never_follows_symlinked_directories() {
+    let outside = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    fs::write(outside.path().join("secret.txt"), "outside").unwrap();
+    let src = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let root = src.path();
+    sample_tree(root);
+    std::os::unix::fs::symlink(outside.path(), root.join("old_link")).unwrap();
+    let cfg = files_config(root, &[]);
+    let out = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let logger = Arc::new(JobLogger::new());
+
+    let archive = backup::run(cfg.clone(), out.path().to_path_buf(), logger.clone())
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+    std::os::unix::fs::symlink(outside.path(), root.join("late_link")).unwrap();
+
+    restore::run(cfg, archive, logger).await.unwrap();
+
+    assert_eq!(
+        fs::read_to_string(outside.path().join("secret.txt")).unwrap(),
+        "outside"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        fs::symlink_metadata(root.join("late_link")).is_err(),
+        "link created after backup must be removed"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        fs::symlink_metadata(root.join("old_link"))
+            .unwrap()
+            .file_type()
+            .is_symlink()
+    );
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn restore_refuses_archive_with_corrupt_gzip_trailer() {
+    let src = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let root = src.path();
+    sample_tree(root);
+    let cfg = files_config(root, &[]);
+    let out = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let logger = Arc::new(JobLogger::new());
+
+    let archive = backup::run(cfg.clone(), out.path().to_path_buf(), logger.clone())
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+    // The last 8 bytes are CRC32 + ISIZE; tar itself never reads them.
+    let mut bytes = fs::read(&archive).unwrap();
+    let idx = bytes.len() - 6;
+    bytes[idx] ^= 0xff;
+    fs::write(&archive, bytes).unwrap();
+    fs::write(root.join("keep.txt"), "keep").unwrap();
+
+    assert!(restore::run(cfg, archive, logger).await.is_err());
+    assert_eq!(fs::read_to_string(root.join("keep.txt")).unwrap(), "keep");
+    assert_eq!(fs::read_to_string(root.join("docs/a.txt")).unwrap(), "v1");
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn restore_anchored_exclude_applies_through_a_symlinked_path() {
+    let base = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let real = base.path().join("real");
+    fs::create_dir_all(real.join("app/node_modules")).unwrap();
+    fs::create_dir_all(real.join("node_modules")).unwrap();
+    fs::write(real.join("app/node_modules/x"), "x1").unwrap();
+    fs::write(real.join("node_modules/y"), "y1").unwrap();
+    let link = base.path().join("link");
+    std::os::unix::fs::symlink(&real, &link).unwrap();
+    let cfg = files_config(&link, &["/app/node_modules"]);
+    let out = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let logger = Arc::new(JobLogger::new());
+
+    let archive = backup::run(cfg.clone(), out.path().to_path_buf(), logger.clone())
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+    fs::write(real.join("app/node_modules/x"), "x2").unwrap();
+    fs::write(real.join("node_modules/y"), "y2").unwrap();
+
+    restore::run(cfg, archive, logger).await.unwrap();
+
+    assert_eq!(
+        fs::read_to_string(real.join("app/node_modules/x")).unwrap(),
+        "x2",
+        "anchored exclude must be kept"
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        fs::read_to_string(real.join("node_modules/y")).unwrap(),
+        "y1",
+        "top-level node_modules is not excluded"
+    );
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn wipe_keeps_only_excluded_paths_on_a_single_filesystem() {
+    for one_file_system in [false, true] {
+        let src = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+        let root = src.path();
+        sample_tree(root);
+        let m = matcher(&["node_modules"]);
+
+        let failures =
+            restore::wipe_except_excluded(root, &m, one_file_system, &JobLogger::new()).unwrap();
+
+        assert_eq!(failures, 0);
+
+        assert!(root.join("app/node_modules/dep.js").exists());
+        assert!(!root.join("app/index.js").exists());
+        assert!(!root.join("docs").exists());
+        assert!(fs::symlink_metadata(root.join("link")).is_err());
+    }
+}
+
+use crate::domain::files::platform::is_root;
+use std::os::unix::fs::PermissionsExt;
+
+#[test]
+fn unpack_retries_without_metadata_when_ownership_cannot_be_set() {
+    if is_root() {
+        return; // root may chown to uid 0, so the first pass would not fail
+    }
+    let dir = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let archive = dir.path().join("root-owned.tar.gz");
+    let gz = flate2::write::GzEncoder::new(
+        fs::File::create(&archive).unwrap(),
+        flate2::Compression::default(),
+    );
+    let mut builder = tar::Builder::new(gz);
+    for (name, body) in [("a.txt", "alpha"), ("sub/b.txt", "beta")] {
+        let mut header = tar::Header::new_gnu();
+        header.set_path(name).unwrap();
+        header.set_uid(0);
+        header.set_gid(0);
+        header.set_mode(0o644);
+        header.set_size(body.len() as u64);
+        header.set_cksum();
+        builder.append(&header, body.as_bytes()).unwrap();
+    }
+    builder.into_inner().unwrap().finish().unwrap();
+    let target = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let logger = JobLogger::new();
+
+    restore::unpack(
+        &fs::File::open(&archive).unwrap(),
+        target.path(),
+        true,
+        &logger,
+    )
+    .unwrap();
+
+    assert_eq!(
+        fs::read_to_string(target.path().join("a.txt")).unwrap(),
+        "alpha"
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        fs::read_to_string(target.path().join("sub/b.txt")).unwrap(),
+        "beta"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        logger
+            .into_entries()
+            .iter()
+            .any(|e| e.level == "warn" && e.message.contains("retrying without metadata")),
+        "the chown failure must go through the fallback"
+    );
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn restore_extracts_even_when_some_entries_cannot_be_removed() {
+    if is_root() {
+        return; // root ignores directory permissions
+    }
+    let src = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let root = src.path();
+    sample_tree(root);
+    let cfg = files_config(root, &[]);
+    let out = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let logger = Arc::new(JobLogger::new());
+
+    let archive = backup::run(cfg.clone(), out.path().to_path_buf(), logger.clone())
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+    fs::write(root.join("docs/a.txt"), "v2").unwrap();
+    fs::write(root.join("new.txt"), "new").unwrap();
+    let locked = root.join("locked");
+    fs::create_dir(&locked).unwrap();
+    fs::write(locked.join("stale.txt"), "stale").unwrap();
+    fs::set_permissions(&locked, fs::Permissions::from_mode(0o555)).unwrap();
+
+    let result = restore::run(cfg, archive, logger).await;
+    fs::set_permissions(&locked, fs::Permissions::from_mode(0o755)).unwrap();
+
+    let err = result.expect_err("an entry that could not be removed must fail the restore");
+    assert!(
+        err.to_string().contains("could not be removed"),
+        "unexpected error: {err:#}"
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        fs::read_to_string(root.join("docs/a.txt")).unwrap(),
+        "v1",
+        "the archive must still be extracted"
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        fs::read_to_string(root.join("app/index.js")).unwrap(),
+        "app"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        !root.join("new.txt").exists(),
+        "removable entries must still be wiped"
+    );
+    assert!(locked.join("stale.txt").exists());
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn backup_fails_when_an_entry_cannot_be_read() {
+    if is_root() {
+        return; // root reads mode 0o000 files
+    }
+    let src = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    sample_tree(src.path());
+    let secret = src.path().join("secret.txt");
+    fs::write(&secret, "secret").unwrap();
+    fs::set_permissions(&secret, fs::Permissions::from_mode(0o000)).unwrap();
+    let cfg = files_config(src.path(), &[]);
+    let out = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+
+    let result = backup::run(cfg, out.path().to_path_buf(), Arc::new(JobLogger::new())).await;
+    fs::set_permissions(&secret, fs::Permissions::from_mode(0o644)).unwrap();
+
+    let err = result.expect_err("an unreadable entry must fail the backup");
+    assert!(
+        err.to_string().contains("1 entry could not be read"),
+        "unexpected error: {err:#}"
+    );
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn restore_keeps_special_files() {
+    let src = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let root = src.path();
+    sample_tree(root);
+    let cfg = files_config(root, &[]);
+    let out = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let logger = Arc::new(JobLogger::new());
+
+    let archive = backup::run(cfg.clone(), out.path().to_path_buf(), logger.clone())
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+    let _listener = std::os::unix::net::UnixListener::bind(root.join("sock")).unwrap();
+
+    restore::run(cfg, archive, logger).await.unwrap();
+
+    assert!(
+        fs::symlink_metadata(root.join("sock")).is_ok(),
+        "socket must survive a restore"
+    );
+    assert_eq!(fs::read_to_string(root.join("docs/a.txt")).unwrap(), "v1");
+}

src/tests/domain/mod.rs

@@ -8,3 +8,4 @@ mod valkey;
 mod firebird;
 mod mssql;
 mod docker_volume;
+pub(crate) mod files;

src/tests/services/api_models_tests.rs

@@ -228,6 +228,72 @@ fn resolve_dashboard_config_noop_when_not_encrypted() {
     assert!(status.resolved_config.is_none());
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn ping_without_engine_fields_defaults_to_none() {
+    let status: DatabaseStatus = serde_json::from_value(json!({
+        "dbms": "files",
+        "generatedId": "16678159-ff7e-4c97-8c83-0adeff214681",
+        "encrypt": false,
+        "data": { "backup": { "action": false, "cron": null },
+                  "restore": { "action": false, "file": null, "metaFile": null, "size": null } }
+    }))
+    .unwrap();
+    assert!(status.data.backup.engine.is_none());
+    assert!(status.data.restore.engine.is_none());
+    assert!(status.data.restore.snapshot_id.is_none());
+    assert!(status.data.restore.storage.is_none());
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn resolve_restore_storage_decrypts_the_snapshot_channel() {
+    use crate::services::status::resolve_restore_storage;
+    use base64::{engine::general_purpose, Engine};
+
+    let master_key_b64 = general_purpose::STANDARD.encode([7u8; 32]);
+    let channel = r#"[{"id":"ch-1","provider":"s3","folderName":"backups","config":{"endPointUrl":"s3.example.com","bucketName":"b"}}]"#;
+    let snapshot_id = "ab".repeat(32);
+
+    let mut status: DatabaseStatus = serde_json::from_value(json!({
+        "dbms": "files",
+        "generatedId": "16678159-ff7e-4c97-8c83-0adeff214681",
+        "encrypt": false,
+        "data": {
+            "backup": { "action": false, "cron": "0 * * * *", "engine": "restic" },
+            "restore": { "action": true, "file": null, "metaFile": null, "size": null,
+                         "engine": "restic", "snapshotId": snapshot_id,
+                         "storageCiphertext": encrypt_json_gcm(channel.as_bytes(), &master_key_b64) }
+        }
+    }))
+    .unwrap();
+
+    assert_eq!(status.data.backup.engine.as_deref(), Some("restic"));
+    assert_eq!(status.data.restore.snapshot_id.as_deref(), Some(snapshot_id.as_str()));
+
+    resolve_restore_storage(&mut status, &master_key_b64).unwrap();
+
+    let storage = status.data.restore.storage.expect("decrypted");
+    assert_eq!(storage.id, "ch-1");
+    assert_eq!(storage.provider, "s3");
+    assert_eq!(storage.folder_name.as_deref(), Some("backups"));
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn resolve_restore_storage_rejects_a_bad_ciphertext() {
+    use crate::services::status::resolve_restore_storage;
+    use base64::{engine::general_purpose, Engine};
+
+    let mut status: DatabaseStatus = serde_json::from_value(json!({
+        "dbms": "files",
+        "generatedId": "16678159-ff7e-4c97-8c83-0adeff214681",
+        "encrypt": false,
+        "data": { "backup": { "action": false, "cron": null },
+                  "restore": { "action": true, "engine": "restic", "storageCiphertext": "bm9wZQ==" } }
+    }))
+    .unwrap();
+    assert!(resolve_restore_storage(&mut status, &general_purpose::STANDARD.encode([7u8; 32])).is_err());
+    assert!(status.data.restore.storage.is_none());
+}
+
 fn encrypt_json_gcm(plaintext: &[u8], master_key_b64: &str) -> String {
     use aes_gcm::aead::{Aead, KeyInit};
     use aes_gcm::{Aes256Gcm, Key, Nonce};
@@ -243,3 +309,41 @@ fn encrypt_json_gcm(plaintext: &[u8], master_key_b64: &str) -> String {
     data.extend_from_slice(&ct);
     general_purpose::STANDARD.encode(data)
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn ping_payload_sends_method_only_when_set() {
+    use crate::services::api::endpoints::status::DatabasePayload;
+    let payload = |method: Option<&'static str>| DatabasePayload {
+        name: "docs",
+        dbms: "files",
+        generated_id: "g",
+        ping_status: true,
+        method,
+    };
+    let with = serde_json::to_value(payload(Some("sync"))).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(with["method"], "sync");
+    let without = serde_json::to_value(payload(None)).unwrap();
+    assert!(without.get("method").is_none(), "{without}");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn upload_status_sends_stats_only_when_set() {
+    use crate::services::api::endpoints::agent::backup::upload::status::StatusUploadRequest;
+    use crate::services::sync::stats::SyncStats;
+    let request = |stats: Option<serde_json::Value>| StatusUploadRequest {
+        generated_id: "g".into(),
+        backup_storage_id: "bs".into(),
+        status: "success".into(),
+        path: "p".into(),
+        size: 3,
+        backup_id: "b".into(),
+        stats,
+    };
+    let sync = SyncStats { transfers: 2, deletes: 1, replica_bytes: Some(8), ..Default::default() };
+    let with = serde_json::to_value(request(Some(sync.report()))).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(with["stats"], serde_json::json!({"filesTransferred": 2, "filesDeleted": 1, "replicaBytes": 8}));
+    let unmeasured = SyncStats::default().report();
+    assert!(unmeasured["replicaBytes"].is_null(), "{unmeasured}");
+    let without = serde_json::to_value(request(None)).unwrap();
+    assert!(without.get("stats").is_none(), "{without}");
+}

