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How to Set Up Backup with Bacula

How to Set Up Backup with Bacula
Hostman Team
Technical writer
Linux
18.07.2025
Reading time: 14 min

Bacula is a cross-platform client-server open source backup software that enables you to back up files, directories, databases, mail server data (Postfix, Exim, Sendmail, Dovecot), system images, and entire operating systems.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of installing and configuring Bacula on Linux, as well as creating backups and restoring user data.

To get started with Bacula, you’ll need a server or virtual machine running any Linux distribution. In this tutorial, we’ll be using a cloud server from Hostman with Debian 12.

Bacula Architecture

Bacula’s architecture consists of the following components:

Director (Bacula Director)

The core component responsible for managing all backup, restore, and verification operations. The Director schedules jobs, sends commands to other components, and writes information to the database.

Storage Daemon (Bacula Storage)

Handles communication with storage devices such as disks, cloud storage, etc. The Storage Daemon receives data from the File Daemon and writes it to the configured storage medium.

File Daemon (Bacula File)

The agent installed on client machines to perform the actual backup operations.

Catalog

A database (MySQL, PostgreSQL, or SQLite) used by Bacula to store information about completed jobs, such as backup metadata, file lists, and restore history.

Console (Bacula Console, bconsole)

A command-line utility for interacting with Bacula. The Console allows administrators to control the Director via a CLI. GUI tools such as Bacula Web and Baculum are also available.

Monitor (Optional)

A component for monitoring the Bacula system status. It tracks job statuses, daemon states, and storage device conditions.

Creating Test Data for Backup

Let’s create some test files to use in our backup.

Create a test directory and navigate into it:

mkdir /root/test_backups && cd /root/test_backups

Now create six sequential files:

touch file{1..6}.txt

Also, create a directory in advance for storing restored files:

mkdir /root/restored-files

Installing Bacula

In this tutorial, we will install all Bacula components on a single server. However, Bacula also supports a distributed setup where components such as the Director, Storage Daemon, Client, and database can be installed on separate servers. This decentralized setup is suitable for backing up multiple systems without overloading a single server.

We'll be using Debian 12 and installing PostgreSQL (version 15) as the backend database.

Update the package index and install Bacula (server and client components):

apt update && apt -y install bacula-server bacula-client

PostgreSQL 15 will also be installed during this process.

During installation:

  • When prompted with: “Configure database for bacula-director-pgsql with dbconfig-common?”, press ENTER.

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  • When asked to choose the database host, select localhost, since we are installing everything on one server.

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  • When prompted with: “PostgreSQL application password for bacula-director-pgsql”, set a password for the Bacula database. 

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Do not leave this field empty, or a random password will be generated.

  • Re-enter the password when asked to confirm.

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The installation will then continue normally.

After the installation is complete, verify the status of Bacula components and PostgreSQL.

Check the status of the Bacula Director:

systemctl status bacula-director

Check the Storage Daemon:

systemctl status bacula-sd

Check the File Daemon:

systemctl status bacula-fd

Check PostgreSQL:

systemctl status postgresql

If all components display a status of active, then Bacula has been successfully installed and is running.

Bacula Configuration

Bacula is configured by editing the configuration files of the program components. By default, all Bacula configuration files are located in the /etc/bacula directory.

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Next, we will configure each Bacula component individually.

Configuring Bacula Director

Using any text editor, open the bacula-dir.conf configuration file for editing:

nano /etc/bacula/bacula-dir.conf

Let’s start with the Director block, which sets the main configuration parameters for the Director component:

Director {
  Name = 4142939-bi08079-dir
  DIRport = 9101
  QueryFile = "/etc/bacula/scripts/query.sql"
  WorkingDirectory = "/var/lib/bacula"
  PidDirectory = "/run/bacula"
  Maximum Concurrent Jobs = 20
  Password = "ohzb29XNWSFISd6qN6fG2urERzxOl9w68"
  Messages = Daemon
  DirAddress = 127.0.0.1
}

Explanation of parameters:

  • Name: The name of the Director component. This is a unique identifier used to connect with other components like the File Daemon and Storage Daemon. By default, it includes the server's hostname and the -dir suffix. Example: 4142939-bi08079-dir.

  • DIRport: The port that Bacula Director listens to for incoming connections from the management console (bconsole). Default is 9101.

  • QueryFile: Path to the SQL script file used to run queries on the database. It contains predefined SQL queries for job management, verification, data restoration, etc. Default: /etc/bacula/scripts/query.sql.

