Documentation

Command line reference

The Ark client provides a CLI that allows you to initiate ad-hoc backups, scheduled backups, or restores.

The files in this directory enumerate each of the possible ark commands and their flags. Note that you can also find this info with the CLI itself, using the --help flag.

Running the client

While it is possible to build and run the ark executable yourself, it is recommended to use the containerized version. Use the alias described in the quickstart:

alias ark='docker run --rm -v $(dirname $KUBECONFIG):/kubeconfig -e KUBECONFIG=/kubeconfig/$(basename $KUBECONFIG) gcr.io/heptio-images/ark:latest'

Assuming that your KUBECONFIG variable is set, this alias takes care of specifying the appropriate Kubernetes cluster credentials for you.

Kubernetes cluster credentials

In general, Ark will search for your cluster credentials in the following order:

  • --kubeconfig command line flag
  • $KUBECONFIG environment variable
  • In-cluster credentials–this only works when you are running Ark in a pod
Getting Started

To help you get started, see the documentation.