src/tests/services/backup_uploader_tests.rs

@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ use tempfile::NamedTempFile;
 use wiremock::matchers::{body_partial_json, method, path};
 use wiremock::{Mock, MockServer, ResponseTemplate};
 
-fn ctx_pointing_at(base_url: String) -> Context {
+pub(crate) fn ctx_pointing_at(base_url: String) -> Context {
     Context {
         edge_key: EdgeKey {
             server_url: String::new(),

src/tests/services/config_tests.rs

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 use crate::core::context::Context;
 use crate::services::api::ApiClient;
 use crate::services::config::ConfigService;
-use crate::services::config::{build_config, DatabasesConfig, InputDatabaseConfig};
+use crate::services::config::{DatabasesConfig, InputDatabaseConfig, build_config, files_method};
 use crate::utils::edge_key::EdgeKey;
 use std::io::Write;
 use std::sync::Arc;
@@ -176,24 +176,39 @@ fn keep_ownership_extraction_logic() {
     // true → keep ownership
     let mut opts: HashMap<String, Value> = HashMap::new();
     opts.insert("keep_ownership".to_string(), Value::Bool(true));
-    let keep = opts.get("keep_ownership").and_then(|v| v.as_bool()).unwrap_or(false);
+    let keep = opts
+        .get("keep_ownership")
+        .and_then(|v| v.as_bool())
+        .unwrap_or(false);
     assert!(keep, "should keep ownership when flag is true");
 
     // false → strip
     let mut opts2: HashMap<String, Value> = HashMap::new();
     opts2.insert("keep_ownership".to_string(), Value::Bool(false));
-    let keep2 = opts2.get("keep_ownership").and_then(|v| v.as_bool()).unwrap_or(false);
+    let keep2 = opts2
+        .get("keep_ownership")
+        .and_then(|v| v.as_bool())
+        .unwrap_or(false);
     assert!(!keep2, "should strip when flag is false");
 
     // missing → strip
     let opts3: HashMap<String, Value> = HashMap::new();
-    let keep3 = opts3.get("keep_ownership").and_then(|v| v.as_bool()).unwrap_or(false);
+    let keep3 = opts3
+        .get("keep_ownership")
+        .and_then(|v| v.as_bool())
+        .unwrap_or(false);
     assert!(!keep3, "should strip when key absent");
 
     // wrong type → strip
     let mut opts4: HashMap<String, Value> = HashMap::new();
-    opts4.insert("keep_ownership".to_string(), Value::String("yes".to_string()));
-    let keep4 = opts4.get("keep_ownership").and_then(|v| v.as_bool()).unwrap_or(false);
+    opts4.insert(
+        "keep_ownership".to_string(),
+        Value::String("yes".to_string()),
+    );
+    let keep4 = opts4
+        .get("keep_ownership")
+        .and_then(|v| v.as_bool())
+        .unwrap_or(false);
     assert!(!keep4, "should strip when value is not bool");
 }
 
@@ -258,7 +273,9 @@ fn docker_volume_requires_volume_name() {
     );
 
     let service = ConfigService::new(test_context());
-    let err = service.load(Some(file.path().to_str().unwrap())).unwrap_err();
+    let err = service
+        .load(Some(file.path().to_str().unwrap()))
+        .unwrap_err();
     assert!(err.contains("volume_name"), "error was: {err}");
 }
 
@@ -323,7 +340,9 @@ fn databases_config_roundtrips_through_serde() {
     )
     .unwrap();
     let cfg = build_config(input).unwrap();
-    let wrapped = DatabasesConfig { databases: vec![cfg] };
+    let wrapped = DatabasesConfig {
+        databases: vec![cfg],
+    };
 
     let json = serde_json::to_string(&wrapped).unwrap();
     let back: DatabasesConfig = serde_json::from_str(&json).unwrap();
@@ -331,3 +350,77 @@ fn databases_config_roundtrips_through_serde() {
     assert_eq!(back.databases[0].db_type.as_str(), "postgresql");
     assert_eq!(back.databases[0].password, "secret");
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn files_type_parses_with_options() {
+    let input: InputDatabaseConfig = serde_json::from_str(
+        r#"{
+            "name": "shared",
+            "type": "files",
+            "path": "/data/files",
+            "generated_id": "16678159-ff7e-4c97-8c83-0adeff214681",
+            "options": { "exclude": ["node_modules", "/cache"], "one_file_system": true }
+        }"#,
+    )
+    .unwrap();
+
+    let cfg = build_config(input).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(cfg.db_type.as_str(), "files");
+    assert_eq!(cfg.path, "/data/files");
+    assert_eq!(
+        cfg.options["exclude"],
+        serde_json::json!(["node_modules", "/cache"])
+    );
+    assert_eq!(cfg.options["one_file_system"], serde_json::json!(true));
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn files_type_requires_path() {
+    let input: InputDatabaseConfig = serde_json::from_str(
+        r#"{ "name": "shared", "type": "files", "generated_id": "16678159-ff7e-4c97-8c83-0adeff214681" }"#,
+    )
+    .unwrap();
+    let err = build_config(input).unwrap_err();
+    assert!(err.contains("path"), "unexpected error: {err}");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn files_type_rejects_relative_and_root_paths() {
+    for bad in ["data/files", "/", "//"] {
+        let json = format!(
+            r#"{{ "name": "shared", "type": "files", "path": "{bad}", "generated_id": "16678159-ff7e-4c97-8c83-0adeff214681" }}"#
+        );
+        let input: InputDatabaseConfig = serde_json::from_str(&json).unwrap();
+        let err = build_config(input).unwrap_err();
+        assert!(err.contains("absolute"), "path {bad:?} gave: {err}");
+    }
+}
+
+fn files_input(options: &str) -> InputDatabaseConfig {
+    serde_json::from_str(&format!(
+        r#"{{ "name": "docs", "type": "files", "path": "/data/files",
+               "generated_id": "16678159-ff7e-4c97-8c83-0adeff214681"{options} }}"#
+    ))
+    .unwrap()
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn files_method_defaults_to_archive() {
+    let cfg = build_config(files_input("")).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(files_method(&cfg), "archive");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn files_method_reads_snapshot_and_sync() {
+    let snap = build_config(files_input(r#", "options": { "method": "snapshot" }"#)).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(files_method(&snap), "snapshot");
+    let sync = build_config(files_input(r#", "options": { "method": "sync" }"#)).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(files_method(&sync), "sync");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn unknown_files_method_refuses_the_source() {
+    let err = build_config(files_input(r#", "options": { "method": "mirror" }"#)).unwrap_err();
+    assert!(err.contains("Unknown method"), "{err}");
+    assert!(err.contains("docs"), "{err}");
+}

src/tests/services/dashboard_config_tests.rs

@@ -82,3 +82,38 @@ fn persist_cache_leaves_no_tmp_file() {
     assert!(!tmp.exists(), "temp file should have been renamed away");
     assert!(path.exists());
 }
+
+use crate::services::dashboard_config::local_only_ids;
+use crate::services::status::payload_method;
+
+fn files_cfg(gen_id: &str, method: Option<&str>) -> DatabaseConfig {
+    let options = method
+        .map(|m| format!(r#", "options": {{ "method": "{m}" }}"#))
+        .unwrap_or_default();
+    let json = format!(
+        r#"{{ "name": "docs", "type": "files", "path": "/data/files", "generated_id": "{gen_id}"{options} }}"#
+    );
+    build_config(serde_json::from_str::<InputDatabaseConfig>(&json).unwrap()).unwrap()
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn local_only_ids_skips_sources_replaced_by_the_dashboard() {
+    let local = vec![cfg("local-a", ID_A, "h"), cfg("local-b", ID_B, "h")];
+    let dashboard = vec![cfg("dash-b", ID_B, "h")];
+    let ids = local_only_ids(&local, &dashboard);
+    assert!(ids.contains(ID_A));
+    assert!(!ids.contains(ID_B));
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn payload_method_is_sent_for_local_files_sources_only() {
+    let local = files_cfg(ID_A, Some("sync"));
+    let ids = local_only_ids(&[local.clone()], &[]);
+    assert_eq!(payload_method(&local, &ids), Some("sync"));
+    assert_eq!(payload_method(&files_cfg(ID_A, None), &ids), Some("archive"));
+    // Replaced by a dashboard config: the dashboard owns the method.
+    let replaced = local_only_ids(&[local.clone()], &[local.clone()]);
+    assert_eq!(payload_method(&local, &replaced), None);
+    // Not a files source.
+    assert_eq!(payload_method(&cfg("pg", ID_A, "h"), &ids), None);
+}