  • WorkingDirectory: The working directory where Bacula Director temporarily saves files during job execution.

  • PidDirectory: The directory where the Director saves its PID file (process identifier). This is used to track if the process is running.

  • Maximum Concurrent Jobs: The maximum number of jobs that can run simultaneously. The default is 20.

  • Password: Password used for authenticating the management console (bconsole) with the Director. Must match the one specified in the console’s configuration.

  • Messages: Specifies the name of the message resource that determines how messages (errors, warnings, events) are handled. Common values: Daemon, Standard, Custom.

  • DirAddress: The IP address the Director listens on. This can be 127.0.0.1 for local connections or an external IP.

Catalog Configuration

By default, Bacula comes with its own PostgreSQL instance on the same host, and in that case, database connection settings don’t need changes. But if you're deploying the database separately (recommended for production), the address, username, and password must be specified in the Catalog block:

Catalog {
  Name = MyCatalog
  dbname = "bacula"; DB Address = "localhost"; dbuser = "bacula"; dbpassword = "StrongPassword4747563"
}

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Explanation of parameters:

  • dbname: The name of the database used by Bacula (default is bacula). The database must already exist (when deployed separately).

  • DB Address: Host address where the DBMS is deployed. Use IP or a domain name. For local setup: localhost or 127.0.0.1.

  • dbuser: The user Bacula will use to connect to the database.

  • dbpassword: Password for the specified database user. Must be preconfigured.

Restore Job Configuration

Locate the Job block named RestoreFiles, responsible for file restoration. Set the Where parameter to specify the directory where restored files will be saved. Earlier, we created /root/restored-files, which we’ll use here:

Job {
  Name = "RestoreFiles"
  Type = Restore
  Client=4244027-bi08079-fd
  Storage = File1
  # The FileSet and Pool directives are not used by Restore Jobs
  # but must not be removed
  FileSet="Full Set"
  Pool = File
  Messages = Standard
  Where = /root/restored-files
}

57bd6862 C03a 4c80 9c0f 1e3fa9dbd994.png

Backup Schedule Configuration

Next, we set up the Schedule block that defines when backups are created.

We create:

  • A full backup every Monday at 00:01.
  • A differential backup every Sunday (2nd to 5th week) at 23:05.
  • An incremental backup daily at 23:00:
Schedule {
  Name = "WeeklyCycle"
  Run = Full 1st mon at 00:01
  Run = Differential 2nd-5th sun at 23:05
  Run = Incremental mon-sun at 23:00
}

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FileSet Configuration

Now, we specify which files and directories will be backed up. This is defined in the FileSet block. Earlier we created /root/test_backups with six files. We’ll specify that path:

FileSet {
  Name = "Full Set"
  Include {
    Options {
      signature = MD5
    }
    File = /root/test_backups
  }
}

Explanation of parameters:

  • Name: The name of the FileSet block, used for identification in configuration.
  • Options: Settings that apply to all files listed under Include.
  • signature = MD5: Specifies the checksum algorithm used to verify file integrity. MD5 generates a 128-bit hash to track file changes.

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Exclude Configuration (Optional)

The Exclude block is used to specify files or directories that should not be backed up. This block is placed inside the FileSet definition and acts on files included via Include.

Exclude {
    File = /var/lib/bacula
    ...
}

Pool Configuration

The Pool block defines a group of volumes (storage units) used for backup. Pools help manage how data is stored, rotated, and deleted.

Pool {
  Name = Default
  Pool Type = Backup
  Recycle = yes
  AutoPrune = yes
  Volume Retention = 7 days
  Maximum Volume Bytes = 10G
  Maximum Volumes = 2
}

Explanation of parameters:

  • Name: The pool's name, here it's Default.
  • Pool Type: Defines the pool's function:
    • Backup: Regular backups.
    • Archive: Long-term storage.
    • Cloning: Data duplication.
  • Recycle: Indicates whether volumes can be reused once they're no longer needed (yes or no).
  • AutoPrune: Enables automatic cleanup of expired volumes.
  • Volume Retention: How long (in days) to retain data on a volume. After 7 days, the volume becomes eligible for reuse.
  • Maximum Volume Bytes: The max size for a volume. If it exceeds 10 GB, a new volume is created (if allowed).
  • Maximum Volumes: Limits the number of volumes in the pool. Here, it's 2. Older volumes are recycled when the limit is hit (if Recycle = yes).

Validating Configuration and Restarting Bacula

After making all changes, check the bacula-dir.conf file for syntax errors:

/usr/sbin/bacula-dir -t -c /etc/bacula/bacula-dir.conf

If the command output is empty, there are no syntax errors. If there are errors, the output will specify the line number and error description.

