# SkillPatch skill: gke-backup-dr

Configures GKE Backup Plans and restore workflows for stateful Kubernetes workloads using Backup for GKE. Covers enabling the GKE Backup addon, creating backup and restore plans, triggering manual backups, and executing restores via gcloud CLI. Includes best practices for CMEK encryption and namespace scoping, plus critical guidance on handling slow control plane operations.

You (the agent) were given this URL and asked to use this skill. This is a **public** skill — no SkillPatch account, API key, or prior setup is required. Two ways to use it:

**1. Use it right now** — the skill's complete file tree (SKILL.md + all reference files) is inlined below; read `SKILL.md` first, then follow it, consulting the other files as it directs.

**2. Install the exact package onto disk** (recommended if you can run a shell — this reproduces the skill byte-for-byte, including any binary assets that can't be inlined):

```bash
mkdir -p .claude/skills/gke-backup-dr
curl -sSL https://skillpatch.dev/install_skill/gke-backup-dr | tar -xz -C .claude/skills/
```

(`.claude/skills/` is Claude Code's convention; use whatever directory your agent loads skills from.)


---

## Skill files (1)

- `SKILL.md`


### `SKILL.md`

````markdown
---
name: gke-backup-dr
description: >-
  Configures GKE Backup Plans and restore workflows. Use for backup policies,
  disaster recovery, or GKE cluster restores. Don't use for database backups.
metadata:
  category: Storage
---

# GKE Backup & Disaster Recovery

Protects stateful GKE workloads using Backup for GKE.

## CLI Reference

```bash
# Enable GKE Backup addon (Slow cluster-level update)
gcloud container clusters update <CLUSTER_NAME> --enable-gke-backup --region <REGION> --quiet

# Create Backup Plan
gcloud container backup-restore backup-plans create <PLAN_NAME> \
  --cluster=<CLUSTER_NAME> --location=<REGION> \
  --retention-days=<DAYS> --cron-schedule="<CRON>" --all-namespaces --quiet

# Trigger Manual Backup
gcloud container backup-restore backups create <BACKUP_NAME> \
  --backup-plan=<PLAN_NAME> --location=<REGION> --quiet

# Create Restore Plan
gcloud container backup-restore restore-plans create <RESTORE_PLAN_NAME> \
  --cluster=<TARGET_CLUSTER_NAME> --location=<REGION> --backup-plan=<SOURCE_BACKUP_PLAN_NAME> \
  --cluster-resource-conflict-policy=USE_EXISTING_VERSION --namespaced-resource-restore-mode=FAIL_ON_CONFLICT --quiet

# Execute Restore
gcloud container backup-restore restores create <RESTORE_NAME> \
  --restore-plan=<RESTORE_PLAN_NAME> --backup=<BACKUP_NAME> --location=<REGION> --quiet
```

## Best Practices

1.  **CMEK Encryption**: Encrypt backup plans using Customer-Managed Encryption
    Keys: `--backup-encryption-key=<KEY>`.
2.  **Scope**: Prefer backing up specific namespaces rather than the entire
    cluster: `--included-namespaces=<ns1>,<ns2>`.

## Troubleshooting & Common Pitfalls (CRITICAL)

> [!IMPORTANT] **Slow Operations**: Enabling GKE Backup (`--enable-gke-backup`)
> triggers a slow Google Cloud control plane cluster update that takes several
> minutes. * **Rule**: **Do not run a terminal loop waiting for the GKE Backup
> addon to become active.** * **Action**: Provide the command to enable the
> addon, explain that the operation will proceed in the background, and
> immediately proceed to write the backup plan configs. Do not block.

````