src/tests/services/local_storage_tests.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,190 @@
+//! Spec B: the dashboard's local storage, served here by `rclone serve restic
+//! --append-only` and `rclone serve webdav` on free ports. The restic tests need
+//! restic on PATH (test container); the sync test only needs rclone.
+
+use crate::domain::files::platform::is_root;
+use crate::services::backup::logger::JobLogger;
+use crate::services::restic::backup::snapshot;
+use crate::services::restic::command::ResticRepo;
+use crate::services::restic::restore::restore;
+use crate::tests::domain::files::files_config;
+use std::fs;
+use std::path::Path;
+use std::process::{Child, Command, Stdio};
+use std::time::Duration;
+use tempfile::TempDir;
+
+pub(crate) const MASTER_KEY_B64: &str = "AAECAwQFBgcICQoLDA0ODxAREhMUFRYXGBkaGxwdHh8=";
+
+pub(crate) struct RcloneServer {
+    child: Child,
+    pub base_url: String,
+}
+
+impl Drop for RcloneServer {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        let _ = self.child.kill();
+        let _ = self.child.wait();
+    }
+}
+
+/// `rclone serve <kind> --baseurl /storage/<prefix> <root>` on a free port, user
+/// `portabase`, credentials through the env like the dashboard does.
+pub(crate) fn serve(kind: &str, prefix: &str, root: &Path, extra: &[&str], password: &str) -> RcloneServer {
+    let port = std::net::TcpListener::bind("127.0.0.1:0").unwrap().local_addr().unwrap().port();
+    let child = Command::new("rclone")
+        .args(["serve", kind, "--addr", &format!("127.0.0.1:{port}"), "--baseurl", &format!("/storage/{prefix}")])
+        .args(extra)
+        .arg(root)
+        .env("RCLONE_USER", "portabase")
+        .env("RCLONE_PASS", password)
+        .stdout(Stdio::null())
+        .stderr(Stdio::null())
+        .spawn()
+        .expect("rclone binary not found");
+    for _ in 0..100 {
+        if std::net::TcpStream::connect(("127.0.0.1", port)).is_ok() {
+            break;
+        }
+        std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(50));
+    }
+    RcloneServer { child, base_url: format!("http://127.0.0.1:{port}") }
+}
+
+fn tree(root: &Path) {
+    fs::create_dir_all(root.join("docs")).unwrap();
+    fs::write(root.join("a.txt"), "v1").unwrap();
+    fs::write(root.join("docs/b.txt"), "b").unwrap();
+}
+
+fn local_repo(server: &RcloneServer, generated_id: &str, cache: &Path) -> ResticRepo {
+    ResticRepo::rest(&format!("{}/storage/restic", server.base_url), generated_id, "test-password", "s3cret", cache.to_path_buf())
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn local_snapshot_and_restore_go_through_the_append_only_server() {
+    let store = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let work = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let server = serve("restic", "restic", store.path(), &["--append-only"], "s3cret");
+    let src = work.path().join("src");
+    tree(&src);
+    let cfg = files_config(&src, &[]);
+    let repo = local_repo(&server, &cfg.generated_id, &work.path().join("cache"));
+    let logger = JobLogger::new();
+
+    let snap = snapshot(&repo, &cfg, "bs-1", &logger).await.unwrap();
+
+    let repo_dir = store.path().join(&cfg.generated_id);
+    assert!(repo_dir.join("config").exists(), "repository written on the served disk");
+    assert_eq!(fs::read_dir(repo_dir.join("locks")).unwrap().count(), 0, "lock removed despite --append-only");
+
+    fs::write(src.join("a.txt"), "changed").unwrap();
+    fs::write(src.join("extra.txt"), "x").unwrap();
+    restore(&repo, &cfg, &snap.snapshot_id, &logger).await.unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(fs::read_to_string(src.join("a.txt")).unwrap(), "v1");
+    assert!(!src.join("extra.txt").exists());
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn the_agent_cannot_forget_on_the_local_server() {
+    let store = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let work = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let server = serve("restic", "restic", store.path(), &["--append-only"], "s3cret");
+    let src = work.path().join("src");
+    tree(&src);
+    let cfg = files_config(&src, &[]);
+    let repo = local_repo(&server, &cfg.generated_id, &work.path().join("cache"));
+    let logger = JobLogger::new();
+    let snap = snapshot(&repo, &cfg, "bs-1", &logger).await.unwrap();
+
+    let forget = repo.run(["forget", snap.snapshot_id.as_str()], &logger).await.unwrap();
+
+    assert_ne!(forget.code, 0, "append-only must refuse forget");
+    let listed = repo.run(["snapshots", "--json"], &logger).await.unwrap();
+    assert!(listed.stdout.contains(&snap.snapshot_id), "{}", listed.stdout);
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn unreadable_file_on_a_local_repo_keeps_the_snapshot_for_the_dashboard() {
+    if is_root() {
+        return; // root reads a 000 file anyway
+    }
+    use std::os::unix::fs::PermissionsExt;
+    let store = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let work = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let server = serve("restic", "restic", store.path(), &["--append-only"], "s3cret");
+    let src = work.path().join("src");
+    tree(&src);
+    let locked = src.join("docs/b.txt");
+    fs::set_permissions(&locked, fs::Permissions::from_mode(0o000)).unwrap();
+    let cfg = files_config(&src, &[]);
+    let repo = local_repo(&server, &cfg.generated_id, &work.path().join("cache"));
+    let logger = JobLogger::new();
+
+    let err = snapshot(&repo, &cfg, "bs-1", &logger).await.unwrap_err();
+    fs::set_permissions(&locked, fs::Permissions::from_mode(0o644)).unwrap();
+
+    assert!(err.to_string().contains("the dashboard forgets it"), "{err:#}");
+    let listed = repo.run(["snapshots", "--json"], &logger).await.unwrap();
+    assert!(listed.stdout.contains("bs:bs-1"), "{}", listed.stdout);
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn local_sync_mirrors_through_the_webdav_server() {
+    use crate::core::context::Context;
+    use crate::services::api::ApiClient;
+    use crate::services::api::models::agent::status::DatabaseStorage;
+    use crate::services::restic::password::local_storage_password;
+    use crate::services::sync::backup::one_storage;
+    use crate::utils::edge_key::EdgeKey;
+    use serde_json::json;
+    use wiremock::matchers::{body_partial_json, method, path};
+    use wiremock::{Mock, MockServer, ResponseTemplate};
+
+    let store = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let work = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let password = local_storage_password(MASTER_KEY_B64).unwrap();
+    let server = serve("webdav", "sync", store.path(), &[], &password);
+
+    let api = MockServer::start().await;
+    Mock::given(method("POST"))
+        .and(path("/agent/agent-1/backup/upload/init"))
+        .and(body_partial_json(json!({ "engine": "sync" })))
+        .respond_with(ResponseTemplate::new(200).set_body_json(json!({ "message": "ok", "backupStorage": { "id": "bs" } })))
+        .expect(2)
+        .mount(&api)
+        .await;
+    Mock::given(method("PATCH"))
+        .and(path("/agent/agent-1/backup/upload/status"))
+        .and(body_partial_json(json!({ "status": "success" })))
+        .respond_with(ResponseTemplate::new(200).set_body_json(json!({ "message": "ok", "backupStorage": { "id": "bs" } })))
+        .expect(2)
+        .mount(&api)
+        .await;
+
+    let ctx = Context {
+        edge_key: EdgeKey {
+            server_url: server.base_url.clone(),
+            agent_id: "agent-1".into(),
+            master_key_b64: MASTER_KEY_B64.into(),
+        },
+        api: ApiClient::new(api.uri()),
+    };
+    let storage: DatabaseStorage =
+        serde_json::from_value(json!({ "id": "ch-local", "provider": "local", "folderName": "backups", "config": {} })).unwrap();
+    let src = work.path().join("src");
+    tree(&src);
+    let cfg = files_config(&src, &[]);
+    let replica = store.path().join(&cfg.generated_id).join("current");
+
+    let first = one_storage(&ctx, &cfg, &storage, "backup-1", &JobLogger::new()).await;
+    assert!(first.success, "{:?}", first.error);
+    assert_eq!(first.remote_file_path.as_deref(), Some(format!("backups/sync/{}/current", cfg.generated_id).as_str()));
+    assert_eq!(fs::read_to_string(replica.join("docs/b.txt")).unwrap(), "b");
+
+    fs::remove_file(src.join("docs/b.txt")).unwrap();
+    let second = one_storage(&ctx, &cfg, &storage, "backup-2", &JobLogger::new()).await;
+    assert!(second.success, "{:?}", second.error);
+    assert!(!replica.join("docs/b.txt").exists(), "deletion propagated");
+    assert!(replica.join("a.txt").exists());
+}

src/tests/services/mod.rs

@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 mod api_models_tests;
 mod backup_runner_tests;
-mod backup_uploader_tests;
+pub(crate) mod backup_uploader_tests;
 mod config_tests;
 mod dashboard_config_tests;
+pub(crate) mod local_storage_tests;
+mod restic_tests;
 mod restore_downloader_tests;
+mod sync_tests;