Restart the Bacula Director service:

systemctl restart bacula-director

Configuring Bacula Storage

The next step is configuring Bacula Storage, where the backup files will be stored.

Using any text editor, open the configuration file bacula-sd.conf for editing:

nano /etc/bacula/bacula-sd.conf

We'll start with the Storage block, which defines the storage daemon responsible for physically saving backup files:

Storage {                             
 Name = 4149195-bi08079-sd
 SDPort = 9103                  
 WorkingDirectory = "/var/lib/bacula"
 Pid Directory = "/run/bacula"
 Plugin Directory = "/usr/lib/bacula"
 Maximum Concurrent Jobs = 20
 SDAddress = 127.0.0.1
}

Here’s what each parameter means:

  • Name: Name of the storage daemon instance, used to identify it uniquely.
  • SDPort: Port number the Storage Daemon listens on. The default is 9103.
  • WorkingDirectory: Working directory for temporary files. Default: /var/lib/bacula.
  • Pid Directory: Directory to store the PID file (process ID) for the storage daemon. Default: /run/bacula.
  • Plugin Directory: Path where Bacula’s plugins for the storage daemon are located. These plugins can provide extra features such as encryption or cloud integration.
  • Maximum Concurrent Jobs: Maximum number of jobs the storage daemon can handle simultaneously.
  • SDAddress: IP address the Storage Daemon is available at. This can be an IP or a domain name. Since in our case the Storage Daemon runs on the same server as the Director, we use localhost.

The next block to configure is Device, which defines the storage device where backups will be written.

The device can be physical (e.g., a tape drive) or logical (e.g., a directory on disk). For testing, one Device block will suffice. By default, bacula-sd.conf may contain more than one Device block, including a Virtual Autochanger — a mechanism that emulates a physical autochanger (used for managing tapes or other media). It lets you manage multiple virtual volumes (typically as disk files) just like real tapes in a tape library.

Locate the Autochanger block and remove the FileChgr1-Dev2 value from the Device parameter:

Autochanger {
  Name = FileChgr1
  Device = FileChgr1-Dev1
  Changer Command = ""
  Changer Device = /dev/null
}

Cbcd432e 7603 43cc A453 Fe910d6add06.png

Next, in the Device block below, specify the full path to the directory we previously created for storing backup files (/srv/backup) in the Archive Device parameter:

Device {
  Name = FileChgr1-Dev1
  Media Type = File1
  Archive Device = /srv/backup
  LabelMedia = yes;                   
  Random Access = Yes;
  AutomaticMount = yes;               
  RemovableMedia = no;
  AlwaysOpen = no;
  Maximum Concurrent Jobs = 5
}

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Any blocks referencing FileChgr2 and FileChgr1-dev2 should be deleted:

45494f14 1ac3 4b66 9325 D0bf06f6d8ea.png

Explanation of the parameters:

  • Autochanger Block:
    • Name: Identifier for the autochanger (you can have multiple).
    • Device: Name of the device linked to this autochanger—must match the Device block name.
    • Changer Command: Script or command used to manage the changer. An empty value ("") means none is used—suitable for virtual changers or simple setups.
    • Changer Device: Refers to the device tied to the autochanger, typically for physical devices.
  • Device Block:
    • Name: Identifier for the device.
    • Media Type: Media type associated with the device. Must match the Pool block media type.
    • Archive Device: Full path to the device or directory for storing backups; /srv/backup in this case.
    • LabelMedia: Whether Bacula should auto-label new media.
    • Random Access: Whether random access is supported.
    • AutomaticMount: Whether to auto-mount the device when used.
    • RemovableMedia: Specifies if the media is removable.
    • AlwaysOpen: Whether the device should always stay open.
    • Maximum Concurrent Jobs: Maximum number of simultaneous jobs using this device.

Since we previously specified the directory for backup storage, create it:

mkdir -p /srv/backup

Set the ownership to the bacula user:

chown bacula:bacula /srv/backup

Next, check the config file for syntax errors:

/usr/sbin/bacula-sd -t -c /etc/bacula/bacula-sd.conf

If there are no syntax errors, the output will be empty. Otherwise, it will indicate the line number and description of any error.

Restart the storage daemon:

systemctl restart bacula-sd

Creating a Backup

Backups in Bacula are created using the bconsole command-line tool. Launch the utility:

bconsole

If it connects to the Director component successfully, it will display 1000 OK.

