Cloning a Database Cluster with ScyllaDB Manager Backup

Cloning a database cluster using ScyllaDB Manager Backup is a vital process for disaster recovery, system migration, or creating copies for testing and analytical purposes, as described in Michał Matczuk's blog post. The ScyllaDB Manager 2.4 introduces a versatile tool with the download-files command, which simplifies accessing and downloading remote files by replacing vendor-specific tools, enhancing data restoration capabilities. This command allows listing clusters, filtering snapshots, and managing downloads with several customizable options. The cloning process involves creating a new cluster, installing the ScyllaDB Manager Agent, granting access to backups, and using an Ansible playbook to automate restoration. This involves setting parameters such as backup location, snapshot tags, and node mapping in a vars.yaml file. The process includes checking the restoration plan and running the Ansible playbook, with the restoration potentially completing in as little as 15 minutes on a high-speed network. Users can leverage ScyllaDB Manager either as open-source users or enterprise customers and are encouraged to engage with the community for support.