src/tests/services/restic_tests.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,374 @@
+//! Snapshots mode (restic). Pure helpers first; the integration tests further
+//! down need `restic` and `rclone` on PATH.
+
+use crate::services::api::models::agent::status::DatabaseStorage;
+use crate::services::backup::logger::JobLogger;
+use crate::services::restic::command::is_snapshot_id;
+use crate::services::restic::excludes::{backup_excludes, glob_escape, restore_excludes};
+use crate::services::restic::json::{self, BackupSummary, Line};
+use crate::services::restic::password::{derive_password, hkdf_sha256_32};
+use crate::tests::domain::files::files_config;
+use serde_json::json;
+use std::path::Path;
+
+fn strings(items: &[&str]) -> Vec<String> {
+    items.iter().map(|s| s.to_string()).collect()
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn snapshot_ids_are_full_lowercase_hex() {
+    assert!(is_snapshot_id(&"a1".repeat(32)));
+    for bad in ["--password-command=touch /tmp/pwned", &"A".repeat(64), &"a".repeat(63), &"a".repeat(65), ""] {
+        assert!(!is_snapshot_id(bad), "{bad}");
+    }
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn hkdf_matches_rfc5869_case_3_first_block() {
+    let okm = hkdf_sha256_32(&[0x0b; 22], b"");
+    assert_eq!(
+        hex::encode(okm),
+        "8da4e775a563c18f715f802a063c5a31b8a11f5c5ee1879ec3454e5f3c738d2d"
+    );
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn password_matches_the_dashboard_vector() {
+    // Same vector as src/lib/restic/repo.ts in the dashboard (spike S4).
+    let password = derive_password(
+        "AAECAwQFBgcICQoLDA0ODxAREhMUFRYXGBkaGxwdHh8=",
+        "test-generated-id",
+    )
+    .unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(
+        password,
+        "577e00efe6c953e8583d90e14d78109d805b616164279b8182282db76033b090"
+    );
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn password_rejects_a_non_base64_master_key() {
+    assert!(derive_password("not base64!", "x").is_err());
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn backup_excludes_are_rooted_at_the_source() {
+    let got = backup_excludes(
+        Path::new("/data/files"),
+        &strings(&["*.log", "node_modules/", "/build/", "/docs/**/*.md", "  ", "/"]),
+    )
+    .unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(
+        got,
+        strings(&[
+            "/data/files/**/*.log",
+            "/data/files/**/node_modules",
+            "/data/files/build",
+            "/data/files/docs/**/*.md",
+        ])
+    );
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn backup_excludes_escape_glob_characters_in_the_root() {
+    let got = backup_excludes(Path::new("/data/src[1]"), &strings(&["tmp"])).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(got, strings(&["/data/src\\[1\\]/**/tmp"]));
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn restore_excludes_are_relative_to_the_snapshot_subfolder() {
+    let got = restore_excludes(&strings(&["*.log", "/build/", "a/b"])).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(got, strings(&["/**/*.log", "/build", "/**/a/b"]));
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn bracket_negation_is_rewritten_for_restic() {
+    // globset reads `[!a]`; restic (Go filepath.Match) only knows `[^a]`.
+    assert_eq!(
+        backup_excludes(Path::new("/data"), &strings(&["[!a]*.log", "/x/[!0-9]", r"\[!a]", "[a[!]"])).unwrap(),
+        strings(&["/data/**/[^a]*.log", "/data/x/[^0-9]", r"/data/**/\[!a]", "/data/**/[a[!]"])
+    );
+    assert_eq!(restore_excludes(&strings(&["/[!a]*", "[!a]"])).unwrap(), strings(&["/[^a]*", "/**/[^a]"]));
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn brace_patterns_are_rejected_on_both_sides() {
+    let patterns = strings(&["{x,y}.dat"]);
+    let err = backup_excludes(Path::new("/data"), &patterns).unwrap_err();
+    assert!(err.to_string().contains("brace patterns are not supported in Snapshots mode"));
+    assert!(restore_excludes(&patterns).is_err());
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn glob_escape_escapes_every_metacharacter() {
+    assert_eq!(glob_escape(r"a*b?c[d]e\f"), r"a\*b\?c\[d\]e\\f");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn json_lines_are_classified() {
+    // Recorded from restic 0.19.1 (paths shortened).
+    let status = r#"{"message_type":"status","percent_done":0.9999997777778271,"total_files":4,"files_done":2,"total_bytes":9000002,"bytes_done":9000000,"error_count":1}"#;
+    let error = r#"{"message_type":"error","error":{"message":"open /src/u: permission denied"},"during":"archival","item":"/src/u"}"#;
+    let exit = r#"{"message_type":"exit_error","code":3,"message":"Warning: at least one source file could not be read"}"#;
+
+    assert_eq!(json::parse(status), Line::Status { percent_done: 0.9999997777778272 });
+    assert_eq!(
+        json::parse(error),
+        Line::Error { message: "open /src/u: permission denied".into(), item: Some("/src/u".into()) }
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        json::parse(exit),
+        Line::ExitError { code: 3, message: "Warning: at least one source file could not be read".into() }
+    );
+    assert_eq!(json::parse("Fatal: wrong password"), Line::Text("Fatal: wrong password".into()));
+    assert_eq!(json::parse("[]"), Line::Text("[]".into()));
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn backup_summary_deserializes_from_a_recorded_line() {
+    let line = r#"{"message_type":"summary","files_new":3,"files_changed":0,"files_unmodified":0,"dirs_new":9,"dirs_changed":0,"dirs_unmodified":0,"data_blobs":8,"tree_blobs":10,"data_added":9005859,"data_added_packed":9004808,"total_files_processed":3,"total_bytes_processed":9000000,"total_duration":0.78928,"backup_start":"2026-10-03T16:59:06.569467+02:00","backup_end":"2026-10-03T16:59:07.359124+02:00","snapshot_id":"05ba7db8d08e4e097b869dbc511a8b8936298b2fcb01b221115789491204a470"}"#;
+    let Line::Summary(value) = json::parse(line) else { panic!("not a summary") };
+    let summary: BackupSummary = serde_json::from_value(value).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(summary.snapshot_id.len(), 64);
+    assert_eq!(summary.data_added_packed, 9004808);
+    assert_eq!(summary.total_bytes_processed, 9000000);
+    assert_eq!(summary.files_new, 3);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn removed_files_come_from_the_parent_summary() {
+    use crate::services::restic::json::{Snapshot, files_removed};
+    let listing: Vec<Snapshot> = serde_json::from_value(serde_json::json!([
+        {"id": "p", "paths": ["/src"], "summary": {"total_files_processed": 3, "files_new": 3}},
+        {"id": "c", "paths": ["/src"], "parent": "p"},
+        {"id": "orphan", "paths": ["/src"], "parent": "forgotten"},
+        {"id": "old", "paths": ["/src"]},
+        {"id": "child-of-old", "paths": ["/src"], "parent": "old"},
+    ]))
+    .unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(files_removed(&listing, "c", 0, 2), Some(1));
+    assert_eq!(files_removed(&listing, "p", 0, 0), Some(0), "no parent");
+    assert_eq!(files_removed(&listing, "orphan", 0, 2), None, "parent not listed");
+    assert_eq!(files_removed(&listing, "child-of-old", 0, 2), None, "parent without summary");
+    assert_eq!(files_removed(&listing, "missing", 0, 2), None);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn a_local_channel_opens_the_dashboard_rest_repository() {
+    use crate::utils::edge_key::EdgeKey;
+    let storage: DatabaseStorage =
+        serde_json::from_value(json!({ "id": "storage-1", "provider": "local", "config": {} })).unwrap();
+    let edge_key = EdgeKey {
+        server_url: "http://dash:8887/".into(),
+        agent_id: "agent-1".into(),
+        master_key_b64: "AAECAwQFBgcICQoLDA0ODxAREhMUFRYXGBkaGxwdHh8=".into(),
+    };
+    let repo = ResticRepo::open(&storage, "g1", &edge_key).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(repo.repository(), "rest:http://dash:8887/storage/restic/g1/");
+    assert!(repo.is_append_only());
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn local_storage_password_matches_the_dashboard_vector() {
+    use crate::services::restic::password::local_storage_password;
+    // Same vector as src/lib/local-storage/credential.ts in the dashboard.
+    assert_eq!(
+        local_storage_password("AAECAwQFBgcICQoLDA0ODxAREhMUFRYXGBkaGxwdHh8=").unwrap(),
+        "8abfb788701b8c502658154746af6af768ea08f579381ad73b0f1e7dd43caea2"
+    );
+}
+
+// ---------- integration: restic + rclone on PATH ----------
+
+use crate::domain::files::platform::is_root;
+use crate::services::restic::backup::snapshot;
+use crate::services::restic::command::ResticRepo;
+use crate::services::restic::restore::restore;
+use std::fs;
+use tempfile::TempDir;
+
+/// A repository on an rclone `alias` remote pointing at a temp dir (test-only:
+/// production channels always go through `rclone_target`).
+fn local_repo(dir: &Path, generated_id: &str) -> ResticRepo {
+    fs::create_dir_all(dir).unwrap();
+    let config = format!("[pb]\ntype = alias\nremote = {}\n", dir.display());
+    ResticRepo::new(&config, "pb", "", "backups", generated_id, "test-password", dir.join("cache")).unwrap()
+}
+
+fn tree(root: &Path) {
+    fs::create_dir_all(root.join("docs")).unwrap();
+    fs::write(root.join("docs/a.txt"), "v1").unwrap();
+    fs::write(root.join("docs/b.txt"), "b").unwrap();
+    fs::create_dir_all(root.join("build")).unwrap();
+    fs::write(root.join("build/out.bin"), "out").unwrap();
+    fs::write(root.join("app.log"), "log").unwrap();
+}
+
+/// `relative/path=content` for every regular file, sorted.
+fn files(root: &Path) -> Vec<String> {
+    let mut out: Vec<String> = walkdir::WalkDir::new(root)
+        .min_depth(1)
+        .into_iter()
+        .filter_map(Result::ok)
+        .filter(|e| e.file_type().is_file())
+        .map(|e| {
+            let rel = e.path().strip_prefix(root).unwrap().display().to_string();
+            format!("{rel}={}", fs::read_to_string(e.path()).unwrap())
+        })
+        .collect();
+    out.sort();
+    out
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn first_snapshot_initializes_the_repository_and_the_second_reuses_its_parent() {
+    let base = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let src = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    tree(src.path());
+    let cfg = files_config(src.path(), &[]);
+    let repo = local_repo(&base.path().join("repo"), &cfg.generated_id);
+    let logger = JobLogger::new();
+
+    let first = snapshot(&repo, &cfg, "bs-1", &logger).await.unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(first.snapshot_id.len(), 64);
+    assert_eq!(first.files_new, 4);
+    assert_eq!(first.files_removed, Some(0));
+    assert!(base.path().join("repo/backups/restic").join(&cfg.generated_id).join("config").exists());
+
+    fs::write(src.path().join("docs/a.txt"), "v2").unwrap();
+    let second = snapshot(&repo, &cfg, "bs-2", &logger).await.unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(second.files_changed, 1);
+    assert_eq!(second.files_unmodified, 3);
+    assert_eq!(second.files_removed, Some(0));
+
+    let tagged = repo.run(["snapshots", "--json", "--tag", "bs:bs-2"], &logger).await.unwrap();
+    // The tag selects only the second snapshot, and its `parent` is the first
+    // (a plain `contains(first)` check would match that `parent` field).
+    let listed: serde_json::Value = serde_json::from_str(tagged.stdout.trim()).unwrap();
+    let listed = listed.as_array().unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(listed.len(), 1, "{}", tagged.stdout);
+    assert_eq!(listed[0]["id"], second.snapshot_id.as_str());
+    assert_eq!(listed[0]["parent"], first.snapshot_id.as_str());
+
+    fs::remove_file(src.path().join("docs/b.txt")).unwrap();
+    let third = snapshot(&repo, &cfg, "bs-3", &logger).await.unwrap();
+    assert_eq!((third.files_new, third.files_changed, third.files_unmodified), (0, 0, 3));
+    assert_eq!(third.files_removed, Some(1));
+    assert_eq!(third.report()["filesRemoved"], 1);
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn restore_is_a_mirror_that_keeps_excluded_paths() {
+    let base = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let src = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    tree(src.path());
+    let cfg = files_config(src.path(), &["*.log", "/build"]);
+    let repo = local_repo(&base.path().join("repo"), &cfg.generated_id);
+    let logger = JobLogger::new();
+    let snap = snapshot(&repo, &cfg, "bs-1", &logger).await.unwrap();
+
+    fs::write(src.path().join("docs/a.txt"), "v2").unwrap();
+    fs::remove_file(src.path().join("docs/b.txt")).unwrap();
+    fs::write(src.path().join("new.txt"), "new").unwrap();
+    fs::write(src.path().join("docs/new.log"), "kept").unwrap();
+    fs::write(src.path().join("build/new.bin"), "kept").unwrap();
+
+    restore(&repo, &cfg, &snap.snapshot_id, &logger).await.unwrap();
+
+    assert_eq!(
+        files(src.path()),
+        vec![
+            "app.log=log",
+            "build/new.bin=kept",
+            "build/out.bin=out",
+            "docs/a.txt=v1",
+            "docs/b.txt=b",
+            "docs/new.log=kept",
+        ]
+    );
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn unreadable_file_fails_the_snapshot_and_forgets_it() {
+    if is_root() {
+        return; // root reads a 000 file anyway
+    }
+    use std::os::unix::fs::PermissionsExt;
+    let base = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let src = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    tree(src.path());
+    let locked = src.path().join("docs/b.txt");
+    fs::set_permissions(&locked, fs::Permissions::from_mode(0o000)).unwrap();
+    let cfg = files_config(src.path(), &[]);
+    let repo = local_repo(&base.path().join("repo"), &cfg.generated_id);
+    let logger = JobLogger::new();
+
+    let err = snapshot(&repo, &cfg, "bs-1", &logger).await.unwrap_err();
+    fs::set_permissions(&locked, fs::Permissions::from_mode(0o644)).unwrap();
+
+    assert!(err.to_string().contains("could not be read"), "{err:#}");
+    let listed = repo.run(["snapshots", "--json"], &logger).await.unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(listed.stdout.trim(), "[]");
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn unanchored_exclude_never_matches_directories_above_the_source() {
+    // Regression for spike S5: the source lives under a directory named like the pattern.
+    let base = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let src = base.path().join("tmp/src");
+    fs::create_dir_all(src.join("tmp")).unwrap();
+    fs::write(src.join("kept.txt"), "k").unwrap();
+    fs::write(src.join("tmp/dropped.txt"), "d").unwrap();
+    let cfg = files_config(&src, &["tmp"]);
+    let repo = local_repo(&base.path().join("repo"), &cfg.generated_id);
+
+    let snap = snapshot(&repo, &cfg, "bs-1", &JobLogger::new()).await.unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(snap.files_new, 1);
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn restoring_an_unknown_snapshot_fails_without_touching_the_target() {
+    let base = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let src = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    tree(src.path());
+    let cfg = files_config(src.path(), &[]);
+    let repo = local_repo(&base.path().join("repo"), &cfg.generated_id);
+    let logger = JobLogger::new();
+    snapshot(&repo, &cfg, "bs-1", &logger).await.unwrap();
+    fs::write(src.path().join("new.txt"), "new").unwrap();
+    let before = files(src.path());
+
+    let err = restore(&repo, &cfg, &"deadbeef".repeat(8), &logger).await.unwrap_err();
+
+    assert!(err.to_string().contains("not found"), "{err:#}");
+    assert_eq!(files(src.path()), before);
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn wrong_password_is_reported_explicitly() {
+    let base = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let src = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    tree(src.path());
+    let cfg = files_config(src.path(), &[]);
+    let dir = base.path().join("repo");
+    snapshot(&local_repo(&dir, &cfg.generated_id), &cfg, "bs-1", &JobLogger::new()).await.unwrap();
+
+    let config = format!("[pb]\ntype = alias\nremote = {}\n", dir.display());
+    let other = ResticRepo::new(&config, "pb", "", "backups", &cfg.generated_id, "other", dir.join("cache")).unwrap();
+    let err = snapshot(&other, &cfg, "bs-2", &JobLogger::new()).await.unwrap_err();
+    assert!(err.to_string().contains("wrong repository password"), "{err:#}");
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn an_unusable_cache_dir_runs_restic_without_cache() {
+    let base = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let src = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    tree(src.path());
+    let cfg = files_config(src.path(), &[]);
+    let dir = base.path().join("repo");
+    fs::create_dir_all(&dir).unwrap();
+    let blocker = tempfile::NamedTempFile::new().unwrap(); // a regular file: nothing can be created below it
+    let config = format!("[pb]\ntype = alias\nremote = {}\n", dir.display());
+    let repo = ResticRepo::new(&config, "pb", "", "backups", &cfg.generated_id, "test-password", blocker.path().join("cache")).unwrap();
+    snapshot(&repo, &cfg, "bs-1", &JobLogger::new()).await.unwrap();
+}