Before running a backup, you can check the status of all components by entering the command:

status

This will display a list of the five Bacula system components. To check them all, enter 6.

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To initiate a backup, enter the command:

run

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From the list, choose the BackupClient1 option (your client name might differ based on previous config), by typing 1.

After selecting the option, you’ll see detailed info about the backup operation.

You’ll then be prompted with three choices:

  • yes — start the backup process;
  • mod — modify parameters before starting;
  • no — cancel the backup.

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If you enter mod, you’ll be able to edit up to 9 parameters.

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To proceed with the backup, type yes.

To view all backup and restore jobs and their statuses:

list jobs

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In our case, a backup with Job ID 1 was created:

list jobid=1

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If the status is T, the backup was successful.

Possible statuses in the "Terminated Jobs" column:

  • T (Success) — Job completed successfully.
  • E (Error) — Job ended with an error.
  • A (Canceled) — Job was canceled by the user.
  • F (Fatal) — Job ended due to a critical error.
  • R (Running) → Terminated — Job completed (may be successful or not).

You can also monitor backup activity and errors via the log file:

cat /var/log/bacula/bacula.log

Once the backup finishes, the file will be saved in the specified directory.

file Vol-0001

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Restoring Files from Backup

Earlier, we backed up the /root/test_backups directory, which contained six .txt files. Suppose these files were lost or deleted. Let’s restore them:

Launch the Bacula console:

bconsole

Start the restore process:

restore

You’ll see 12 available restore options.

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We’ll use option 3. Type 3.

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Earlier we used Job ID 1 for our backup. Enter 1. 

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You’ll enter a file selection mode. Since our files were in the root/test_backups directory, navigate there.

Ba432a23 629a 4b9e Ad7e 3fc2f2285605.png

All previously saved files should be visible.

To restore the whole directory, go up one level:

cd ..

Then mark the whole test_backups folder:

mark test_backups/

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Finish selection:

done

The system will display a final summary showing which data will be restored and the target directory (in our case: /root/restored-files).

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To start the restore, enter yes.

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Finally, verify that the files have been successfully restored.

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Conclusion

We’ve now reviewed the installation and configuration of Bacula, a client-server backup solution. Bacula isn’t limited to backing up regular files—thanks to its plugin support, it can also handle backups of virtual machines, OS images, and more.

Linux
18.07.2025
Reading time: 14 min

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You may achieve this using several Linux commands. netstat To display open ports, run: netstat -tuln The netstat utility provides a real-time view of active network connections, displaying all listening endpoints. The -tuln flags refine the output to show only TCP and UDP ports without resolving hostnames. Note: In case netstat isn’t installed, install it via: sudo apt install net-tools ss The ss utility can also be utilized to check ports: ss -tuln Compared to netstat, the ss command is more recent and fast. It shows the ports that are in use as well as socket information. nmap For a detailed analysis of Linux open ports, use: nmap localhost The nmap utility scans the given host (localhost in this case) for open ports. This is useful for finding ports exposed to public networks. Note: You can install nmap on Linux via: sudo apt install nmap Opening Ports on Linux Firewall modification is required to grant access through a chosen endpoint. Linux provides several options for handling these tasks, including iptables, ufw, and firewalld. Here are the methods to open ports with these utilities. Method 1: Via iptables Iptables is a robust and lower level firewall utility that grants fine-grained control over network traffic. To open a port with iptables, take these steps: Add a Rule to Allow Traffic from a Specific Port  Enable HTTP access on port 8080 with this command: sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8080 -j ACCEPT sudo: Execute the command as superuser. iptables: Refers to the firewall utility. -A INPUT: Inserts a rule in the input chain, controlling incoming traffic. -p tcp: Shows that the rule is for TCP traffic. --dport 8080: Points to port 8080 for the rule. ACCEPT: Specifies that incoming traffic matching the rule is accepted. This permits incoming TCP on port 8080. However, iptables changes are volatile and will be undone after reboot. Note: The iptables can be installed with persistent packages using: sudo apt install iptables iptables-persistent Save the Configuration For making the rule permanent and remain even after a system restart, store iptables rules via: sudo netfilter-persistent save This directive preserves current iptables or nftables rules such that they are preserved during reboots. Reload Changes Reload the firewall configuration as needed with: sudo netfilter-persistent reload Method 2: Via UFW Ufw (Uncomplicated Firewall) is a minimal front-end for managing iptables rules. It allows you to easily open ports with simple commands. This is how you can do it: Enable Ufw  First, ensure the ufw firewall is activated: sudo ufw enable Executing this command allows UFW to modify firewall settings. Note: UFW can be installed with: sudo apt install ufw Allow Traffic Via Specific Port  For instance, to open port 22 for SSH, use: sudo ufw allow 22/tcp sudo: Grants superuser privileges. ufw allow: Adds a rule to permit traffic. 22/tcp: Sets port 22 for communication while restricting the rule to TCP protocol. This permits access on port 22, enabling remote SSH connections. Verify the Firewall Status  To ensure the port is accessible and the rule is active, execute: sudo ufw status The status command displays all active rules, including the allowed ports. Method 3: Via Firewalld Firewalld is a dynamic firewall daemon present on Linux. It is simpler to customize the firewall rules compared to using iptables. Here’s how to enable port access via firewalld: Add a Permanent Rule for the Desired Port  To enable HTTPS access on port 443, run: sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=443/tcp firewall-cmd: Invokes the firewalld command. --permanent: Ensures the rule stays active after the firewall reloads or the system boots. --add-port=443/tcp: Opens port 443 to accept incoming TCP traffic. Note: Install firewalld on Linux via: sudo apt install firewalld Once installed, you should activate and run it: sudo systemctl enable firewalld sudo systemctl start firewalld Reload the Firewall  Finalize the settings to enable the newly defined policy: sudo firewall-cmd --reload Applying firewall modifications makes recent policy updates functional without rebooting. Verification Check whether the port is opened successfully: sudo firewall-cmd --list-all The --list-all command provides a complete list of rules, helping you determine if port 443 is open. Testing the Newly Opened Port Always check if the newly opened port is available for incoming connections. Here’s how: Using telnet Test the port opening via: telnet localhost port_number Successful access means the port is open and responsive. Using nmap Analyze the host to verify if the specified endpoint is accessible.: nmap -p port_number localhost The -p flag specifies the port to scan. Using curl Check HTTP service availability: curl localhost:port_number A successful response confirms the service is running on the opened port. Troubleshooting Common Issues Ports opening may occasionally fail due to configuration errors or conflicting software settings. Follow these tips: Verify Firewall Rules: Run iptables -L or ufw status to assess firewall restrictions and permissions. Check Service Status: Check if the assigned service is active with systemctl status <service-name>. Opening Specific Ports Based on Protocol Understanding the protocol used by the service can help configure ports more effectively. For instance, web traffic typically uses TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) for stable communication, while certain gaming services may require UDP (User Datagram Protocol) for faster packet transmission. Opening a TCP Port To access port 3306 for MySQL traffic: sudo ufw allow 3306/tcp This explicitly permits TCP traffic through port 3306, ensuring stable communication for database queries. Opening a UDP Port To access port 161 for SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol), run: sudo ufw allow 161/udp UDP provides faster, connectionless communication, ideal for monitoring tools like SNMP. Managing Port Accessibility Once a port is opened, controlling its visibility ensures security and prevents unauthorized access. Restricting Access to Specific IPs To limit port access to a specific IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.100): sudo ufw allow from 192.168.1.100 to any port 22 This allows SSH access via port 22 only from the specified IP address, enhancing security. Closing Ports To revoke access to port 80: sudo ufw deny 80/tcp This denies incoming traffic on port 80, effectively closing it for HTTP services. Conclusion Confirming open ports in Linux is a key step for optimizing network functionality and deploying services effectively. With the use of utilities such as iptables, ufw, or firewalld, you can control traffic securely for your apps. You need to test and debug in order to confirm the port is open and working as expected. From web servers to SSH access, to other network services, port management skills ensure smooth operations and better security.
01 July 2025 · 7 min to read
Linux