src/tests/services/sync_tests.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,270 @@
+//! Sync mode (rclone replica). Pure helpers first; integration tests need `rclone` on PATH.
+
+use crate::services::sync::excludes::sync_excludes;
+use crate::services::sync::stats::{SyncStats, parse_log};
+
+fn strings(items: &[&str]) -> Vec<String> {
+    items.iter().map(|s| s.to_string()).collect()
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn sync_excludes_translate_p0_patterns() {
+    let got = sync_excludes(&strings(&[
+        "*.log", "node_modules/", "/build/", "**/tmp", "/docs/**/*.md", "[!a].txt", "{x,y}.dat", "  ", "/",
+    ]));
+    assert_eq!(
+        got,
+        strings(&[
+            "*.log", "*.log/**",
+            "node_modules", "node_modules/**",
+            "/build", "/build/**",
+            "tmp", "tmp/**",
+            "/docs/**/*.md", "/docs/**/*.md/**", "/docs/*.md", "/docs/*.md/**",
+            "[^a].txt", "[^a].txt/**",
+            "{x,y}.dat", "{x,y}.dat/**",
+        ])
+    );
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn every_double_star_gap_gets_a_zero_directory_variant() {
+    assert_eq!(
+        sync_excludes(&strings(&["a/**/b/**/c"])),
+        strings(&[
+            "a/**/b/**/c", "a/**/b/**/c/**",
+            "a/b/**/c", "a/b/**/c/**",
+            "a/**/b/c", "a/**/b/c/**",
+            "a/b/c", "a/b/c/**",
+        ])
+    );
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn anchored_leading_double_star_also_matches_the_root() {
+    assert_eq!(sync_excludes(&strings(&["/**/x"])), strings(&["/**/x", "/**/x/**", "/x", "/x/**"]));
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn escaped_bracket_is_left_alone() {
+    assert_eq!(sync_excludes(&strings(&[r"\[!a]"])), strings(&[r"\[!a]", r"\[!a]/**"]));
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn parse_log_reads_the_final_stats_and_error_lines() {
+    let stderr = concat!(
+        r#"{"level":"error","msg":"Failed to copy: couldn't copy from /src/secret: errno -1","source":"operations/copy.go:1","time":"2026-10-03T19:44:59+02:00"}"#, "\n",
+        r#"{"level":"error","msg":"not deleting files as there were IO errors","source":"sync/sync.go:1","time":"2026-10-03T19:44:59+02:00"}"#, "\n",
+        r#"{"level":"notice","msg":"\nTransferred: 0 B\n","source":"accounting/stats.go:1","stats":{"bytes":0,"checks":12,"deletes":0,"errors":1,"fatalError":false,"lastError":"couldn't copy from /src/secret: errno -1","transfers":0},"time":"2026-10-03T19:44:59+02:00"}"#, "\n",
+    );
+    let log = parse_log(stderr);
+    assert_eq!(
+        log.stats,
+        Some(SyncStats { errors: 1, last_error: Some("couldn't copy from /src/secret: errno -1".into()), ..Default::default() })
+    );
+    assert_eq!(log.errors.len(), 2);
+    assert_eq!(log.errors[1], "not deleting files as there were IO errors");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn parse_log_reads_a_successful_run() {
+    let stderr = r#"{"level":"notice","msg":"\nTransferred: 2 B\n","source":"accounting/stats.go:1","stats":{"bytes":2,"checks":5,"deletes":1,"errors":0,"fatalError":false,"transfers":1},"time":"2026-10-03T19:45:10+02:00"}"#;
+    let log = parse_log(stderr);
+    assert_eq!(log.stats, Some(SyncStats { bytes: 2, transfers: 1, deletes: 1, ..Default::default() }));
+    assert!(log.errors.is_empty());
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn parse_log_keeps_plain_text_lines_as_errors() {
+    let log = parse_log("Error: unknown flag: --bogus\n");
+    assert!(log.stats.is_none());
+    assert_eq!(log.errors, strings(&["Error: unknown flag: --bogus"]));
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn parse_log_accepts_critical_error_level() {
+    let stderr = r#"{"level":"critical","msg":"Failed to create file system for \":sftp,host=127.0.0.1,port=1,user=x:/tmp/dst\": NewFs: couldn't connect SSH: dial tcp 127.0.0.1:1: connect: connection refused","source":"cmd/cmd.go:148"}"#;
+    let log = parse_log(stderr);
+    assert!(log.stats.is_none());
+    assert_eq!(log.errors.len(), 1);
+    assert!(log.errors[0].starts_with("Failed to create file system"));
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn parse_log_deduplicates_repeated_error_lines() {
+    let stderr = concat!(
+        r#"{"level":"error","msg":"connection timeout","source":"operations/copy.go:1","time":"2026-10-03T19:44:59+02:00"}"#, "\n",
+        r#"{"level":"error","msg":"connection timeout","source":"operations/copy.go:1","time":"2026-10-03T19:44:59+02:00"}"#, "\n",
+        r#"{"level":"error","msg":"connection timeout","source":"operations/copy.go:1","time":"2026-10-03T19:44:59+02:00"}"#, "\n",
+    );
+    let log = parse_log(stderr);
+    assert_eq!(log.errors.len(), 1);
+    assert_eq!(log.errors[0], "connection timeout");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn sync_excludes_collapses_repeated_double_stars() {
+    assert_eq!(
+        sync_excludes(&strings(&["a/**/**/b"])),
+        strings(&["a/**/b", "a/**/b/**", "a/b", "a/b/**"])
+    );
+}
+
+// ---------- integration: rclone on PATH, `alias` remote under a temp dir ----------
+
+use crate::domain::files::platform::is_root;
+use crate::services::backup::logger::JobLogger;
+use crate::services::sync::rclone::{replica_target, sync_dir};
+use crate::tests::domain::files::files_config;
+use std::fs;
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
+use tempfile::TempDir;
+
+fn alias(dir: &Path) -> String {
+    fs::create_dir_all(dir).unwrap();
+    format!("[pb]\ntype = alias\nremote = {}\n", dir.display())
+}
+
+fn replica(store: &Path, generated_id: &str) -> PathBuf {
+    store.join("backups/sync").join(generated_id).join("current")
+}
+
+/// `relative/path=content` for every regular file, sorted.
+fn files(root: &Path) -> Vec<String> {
+    let mut out: Vec<String> = walkdir::WalkDir::new(root)
+        .min_depth(1)
+        .into_iter()
+        .filter_map(Result::ok)
+        .filter(|e| e.file_type().is_file())
+        .map(|e| format!("{}={}", e.path().strip_prefix(root).unwrap().display(), fs::read_to_string(e.path()).unwrap()))
+        .collect();
+    out.sort();
+    out
+}
+
+fn tree(root: &Path) {
+    fs::create_dir_all(root.join("docs")).unwrap();
+    fs::write(root.join("docs/a.txt"), "v1").unwrap();
+    fs::write(root.join("docs/b.txt"), "b").unwrap();
+    fs::create_dir_all(root.join("build")).unwrap();
+    fs::write(root.join("build/out.bin"), "out").unwrap();
+    fs::write(root.join("app.log"), "log").unwrap();
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn replica_target_follows_the_path_convention() {
+    assert_eq!(replica_target("s3", "bucket", "backups", "g1"), "s3:bucket/backups/sync/g1/current");
+    assert_eq!(replica_target("pb", "", "backups", "g1"), "pb:backups/sync/g1/current");
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn sync_mirrors_the_source_and_propagates_changes() {
+    let store = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let src = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    tree(src.path());
+    let cfg = files_config(src.path(), &["*.log", "/build"]);
+    let config = alias(store.path());
+    let logger = JobLogger::new();
+
+    let first = sync_dir(&config, &replica_target("pb", "", "backups", &cfg.generated_id), &cfg, &logger).await.unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(first.transfers, 2);
+    assert_eq!(first.replica_bytes, Some(3), "excluded files are not counted");
+    assert_eq!(files(&replica(store.path(), &cfg.generated_id)), vec!["docs/a.txt=v1", "docs/b.txt=b"]);
+
+    fs::write(src.path().join("docs/a.txt"), "v2").unwrap();
+    fs::remove_file(src.path().join("docs/b.txt")).unwrap();
+    fs::write(src.path().join("new.txt"), "new").unwrap();
+
+    let second = sync_dir(&config, &replica_target("pb", "", "backups", &cfg.generated_id), &cfg, &logger).await.unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(second.transfers, 2);
+    assert_eq!(second.deletes, 1);
+    assert_eq!(second.replica_bytes, Some(5));
+    assert_eq!(files(&replica(store.path(), &cfg.generated_id)), vec!["docs/a.txt=v2", "new.txt=new"]);
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn a_later_exclude_removes_files_from_the_replica() {
+    let store = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let src = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    tree(src.path());
+    let cfg = files_config(src.path(), &["*.log", "/build"]);
+    let config = alias(store.path());
+    let dest = replica_target("pb", "", "backups", &cfg.generated_id);
+    sync_dir(&config, &dest, &cfg, &JobLogger::new()).await.unwrap();
+
+    let mut later = cfg.clone();
+    later.options = files_config(src.path(), &["*.log", "/build", "b.txt"]).options;
+    let stats = sync_dir(&config, &dest, &later, &JobLogger::new()).await.unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(stats.deletes, 1);
+    assert_eq!(stats.replica_bytes, Some(2));
+    assert_eq!(files(&replica(store.path(), &cfg.generated_id)), vec!["docs/a.txt=v1"]);
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn failed_sync_keeps_files_the_failed_run_would_delete() {
+    if is_root() {
+        return; // root reads a 000 file anyway
+    }
+    use std::os::unix::fs::PermissionsExt;
+    let store = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let src = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    tree(src.path());
+    let cfg = files_config(src.path(), &[]);
+    let config = alias(store.path());
+    sync_dir(&config, &replica_target("pb", "", "backups", &cfg.generated_id), &cfg, &JobLogger::new()).await.unwrap();
+
+    fs::remove_file(src.path().join("docs/b.txt")).unwrap();
+    let locked = src.path().join("docs/a.txt");
+    // rclone only opens a file whose size/mtime changed, so the unreadable file must differ from the replica's copy.
+    fs::write(&locked, "changed and now unreadable").unwrap();
+    fs::set_permissions(&locked, fs::Permissions::from_mode(0o000)).unwrap();
+    let err = sync_dir(&config, &replica_target("pb", "", "backups", &cfg.generated_id), &cfg, &JobLogger::new()).await.unwrap_err();
+    fs::set_permissions(&locked, fs::Permissions::from_mode(0o644)).unwrap();
+
+    assert!(err.to_string().contains("rclone sync failed"), "{err:#}");
+    assert!(replica(store.path(), &cfg.generated_id).join("docs/b.txt").exists());
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn empty_source_is_refused_and_the_replica_is_untouched() {
+    let store = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let src = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let cfg = files_config(src.path(), &[]);
+    let err = sync_dir(&alias(store.path()), &replica_target("pb", "", "backups", &cfg.generated_id), &cfg, &JobLogger::new()).await.unwrap_err();
+    assert!(err.to_string().contains("is empty"), "{err:#}");
+    assert!(!store.path().join("backups").exists());
+}
+
+// ---------- sync as a backup method ----------
+
+use crate::services::api::models::agent::status::DatabaseStorage;
+use crate::services::sync::backup::replica_path;
+use serde_json::json;
+
+#[test]
+fn replica_path_uses_the_channel_folder() {
+    let custom: DatabaseStorage =
+        serde_json::from_value(json!({ "id": "s", "provider": "s3", "folderName": "/pb/", "config": {} })).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(replica_path(&custom, "g1"), "pb/sync/g1/current");
+    let default: DatabaseStorage =
+        serde_json::from_value(json!({ "id": "s", "provider": "s3", "config": {} })).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(replica_path(&default, "g1"), "backups/sync/g1/current");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn local_sync_config_points_at_the_dashboard_webdav_server() {
+    use crate::services::sync::backup::local_sync_config;
+    use crate::utils::edge_key::EdgeKey;
+    let edge_key = EdgeKey {
+        server_url: "http://dash:8887/".into(),
+        agent_id: "agent-1".into(),
+        master_key_b64: "AAECAwQFBgcICQoLDA0ODxAREhMUFRYXGBkaGxwdHh8=".into(),
+    };
+    let text = local_sync_config(&edge_key).unwrap();
+    assert!(
+        text.starts_with(
+            "[pblocal]\ntype = webdav\nurl = http://dash:8887/storage/sync\nvendor = rclone\nuser = portabase\npass = "
+        ),
+        "{text}"
+    );
+    assert!(!text.contains("8abfb788"), "the password must be obscured: {text}");
+}