NATS Installation, Configuration, and Usage Guide

NATS is a simple, fast, and lightweight message broker written in the Go programming language. NATS has several data organization features: Key-Value: Data within NATS is stored in "key-value" format, where each key corresponds to a specific value. Subjects: Data within NATS is organized into so-called "Subjects," which are named channels for message transmission. Subjects can be divided into segments with hierarchical structures. Publish/Subscribe (Pub/Sub): Data within NATS is transmitted through a model where "Publishers" send messages to "Subjects," and "Subscribers" can subscribe to these "Subjects" to receive messages. Unlike many other message brokers (such as Apache Kafka or RabbitMQ), NATS has several significant advantages: Simplicity and Performance: Messages are transmitted through a simple and fast Pub/Sub protocol. When a message is sent to a subject, all subscribers immediately receive it. This minimizes delays and other overhead costs. Stateless: Information about the state of messages transmitted through the broker is not stored within it, nor is data about subject subscribers. The absence of complex state synchronization allows NATS to scale easily. No Default Queues: In standard configuration, NATS does not form message queues. This is important in cases where data timeliness is more important than persistence. It also eliminates queue management overhead. Reliable Protocol: Messages within the broker are transmitted using the "at-most-once delivery" method. This means a subscriber either receives a message once or not at all. This increases communication reliability and prevents duplicate responses to forwarded messages. Thus, NATS enables building fast and reliable communication between multiple different services. In this guide, we will thoroughly examine how to install, configure, and correctly use NATS in projects running on Ubuntu 22.04. Downloading NATS Package Updates Before installation, it's recommended to update the list of available repositories in the system: sudo apt update Downloading the Archive Next, you need to manually download the ZIP archive with NATS from its official GitHub repository: wget https://github.com/nats-io/nats-server/releases/download/v2.10.22/nats-server-v2.10.22-linux-amd64.zip After the download is complete, you can check the file list: ls Among them will be the NATS archive: nats-server-v2.10.22-linux-amd64.zip  resize.log  snap Extracting the Archive Next, install the package that performs ZIP archive extraction: sudo apt install unzip -y The -y flag is added so that the installer automatically answers 'yes' to all questions. Now extract the NATS archive using the installed extractor: unzip nats-server-v2.10.22-linux-amd64.zip Check the file list: ls As you can see, a new folder with the archive contents has appeared: nats-server-v2.10.22-linux-amd64  nats-server-v2.10.22-linux-amd64.zip  resize.log  snap We no longer need the archive, so delete it: rm nats-server-v2.10.22-linux-amd64.zip Installing NATS Server Installation Let's look at the contents of the created folder: ls nats-server-v2.10.22-linux-amd64 Inside it is the main directory with the NATS server: LICENSE  nats-server  README.md This is what we need to copy to the system catalog with binary files: sudo mv nats-server-v2.10.22-linux-amd64/nats-server /usr/local/bin/ After copying, you need to set the appropriate access permissions: sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/nats-server The folder with NATS contents, like the archive, can now also be deleted: rm nats-server-v2.10.22-linux-amd64 -R Server Verification Let's verify that the NATS server is installed by requesting its version: nats-server -v A similar output should appear in the console terminal: nats-server: v2.10.22 However, this command doesn't start the server; it only returns its version. You can start the server as follows: nats-server [3704] 2024/11/07 02:59:53.908362 [INF] Starting nats-server [3704] 2024/11/07 02:59:53.908623 [INF] Version: 2.10.22 [3704] 2024/11/07 02:59:53.908669 [INF] Git: [240e9a4] [3704] 2024/11/07 02:59:53.908701 [INF] Name: NC253DIPURNIY4HUXYQYC5LLAFA6UZEBKUIWTBLLPSMICFH3E2FMSXB7 [3704] 2024/11/07 02:59:53.908725 [INF] ID: NC253DIPURNIY4HUXYQYC5LLAFA6UZEBKUIWTBLLPSMICFH3E2FMSXB7 [3704] 2024/11/07 02:59:53.909430 [INF] Listening for client connections on 0.0.0.0:4222 [3704] 2024/11/07 02:59:53.909679 [INF] Server is ready In this case, the server starts with binding to the console terminal, not as a background service. Therefore, to return to command input mode, you need to press Ctrl + C. NATS Configuration Creating a Configuration File After the broker server is started, you can create a separate directory for the NATS configuration file: mkdir /etc/nats And then create the configuration file itself: sudo nano /etc/nats/nats-server.conf Its contents will be as follows: cluster { name: "test-nats" } store_dir: "/var/lib/nats" listen: "0.0.0.0:4222" Specifically in this configuration, the most basic parameters are set: name: Server name within the NATS cluster store_dir: Path to the directory where working data will be stored listen: IP address and port that the NATS server will occupy Creating a Separate User For all directories related to NATS, you need to create a separate user: useradd -r -c 'NATS service' nats Now create the directories specified in the configuration file: mkdir /var/log/nats /var/lib/nats For each directory, assign appropriate access permissions to the previously created user: chown nats:nats /var/log/nats /var/lib/nats Creating a Background Service Earlier we started the NATS server with binding to the console terminal. In this case, when exiting the console, the server will stop working. To prevent this, you need to create a file for the systemd service: sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/nats-server.service Its contents will be: [Unit] Description=NATS message broker server After=syslog.target network.target [Service] Type=simple ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/nats-server -c /etc/nats/nats-server.conf User=nats Group=nats LimitNOFILE=65536 ExecReload=/bin/kill -HUP $MAINPID Restart=on-failure [Install] WantedBy=multi-user.target This file contains several key parameters: Description: Short description of the service ExecStart: NATS server startup command with the configuration file explicitly specified User: Name of the user created for NATS Now we need to set up the service to start up at boot:  systemctl enable nats-server --now The --now flag immediately starts the specified service. The corresponding message will appear in the console: Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/nats-server.service → /etc/systemd/system/nats-server.service. Now check the status of the running service: systemctl status nats-server If the NATS server service started successfully, the corresponding message will be among the console output: ... Active: active (running) ... Connecting to NATS You can connect to the NATS server through the console terminal and thus perform message broker testing. For example, publish messages or subscribe to subjects. Client Installation To manage the NATS server, you need to install the natscli client. You can download it from the official GitHub repository: wget https://github.com/nats-io/natscli/releases/download/v0.1.5/nats-0.1.5-amd64.deb After this, the downloaded archive can be extracted and installed: dpkg -i nats-0.1.5-amd64.deb The archive itself can be deleted as it's no longer needed: rm nats-0.1.5-amd64.deb Sending Messages Now you can send a message to the message broker: nats pub -s 127.0.0.1 "someSubject" "Some message" In this command, we send the message "Some message" to the subject "someSubject" to the message broker running on IP address 127.0.0.1 and located on the standard NATS port - 4222. After this, information about the sent data will appear in the console terminal: 10:59:51 Published 12 bytes to "someSubject" Reading Messages Currently, no one will see this message since there's no agent subscribed to the specified subject. We can simulate a service subscribed to the subject and reading messages using another SSH session. To do this, you need to open another console terminal, connect to the remote machine, and subscribe to the previously specified subject: nats sub -s 127.0.0.1 "someSubject" A message about successful subscription will appear in the terminal: 11:11:10 Subscribing on someSubject Now repeat sending the message from the first terminal: nats pub -s 127.0.0.1 "someSubject" "Some message" Information about the new message will appear in the second terminal: [#1] Received on "someSubject" Some message Let's send another message from the first terminal: nats pub -s 127.0.0.1 "someSubject" "Some message again" The corresponding notification will appear in the second terminal: [#2] Received on "someSubject" Some message again Note that the console output of received messages has numbering in square brackets. Go Program + NATS Let's create a small program in the Golang programming language using the NATS message broker. Installing Go First, you need to ensure that the Go compiler is installed in the system: go version If the following message appears in the console terminal, then Go is not yet installed: Command 'go' not found, but can be installed with: snap install go # version 1.23.2, or apt install golang-go # version 2:1.18~0ubuntu2 apt install gccgo-go # version 2:1.18~0ubuntu2 See 'snap info go' for additional versions. In this case, you need to download it as an archive from the official website: wget https://go.dev/dl/go1.23.3.linux-amd64.tar.gz -O go.tar.gz And then extracted: sudo tar -xzvf go.tar.gz -C /usr/local As we no longer need the downloaded archive, we can delete it: rm go.tar.gz Next, you need to add the Go compiler to the PATH variable so it can be called from the console terminal: echo export PATH=$HOME/go/bin:/usr/local/go/bin:$PATH >> ~/.profile Then apply the changes: source ~/.profile Verify that Go is installed successfully by requesting its version: go version You will see a similar output: go version go1.23.3 linux/amd64 Creating a Project Let's create a separate folder for the Golang program: mkdir nats_go Then navigate to it: cd nats_go And initialize the Go project: go mod init nats_go Installing the Module After project initialization, you need to install the NATS client from the official GitHub repository. You don't need to download anything manually; it's enough to use the built-in Golang function: go get github.com/nats-io/nats.go/ Writing Code Now you can create a file with the program code: nano nats_go.go Its contents will be: package main import ( "fmt" // module for working with console "os" // module for working with system functions "time" // module for working with time "github.com/nats-io/nats.go" // module for working with NATS server ) func main() { // get NATS server address from environment variable url := os.Getenv("NATS_URL") // if there's no address in environment variable, use default address if url == "" { url = nats.DefaultURL } // connect to NATS server nc, _ := nats.Connect(url) // defer message broker cleanup until main() function completion defer nc.Drain() // send message to subject without subscribers to ensure it disappears nc.Publish("people.philosophers", []byte("Hello, Socrates!")) // subscribe to all sub-subjects in "people" subject sub, _ := nc.SubscribeSync("people.