src/tests/storage/fixtures/rclone-target/blob-account-key.ini

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+[blob]
+type = azureblob
+account = myaccount
+key = a2V5LWJhc2U2NA==
+endpoint = https://myaccount.blob.core.windows.net
+no_check_container = true

src/tests/storage/fixtures/rclone-target/blob-connection-string.ini

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+[blob]
+type = azureblob
+account = devstoreaccount1
+key = a2V5
+endpoint = http://127.0.0.1:10000/devstoreaccount1
+no_check_container = true

src/tests/storage/fixtures/rclone-target/blob-endpoint-url.ini

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+[blob]
+type = azureblob
+account = devstoreaccount1
+key = a2V5
+endpoint = http://127.0.0.1:10000/devstoreaccount1
+no_check_container = true

src/tests/storage/fixtures/rclone-target/google-cloud-storage-emulator.ini

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+[google-cloud-storage]
+type = google cloud storage
+project_number = test
+anonymous = true
+endpoint = http://127.0.0.1:4443/storage/v1/
+bucket_policy_only = true
+no_check_bucket = true

src/tests/storage/fixtures/rclone-target/google-cloud-storage.ini

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+[google-cloud-storage]
+type = google cloud storage
+project_number = my-project
+service_account_credentials = {"client_email":"svc@my-project.iam.gserviceaccount.com","private_key":"-----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY-----\nMIIEexample\n-----END PRIVATE KEY-----\n","private_key_id":"","project_id":"my-project","token_uri":"https://oauth2.googleapis.com/token","type":"service_account","universe_domain":"googleapis.com"}
+bucket_policy_only = true
+no_check_bucket = true

src/tests/storage/fixtures/rclone-target/google-drive.ini

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+[google-drive]
+type = drive
+client_id = cid.apps.googleusercontent.com
+client_secret = csecret
+scope = drive.file
+token = {"access_token":"","expiry":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","refresh_token":"1//refresh","token_type":"Bearer"}
+root_folder_id = folder123
+use_trash = false

src/tests/storage/fixtures/rclone-target/inputs.json

@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+{
+  "s3": {
+    "provider": "s3",
+    "config": { "endPointUrl": "s3.example.com", "accessKey": "AKIAEXAMPLE", "secretKey": "secretEXAMPLE", "bucketName": "my-bucket", "ssl": true, "region": "eu-west-1" },
+    "expected": { "remoteName": "s3", "basePath": "my-bucket" }
+  },
+  "s3-port-no-ssl": {
+    "provider": "s3",
+    "config": { "endPointUrl": "minio.local", "port": 9000, "accessKey": "minioadmin", "secretKey": "minioadmin", "bucketName": "backups", "ssl": false, "region": "   " },
+    "expected": { "remoteName": "s3", "basePath": "backups" }
+  },
+  "blob-account-key": {
+    "provider": "blob",
+    "config": { "authMode": "accountKey", "accountName": "myaccount", "accountKey": "a2V5LWJhc2U2NA==", "containerName": "backups" },
+    "expected": { "remoteName": "blob", "basePath": "backups" }
+  },
+  "blob-endpoint-url": {
+    "provider": "blob",
+    "config": { "authMode": "accountKey", "accountName": "devstoreaccount1", "accountKey": "a2V5", "containerName": "backups", "endpointUrl": "http://127.0.0.1:10000" },
+    "expected": { "remoteName": "blob", "basePath": "backups" }
+  },
+  "blob-connection-string": {
+    "provider": "blob",
+    "config": { "authMode": "connectionString", "connectionString": "DefaultEndpointsProtocol=http;AccountName=devstoreaccount1;AccountKey=a2V5;BlobEndpoint=http://127.0.0.1:10000/devstoreaccount1;", "containerName": "backups" },
+    "expected": { "remoteName": "blob", "basePath": "backups" }
+  },
+  "google-cloud-storage": {
+    "provider": "google-cloud-storage",
+    "config": { "projectId": "my-project", "bucketName": "my-gcs-bucket", "clientEmail": "svc@my-project.iam.gserviceaccount.com", "privateKey": "-----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY-----\\nMIIEexample\\n-----END PRIVATE KEY-----\\n", "apiEndpoint": "" },
+    "expected": { "remoteName": "google-cloud-storage", "basePath": "my-gcs-bucket" }
+  },
+  "google-cloud-storage-emulator": {
+    "provider": "google-cloud-storage",
+    "config": { "projectId": "test", "bucketName": "bucket", "clientEmail": "x@test", "privateKey": "", "apiEndpoint": "http://127.0.0.1:4443" },
+    "expected": { "remoteName": "google-cloud-storage", "basePath": "bucket" }
+  },
+  "google-drive": {
+    "provider": "google-drive",
+    "config": { "clientId": "cid.apps.googleusercontent.com", "clientSecret": "csecret", "refreshToken": "1//refresh", "folderId": "folder123" },
+    "expected": { "remoteName": "google-drive", "basePath": "" }
+  },
+  "rclone": {
+    "provider": "rclone",
+    "config": { "configText": "[ovh]\ntype = s3\nprovider = OVHcloud\naccess_key_id = a\nsecret_access_key = b\nendpoint = s3.gra.io.cloud.ovh.net\n", "remoteName": "ovh", "remotePath": "my-bucket" },
+    "expected": { "remoteName": "ovh", "basePath": "my-bucket" }
+  },
+  "sftp-key": {
+    "provider": "sftp",
+    "config": { "host": "sftp.example.com", "port": 2222, "username": "backup", "privateKey": "-----BEGIN OPENSSH PRIVATE KEY-----\nabc\n-----END OPENSSH PRIVATE KEY-----\n", "remotePath": "/srv/backups" },
+    "expected": { "remoteName": "sftp", "basePath": "/srv/backups" }
+  }
+}

src/tests/storage/fixtures/rclone-target/rclone.ini

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+[ovh]
+type = s3
+provider = OVHcloud
+access_key_id = a
+secret_access_key = b
+endpoint = s3.gra.io.cloud.ovh.net

src/tests/storage/fixtures/rclone-target/s3-port-no-ssl.ini

@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+[s3]
+type = s3
+provider = Other
+access_key_id = minioadmin
+secret_access_key = minioadmin
+endpoint = http://minio.local:9000
+region = us-east-1
+force_path_style = true
+no_check_bucket = true

src/tests/storage/fixtures/rclone-target/s3.ini

@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+[s3]
+type = s3
+provider = Other
+access_key_id = AKIAEXAMPLE
+secret_access_key = secretEXAMPLE
+endpoint = https://s3.example.com
+region = eu-west-1
+force_path_style = true
+no_check_bucket = true

src/tests/storage/fixtures/rclone-target/sftp-key.ini

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+[sftp]
+type = sftp
+host = sftp.example.com
+port = 2222
+user = backup
+key_file = <KEY_FILE>

src/tests/storage/fixtures/rclone-validation/cases.json

@@ -0,0 +1,345 @@
+[
+  {
+    "name": "ovh-s3",
+    "configText": "[ovhcloud-rbx]\ntype = s3\nprovider = OVHcloud\naccess_key_id = my_access\nsecret_access_key = my_secret\nregion = rbx\nendpoint = s3.rbx.io.cloud.ovh.net\nacl = private\n",
+    "remoteName": "ovhcloud-rbx",
+    "ok": true,
+    "errorContains": null
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "comments-crlf",
+    "configText": "# comment\r\n[r]\r\ntype = s3\r\n; note\r\nprovider = AWS\r\n",
+    "remoteName": "r",
+    "ok": true,
+    "errorContains": null
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "empty-value",
+    "configText": "[r]\ntype = webdav\nurl = https://dav.example.com\nuser =\n",
+    "remoteName": "r",
+    "ok": true,
+    "errorContains": null
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "duplicate-type",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = s3\ntype = local\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "duplicate rclone config key 'type'"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "duplicate-type-case",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = s3\nTYPE = local\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "duplicate rclone config key 'TYPE'"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "colon-separator",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype: local\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "line 2 is not a [section] header"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "on-the-fly",
+    "configText": "[:local]\ntype = s3\n",
+    "remoteName": ":local",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "invalid rclone remote name ':local'"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "sftp-ssh",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = sftp\nhost = h\nssh = touch /tmp/pwned\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "key 'ssh' is not allowed"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "webdav-command",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = webdav\nurl = http://h\nbearer_token_command = id\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "key 'bearer_token_command' is not allowed"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "env-auth",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = s3\nenv_auth = true\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "key 'env_auth' is not allowed"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "use-msi",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = azureblob\naccount = a\nuse_msi = true\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "key 'use_msi' is not allowed"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "service-account-file",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = google cloud storage\nservice_account_file = /etc/passwd\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "key 'service_account_file' is not allowed"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "blocked-local",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = local\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "backend type 'local' is not allowed"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "two-sections",
+    "configText": "[a]\ntype = s3\n[b]\ntype = s3\n",
+    "remoteName": "a",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "exactly one [section] (found 2)"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "key-before-section",
+    "configText": "type = s3\n[x]\ntype = s3\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "line 1 appears before any [section]"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "no-type",
+    "configText": "[x]\nprovider = AWS\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "has no type"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "remote-mismatch",
+    "configText": "[a]\ntype = s3\n",
+    "remoteName": "b",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "remote 'b' is not defined"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "bad-key",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = s3\nbad key = 1\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "invalid rclone config key 'bad key'"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "empty-config",
+    "configText": "",
+    "remoteName": "r",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "exactly one [section] (found 0)"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "empty-section-name",
+    "configText": "[]\ntype = s3\n",
+    "remoteName": "",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "invalid rclone remote name ''"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "name-with-space",
+    "configText": "[a b]\ntype = s3\n",
+    "remoteName": "a b",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "invalid rclone remote name 'a b'"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "blocked-type-uppercase",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = LOCAL\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "backend type 'local' is not allowed"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "key-file-uppercase",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = sftp\nKEY_FILE = /etc/passwd\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "key 'KEY_FILE' is not allowed"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "equals-at-line-start",
+    "configText": "[x]\n= v\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "line 2 is not a [section] header"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "whitespace-tolerant",
+    "configText": "  [r]  \n  type=s3  \n\n",
+    "remoteName": "r",
+    "ok": true,
+    "errorContains": null
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "quoted-type-backtick",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = `local`\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "value for key 'type' must not be quoted"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "quoted-type-triple",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = \"\"\"local\"\"\"\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "value for key 'type' must not be quoted"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "quoted-type-trailing-junk",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = `alias` junk\nremote = /\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "value for key 'type' must not be quoted"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "quoted-other-value",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = s3\nendpoint = `x`\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "value for key 'endpoint' must not be quoted (remote 'x')"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "blocked-google-photos",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = google photos\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "backend type 'google photos' is not allowed"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "blocked-gphotos",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = gphotos\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "backend type 'gphotos' is not allowed"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "invalid-type-syntax",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = s3!\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "invalid rclone backend type 's3!' (remote 'x')"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "forbidden-use-az",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = azureblob\nuse_az = v\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "key 'use_az' is not allowed (remote 'x')"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "forbidden-use-kerberos",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = hdfs\nuse_kerberos = v\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "key 'use_kerberos' is not allowed (remote 'x')"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "forbidden-kerberos-ccache",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = hdfs\nkerberos_ccache = v\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "key 'kerberos_ccache' is not allowed (remote 'x')"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "forbidden-key-use-agent",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = sftp\nkey_use_agent = v\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "key 'key_use_agent' is not allowed (remote 'x')"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "forbidden-set-env",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = sftp\nset_env = v\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "key 'set_env' is not allowed (remote 'x')"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "forbidden-unix-socket",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = sftp\nunix_socket = v\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "key 'unix_socket' is not allowed (remote 'x')"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "forbidden-client-certificate-path",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = azureblob\nclient_certificate_path = v\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "key 'client_certificate_path' is not allowed (remote 'x')"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "oracle-env-auth",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = oracleobjectstorage\nprovider = env_auth\nnamespace = n\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "oracleobjectstorage remotes must use provider = no_auth (remote 'x')"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "oracle-missing-provider",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = oracleobjectstorage\nnamespace = n\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "oracleobjectstorage remotes must use provider = no_auth (remote 'x')"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "oracle-spaced-type",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = oracle object storage\nprovider = instance_principal_auth\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "oracleobjectstorage remotes must use provider = no_auth (remote 'x')"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "oracle-provider-uppercase-value",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = oracleobjectstorage\nprovider = NO_AUTH\nnamespace = n\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "oracleobjectstorage remotes must use provider = no_auth (remote 'x')"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "oracle-provider-uppercase-key",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = oracleobjectstorage\nPROVIDER = no_auth\nnamespace = n\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "oracleobjectstorage remotes must use provider = no_auth (remote 'x')"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "oracle-no-auth",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = oracleobjectstorage\nprovider = no_auth\nnamespace = n\nregion = eu-frankfurt-1\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": true,
+    "errorContains": null
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "nel-in-type",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = local\u0085\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "backend type 'local' is not allowed (remote 'x')"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "order-duplicate-before-forbidden",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = s3\nssh = a\nssh = b\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "duplicate rclone config key 'ssh' (remote 'x')"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "order-bad-line-before-pair-before-header",
+    "configText": "type = s3\n[x]\nfoo\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "rclone config line 3 is not a [section] header"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "order-invalid-key-before-duplicate",
+    "configText": "[x]\ntype = s3\nbad key = 1\nbad key = 2\n",
+    "remoteName": "x",
+    "ok": false,
+    "errorContains": "invalid rclone config key 'bad key' (remote 'x')"
+  }
+]