*") // extract message msg, _ := sub.NextMsg(10 * time.Millisecond) // output message status (it's not there because it was sent before subscribing to subjects) fmt.Printf("No message? Answer: %v\n", msg == nil) // send message to "philosophers" sub-subject of "people" subject nc.Publish("people.philosophers", []byte("Hello, Socrates!")) // send message to "physicists" sub-subject of "people" subject nc.Publish("people.physicists", []byte("Hello, Feynman!")) // extract message and output to console msg, _ = sub.NextMsg(10 * time.Millisecond) fmt.Printf("Message: %q in subject %q\n", string(msg.Data), msg.Subject) // extract message and output to console msg, _ = sub.NextMsg(10 * time.Millisecond) fmt.Printf("Message: %q in subject %q\n", string(msg.Data), msg.Subject) // send message to "biologists" sub-subject of "people" subject nc.Publish("people.biologists", []byte("Hello, Darwin!")) // extract message and output to console msg, _ = sub.NextMsg(10 * time.Millisecond) fmt.Printf("Message: %q in subject %q\n", string(msg.Data), msg.Subject) } Now you can run the created program: go run . The program's output will appear in the console terminal: No message? Answer: true Message: "Hello, Socrates!" in subject "people.philosophers" Message: "Hello, Feynman!" in subject "people.physicists" Message: "Hello, Darwin!" in subject "people.biologists" Python Program + NATS As another example, let's consider using the NATS message broker in the Python programming language. First, you need to ensure that the Python interpreter is installed in the system by requesting its version: python --version The corresponding message will appear in the console: Python 3.10.12 Note that this guide uses Python version 3.10.12. Installing PIP To download the NATS client for Python, you first need to install the PIP package manager: apt install python3-pip -y The -y flag helps automatically answer positively to all questions during installation. Installing the Client Now you can install the NATS client for Python: pip install nats-py Creating a Project For the Python program, let's create a separate directory: mkdir nats_python And navigate to it: cd nats_python Writing Code Let's create a file with the program code: nano nats_python.py Its contents will be: import os import asyncio # import NATS client import nats from nats.errors import TimeoutError # get environment variable containing NATS server address servers = os.environ.get("NATS_URL", "nats://localhost:4222").split(",") async def main(): # connect to NATS server nc = await nats.connect(servers=servers) # send message to subject without subscribers to ensure it disappears await nc.publish("people.philosophers", "Hello, Socrates!".encode()) # subscribe to all sub-subjects in "people" subject sub = await nc.subscribe("people.*") try: # extract message msg = await sub.next_msg(timeout=0.1) except TimeoutError: pass # send message to "philosophers" sub-subject of "people" subject await nc.publish("people.philosophers", "Hello, Socrates!".encode()) # send message to "physicists" sub-subject of "people" subject await nc.publish("people.physicists", "Hello, Feynman!".encode()) # extract message and output to console msg = await sub.next_msg(timeout=0.1) print(f"{msg.data.decode('utf-8')} in subject {msg.subject}") # extract message and output to console msg = await sub.next_msg(timeout=0.1) print(f"{msg.data.decode('utf-8')} in subject {msg.subject}") # send message to "biologists" sub-subject of "people" subject await nc.publish("people.biologists", "Hello, Darwin!".encode()) # extract message and output to console msg = await sub.next_msg(timeout=0.1) print(f"{msg.data.decode('utf-8')} in subject {msg.subject}") # unsubscribe from subjects await sub.unsubscribe() # clean up message broker await nc.drain() if __name__ == '__main__': asyncio.run(main()) Now you can run the created script: python nats_python.py The result of its operation will be the following output in the console terminal: Hello, Socrates! in subject people.philosophers Hello, Feynman! in subject people.physicists Hello, Darwin! in subject people.biologists As you can notice, the logic of this Python program doesn't differ from the logic of the Go program. The difference is only in the syntactic constructions of the specific programming language. Conclusion This guide examined the use of the NATS message broker in sequential stages: Downloading and installing NATS from the official GitHub repository Minimal NATS server configuration Managing the NATS server through the console terminal client Using NATS in a Golang program Using NATS in a Python program We downloaded all NATS clients used in this guide (for terminal, Go, and Python) from the official NATS repository on GitHub, which hosts modules and libraries for all programming languages supported by NATS. You can find more detailed information about configuring and using NATS in the official documentation. There are also many examples of using NATS in different programming languages.
24 June 2025 · 13 min to read

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