src/tests/storage/google_cloud_storage.rs

@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ use testcontainers::{GenericImage, ImageExt};
 
 const BUCKET: &str = "portabase";
 
-async fn start_fake_gcs() -> (testcontainers::ContainerAsync<GenericImage>, String) {
+pub(super) async fn start_fake_gcs() -> (testcontainers::ContainerAsync<GenericImage>, String) {
     // Natural random host port (no port-80 pin). The provider forces a single-shot
     // upload for custom endpoints, which issues one request to this endpoint and never
     // follows a server-built `Location` — so it works on any port, unlike the resumable

src/tests/storage/mod.rs

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 mod azure_blob;
 mod google_cloud_storage;
 mod rclone;
+mod rclone_target;
 mod sftp;

src/tests/storage/rclone.rs

@@ -63,6 +63,41 @@ fn validate_config_accepts_the_target_remote() {
     assert!(validate_config(OVH_CONFIG, "ovhcloud-rbx").is_ok());
 }
 
+#[derive(serde::Deserialize)]
+#[serde(rename_all = "camelCase")]
+struct ValidationCase {
+    name: String,
+    config_text: String,
+    remote_name: String,
+    ok: bool,
+    error_contains: Option<String>,
+}
+
+/// The same file is verified against the dashboard validator: keep both in sync.
+#[test]
+fn validate_config_matches_the_shared_test_vectors() {
+    let cases: Vec<ValidationCase> =
+        serde_json::from_str(include_str!("fixtures/rclone-validation/cases.json")).unwrap();
+    assert!(!cases.is_empty());
+
+    let mut failures = Vec::new();
+    for case in &cases {
+        match (validate_config(&case.config_text, &case.remote_name), case.ok) {
+            (Ok(()), true) => {}
+            (Ok(()), false) => failures.push(format!("[{}] expected an error, got Ok", case.name)),
+            (Err(e), true) => failures.push(format!("[{}] expected Ok, got: {e:#}", case.name)),
+            (Err(e), false) => {
+                let msg = format!("{e:#}");
+                let want = case.error_contains.as_deref().expect("ok:false needs errorContains");
+                if !msg.contains(want) {
+                    failures.push(format!("[{}] error {msg:?} does not contain {want:?}", case.name));
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    assert!(failures.is_empty(), "{} case(s) failed:\n{}", failures.len(), failures.join("\n"));
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn validate_config_rejects_an_unknown_remote_name() {
     let err = validate_config(OVH_CONFIG, "typo").unwrap_err().to_string();
@@ -85,23 +120,28 @@ fn validate_config_rejects_alias_backend() {
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn validate_config_rejects_a_blocked_backend_in_a_chained_section() {
+fn validate_config_rejects_chained_sections() {
+    // A blocked backend hidden behind an allowed (or wrapping) remote can no longer be expressed:
+    // anything beyond a single [section] is refused outright.
     let cfg = "[secret]\ntype = crypt\nremote = disk:vault\n\n[disk]\ntype = local\n";
     let err = validate_config(cfg, "secret").unwrap_err().to_string();
-    assert!(err.contains("crypt"), "unexpected error: {err}");
-    assert!(err.contains("secret"), "error should name the offending remote: {err}");
+    assert!(err.contains("exactly one [section] (found 2)"), "unexpected error: {err}");
 
     let cfg = "[outer]\ntype = s3\nprovider = Minio\n\n[disk]\ntype = local\n";
     let err = validate_config(cfg, "outer").unwrap_err().to_string();
-    assert!(err.contains("local"), "unexpected error: {err}");
-    assert!(err.contains("disk"), "error should name the offending remote: {err}");
+    assert!(err.contains("exactly one [section] (found 2)"), "unexpected error: {err}");
+
+    let cfg = format!("[secret]\ntype = crypt\nremote = ovhcloud-rbx:bucket\n\n{OVH_CONFIG}");
+    let err = validate_config(&cfg, "secret").unwrap_err().to_string();
+    assert!(err.contains("exactly one [section] (found 2)"), "unexpected error: {err}");
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn validate_config_rejects_crypt_even_over_an_allowed_remote() {
-    let cfg = format!("[secret]\ntype = crypt\nremote = ovhcloud-rbx:bucket\n\n{OVH_CONFIG}");
-    let err = validate_config(&cfg, "secret").unwrap_err().to_string();
+fn validate_config_rejects_crypt_over_an_allowed_remote_name() {
+    let cfg = "[secret]\ntype = crypt\nremote = ovhcloud-rbx:bucket\n";
+    let err = validate_config(cfg, "secret").unwrap_err().to_string();
     assert!(err.contains("crypt"), "unexpected error: {err}");
+    assert!(err.contains("secret"), "error should name the offending remote: {err}");
 }
 
 #[test]
@@ -179,7 +219,7 @@ use testcontainers::{GenericImage, ImageExt};
 
 const BUCKET: &str = "portabase";
 
-async fn start_minio() -> (testcontainers::ContainerAsync<GenericImage>, String) {
+pub(super) async fn start_minio() -> (testcontainers::ContainerAsync<GenericImage>, String) {
     let container = GenericImage::new("coollabsio/minio", "latest")
         .with_exposed_port(9000.tcp())
         .with_wait_for(WaitFor::message_on_stderr("API:"))
@@ -208,7 +248,7 @@ fn minio_config(endpoint: &str) -> String {
     )
 }
 
-fn rclone_ok(config_path: &std::path::Path, args: &[&str]) -> Vec<u8> {
+pub(super) fn rclone_ok(config_path: &std::path::Path, args: &[&str]) -> Vec<u8> {
     let out = Command::new("rclone")
         .arg("--config")
         .arg(config_path)

src/tests/storage/rclone_target.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,302 @@
+use crate::services::api::models::agent::status::DatabaseStorage;
+use super::google_cloud_storage::start_fake_gcs;
+use super::rclone::{rclone_ok, start_minio};
+use crate::services::storage::providers::rclone::helpers::{obscure_password, write_config};
+use crate::services::storage::providers::rclone::target::rclone_target;
+use serde_json::{Value, json};
+
+const INPUTS: &str = include_str!("fixtures/rclone-target/inputs.json");
+
+pub(super) fn expected_ini(name: &str) -> &'static str {
+    match name {
+        "s3" => include_str!("fixtures/rclone-target/s3.ini"),
+        "s3-port-no-ssl" => include_str!("fixtures/rclone-target/s3-port-no-ssl.ini"),
+        "blob-account-key" => include_str!("fixtures/rclone-target/blob-account-key.ini"),
+        "blob-endpoint-url" => include_str!("fixtures/rclone-target/blob-endpoint-url.ini"),
+        "blob-connection-string" => include_str!("fixtures/rclone-target/blob-connection-string.ini"),
+        "google-cloud-storage" => include_str!("fixtures/rclone-target/google-cloud-storage.ini"),
+        "google-cloud-storage-emulator" => {
+            include_str!("fixtures/rclone-target/google-cloud-storage-emulator.ini")
+        }
+        "google-drive" => include_str!("fixtures/rclone-target/google-drive.ini"),
+        "rclone" => include_str!("fixtures/rclone-target/rclone.ini"),
+        "sftp-key" => include_str!("fixtures/rclone-target/sftp-key.ini"),
+        other => panic!("no expected fixture for {other}"),
+    }
+}
+
+pub(super) fn storage(provider: &str, config: Value) -> DatabaseStorage {
+    serde_json::from_value(json!({
+        "id": "storage-1",
+        "provider": provider,
+        "folderName": "backups",
+        "config": config,
+    }))
+    .unwrap()
+}
+
+/// Temp-file paths differ per run; normalize them before comparing. Keeps the exact
+/// trailing newline so a missing final `\n` fails the golden test.
+pub(super) fn normalize(config_text: &str) -> String {
+    config_text
+        .split('\n')
+        .map(|l| {
+            if l.starts_with("key_file = ") {
+                "key_file = <KEY_FILE>".to_string()
+            } else {
+                l.to_string()
+            }
+        })
+        .collect::<Vec<_>>()
+        .join("\n")
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn rclone_target_matches_golden_fixtures() {
+    let inputs: Value = serde_json::from_str(INPUTS).unwrap();
+    for (name, case) in inputs.as_object().unwrap() {
+        let target = rclone_target(&storage(
+            case["provider"].as_str().unwrap(),
+            case["config"].clone(),
+        ))
+        .unwrap_or_else(|e| panic!("{name}: {e:#}"));
+
+        assert_eq!(normalize(&target.config_text), expected_ini(name), "{name}: config_text");
+        assert_eq!(target.remote_name, case["expected"]["remoteName"].as_str().unwrap(), "{name}: remote_name");
+        assert_eq!(target.base_path, case["expected"]["basePath"].as_str().unwrap(), "{name}: base_path");
+    }
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn rclone_target_rejects_local_and_unknown_providers() {
+    let err = rclone_target(&storage("local", json!({}))).err().unwrap();
+    assert!(format!("{err:#}").contains("a local storage channel cannot be used as an rclone target"));
+
+    let err = rclone_target(&storage("ftp-of-doom", json!({}))).err().unwrap();
+    assert!(format!("{err:#}").contains("ftp-of-doom"));
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn rclone_target_rejects_azure_without_account_key() {
+    let err = rclone_target(&storage(
+        "blob",
+        json!({
+            "authMode": "connectionString",
+            "connectionString": "BlobEndpoint=https://acct.blob.core.windows.net;SharedAccessSignature=sv=2022&sig=x",
+            "containerName": "c"
+        }),
+    ))
+    .err()
+    .unwrap();
+    assert!(format!("{err:#}").contains("account key"), "{err:#}");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn rclone_target_applies_the_rclone_backend_blocklist() {
+    let err = rclone_target(&storage(
+        "rclone",
+        json!({ "configText": "[disk]\ntype = local\n", "remoteName": "disk", "remotePath": "" }),
+    ))
+    .err()
+    .unwrap();
+    assert!(format!("{err:#}").contains("not allowed"), "{err:#}");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn sftp_key_file_lives_exactly_as_long_as_the_target() {
+    let target = rclone_target(&storage(
+        "sftp",
+        json!({ "host": "h", "username": "u", "privateKey": "KEY", "remotePath": "" }),
+    ))
+    .unwrap();
+    let key_path = target
+        .config_text
+        .lines()
+        .find_map(|l| l.strip_prefix("key_file = "))
+        .unwrap()
+        .to_string();
+    assert_eq!(std::fs::read_to_string(&key_path).unwrap(), "KEY");
+    drop(target);
+    assert!(!std::path::Path::new(&key_path).exists(), "key file must be removed with the target");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn sftp_config_error_keeps_the_root_cause() {
+    let err = rclone_target(&storage("sftp", json!({ "username": "u", "password": "p" })))
+        .err()
+        .unwrap();
+    let text = format!("{err:#}");
+    assert!(text.contains("invalid sftp storage config"), "{text}");
+    assert!(text.contains("host"), "{text}");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn sftp_password_only_has_pass_and_no_key_file() {
+    let target = rclone_target(&storage(
+        "sftp",
+        json!({ "host": "h", "username": "u", "password": "secret", "remotePath": "" }),
+    ))
+    .unwrap();
+    assert!(!target.config_text.contains("key_file"), "{}", target.config_text);
+    assert!(target.config_text.lines().any(|l| l.starts_with("pass = ")), "{}", target.config_text);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn obscured_password_round_trips_through_rclone_reveal() {
+    let obscured = obscure_password("s3cr3t").unwrap();
+    assert_ne!(obscured, "s3cr3t");
+
+    let out = std::process::Command::new("rclone").args(["reveal", &obscured]).output().unwrap();
+    assert!(out.status.success(), "{}", String::from_utf8_lossy(&out.stderr));
+    assert_eq!(String::from_utf8_lossy(&out.stdout).trim(), "s3cr3t");
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn s3_target_reaches_minio_through_rclone() {
+    let (_container, endpoint) = start_minio().await; // "http://host:port"
+    let host_port = endpoint.trim_start_matches("http://");
+    let (host, port) = host_port.rsplit_once(':').unwrap();
+
+    let target = rclone_target(&storage(
+        "s3",
+        json!({ "endPointUrl": host, "port": port.parse::<u16>().unwrap(), "ssl": false,
+                "accessKey": "minioadmin", "secretKey": "minioadmin", "bucketName": "portabase" }),
+    ))
+    .unwrap();
+    let config = write_config(&target.config_text).unwrap();
+
+    // The mapper sets `no_check_bucket = true`, so create the bucket with a per-call override.
+    let create = format!("{},no_check_bucket=false:{}", target.remote_name, target.base_path);
+    rclone_ok(config.path(), &["mkdir", &create]);
+    let listing = String::from_utf8(rclone_ok(config.path(), &["lsd", &format!("{}:", target.remote_name)])).unwrap();
+    assert!(listing.contains("portabase"), "lsd output: {listing}");
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn gcs_emulator_target_reaches_fake_gcs_through_rclone() {
+    let (_container, endpoint) = start_fake_gcs().await; // "http://host:port"
+
+    let target = rclone_target(&storage(
+        "google-cloud-storage",
+        json!({ "projectId": "test", "bucketName": "bucket1", "clientEmail": "x@test",
+                "privateKey": "", "apiEndpoint": endpoint }),
+    ))
+    .unwrap();
+    let config = write_config(&target.config_text).unwrap();
+
+    // Same per-call override as the s3 test: the mapper never creates buckets on its own.
+    let create = format!("{},no_check_bucket=false:{}", target.remote_name, target.base_path);
+    rclone_ok(config.path(), &["mkdir", &create]);
+    let listing = String::from_utf8(rclone_ok(config.path(), &["lsd", &format!("{}:", target.remote_name)])).unwrap();
+    assert!(listing.contains("bucket1"), "lsd output: {listing}");
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn s3_target_hosts_a_restic_repository() {
+    use crate::services::backup::logger::JobLogger;
+    use crate::services::restic::backup::snapshot;
+    use crate::services::restic::command::ResticRepo;
+    use base64::{Engine as _, engine::general_purpose};
+
+    let (_container, endpoint) = start_minio().await; // "http://host:port"
+    let host_port = endpoint.trim_start_matches("http://");
+    let (host, port) = host_port.rsplit_once(':').unwrap();
+    let channel = storage(
+        "s3",
+        json!({ "endPointUrl": host, "port": port.parse::<u16>().unwrap(), "ssl": false,
+                "accessKey": "minioadmin", "secretKey": "minioadmin", "bucketName": "portabase" }),
+    );
+    let target = rclone_target(&channel).unwrap();
+    let config = write_config(&target.config_text).unwrap();
+    let create = format!("{},no_check_bucket=false:{}", target.remote_name, target.base_path);
+    rclone_ok(config.path(), &["mkdir", &create]);
+
+    let src = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    std::fs::write(src.path().join("a.txt"), "a").unwrap();
+    let cfg = crate::tests::domain::files::files_config(src.path(), &[]);
+    let master_key_b64 = general_purpose::STANDARD.encode([7u8; 32]);
+
+    let edge_key = crate::utils::edge_key::EdgeKey {
+        server_url: String::new(),
+        agent_id: "agent-1".into(),
+        master_key_b64: master_key_b64.clone(),
+    };
+    let repo = ResticRepo::open(&channel, &cfg.generated_id, &edge_key).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(repo.repository(), format!("rclone:s3:portabase/backups/restic/{}", cfg.generated_id));
+    let snap = snapshot(&repo, &cfg, "bs-1", &JobLogger::new()).await.unwrap();
+
+    let listed = String::from_utf8(rclone_ok(
+        config.path(),
+        &["lsf", &format!("s3:portabase/backups/restic/{}/snapshots", cfg.generated_id)],
+    ))
+    .unwrap();
+    assert!(listed.contains(&snap.snapshot_id), "{listed}");
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn s3_targets_host_one_sync_replica_per_channel() {
+    use crate::services::backup::logger::JobLogger;
+    use crate::services::sync::backup::one_storage;
+    use crate::tests::services::backup_uploader_tests::ctx_pointing_at;
+    use wiremock::matchers::{body_partial_json, method, path};
+    use wiremock::{Mock, MockServer, ResponseTemplate};
+
+    let (_container, endpoint) = start_minio().await; // "http://host:port"
+    let host_port = endpoint.trim_start_matches("http://");
+    let (host, port) = host_port.rsplit_once(':').unwrap();
+    let channel = |id: &str, bucket: &str| -> DatabaseStorage {
+        serde_json::from_value(json!({
+            "id": id, "provider": "s3", "folderName": "backups",
+            "config": { "endPointUrl": host, "port": port.parse::<u16>().unwrap(), "ssl": false,
+                        "accessKey": "minioadmin", "secretKey": "minioadmin", "bucketName": bucket }
+        }))
+        .unwrap()
+    };
+    let channels = [channel("ch-a", "portabase"), channel("ch-b", "portabase2")];
+    for c in &channels {
+        let target = rclone_target(c).unwrap();
+        let config = write_config(&target.config_text).unwrap();
+        let create = format!("{},no_check_bucket=false:{}", target.remote_name, target.base_path);
+        rclone_ok(config.path(), &["mkdir", &create]);
+    }
+
+    let server = MockServer::start().await;
+    Mock::given(method("POST"))
+        .and(path("/agent/agent-1/backup/upload/init"))
+        .and(body_partial_json(json!({ "engine": "sync" })))
+        .respond_with(ResponseTemplate::new(200).set_body_json(json!({ "message": "ok", "backupStorage": { "id": "bs" } })))
+        .expect(2)
+        .mount(&server)
+        .await;
+    Mock::given(method("PATCH"))
+        .and(path("/agent/agent-1/backup/upload/status"))
+        .and(body_partial_json(json!({ "status": "success", "size": 2, "stats": { "filesTransferred": 2, "filesDeleted": 0, "replicaBytes": 2 } })))
+        .respond_with(ResponseTemplate::new(200).set_body_json(json!({ "message": "ok", "backupStorage": { "id": "bs" } })))
+        .expect(2)
+        .mount(&server)
+        .await;
+
+    let src = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(src.path().join("docs")).unwrap();
+    std::fs::write(src.path().join("a.txt"), "a").unwrap();
+    std::fs::write(src.path().join("docs/b.txt"), "b").unwrap();
+    let cfg = crate::tests::domain::files::files_config(src.path(), &[]);
+    let ctx = ctx_pointing_at(server.uri());
+
+    for c in &channels {
+        let result = one_storage(&ctx, &cfg, c, "backup-1", &JobLogger::new()).await;
+        assert!(result.success, "{:?}", result.error);
+        assert_eq!(result.remote_file_path.as_deref(), Some(format!("backups/sync/{}/current", cfg.generated_id).as_str()));
+        assert_eq!(result.total_size, Some(2), "backups.file_size is the replica size");
+    }
+    for (c, bucket) in channels.iter().zip(["portabase", "portabase2"]) {
+        let target = rclone_target(c).unwrap();
+        let config = write_config(&target.config_text).unwrap();
+        let listed = String::from_utf8(rclone_ok(
+            config.path(),
+            &["lsf", "-R", &format!("s3:{bucket}/backups/sync/{}/current", cfg.generated_id)],
+        ))
+        .unwrap();
+        assert!(listed.contains("a.txt") && listed.contains("docs/b.txt"), "{bucket}: {listed}");
+    }
+}

src/utils/task_manager/scheduler.rs

@@ -32,10 +32,8 @@ pub async fn scheduler_loop(mut conn: MultiplexedConnection) {
             let mut conn_clone = conn.clone();
 
             tokio::spawn(async move {
-                info!(
-                    "Executing task={} args={:?} metadata={:?}",
-                    task_clone.task, task_clone.args, task_clone.metadata
-                );
+                // Never log metadata: it carries decrypted storage channels (secrets).
+                info!("Executing task={} args={:?}", task_clone.task, task_clone.args);
                 if let Err(e) = execute_task(
                     task_clone.task.as_str(),
                     task_clone.args,
@@ -65,6 +63,14 @@ pub async fn scheduler_loop(mut conn: MultiplexedConnection) {
     }
 }
 
+/// Local config merged with the dashboard-pushed sources, as the agent loop sees them.
+fn merged_config(ctx: &Arc<Context>) -> crate::services::config::DatabasesConfig {
+    let local = ConfigService::new(ctx.clone()).load_optional(None);
+    let cache_path = std::path::PathBuf::from(&crate::settings::CONFIG.data_path).join("dashboard_databases.json");
+    let dashboard = crate::services::dashboard_config::load_cache(&cache_path);
+    crate::services::dashboard_config::merge(&local.databases, &dashboard)
+}
+
 pub async fn execute_task(
     task: &str,
     args: Vec<String>,
@@ -77,14 +83,9 @@ pub async fn execute_task(
             info!("{} | {}", generated_id, dbms);
 
             let ctx = Arc::new(Context::new());
-            let config_service = ConfigService::new(ctx.clone());
             let backup_service = BackupService::new(ctx.clone());
 
-            let local = config_service.load_optional(None);
-            let cache_path = std::path::PathBuf::from(&crate::settings::CONFIG.data_path)
-                .join("dashboard_databases.json");
-            let dashboard = crate::services::dashboard_config::load_cache(&cache_path);
-            let config = crate::services::dashboard_config::merge(&local.databases, &dashboard);
+            let config = merged_config(&ctx);
 
             let metadata_obj = metadata
                 .into_iter()
@@ -101,6 +102,8 @@ pub async fn execute_task(
 
             let storages: Vec<DatabaseStorage> = serde_json::from_value(storages_value.clone())?;
             let encrypt: bool = serde_json::from_value(encrypt_value.clone())?;
+            // Tasks stored before P2 have no engine: archive.
+            let engine = metadata_obj.get("engine").and_then(Value::as_str).unwrap_or("archive");
 
             backup_service
                 .dispatch(
@@ -109,6 +112,7 @@ pub async fn execute_task(
                     BackupMethod::Automatic,
                     &storages,
                     encrypt,
+                    engine,
                 )
                 .await;