# Aerospike Backup CR

::: caution
AKO version 4.x or later does not support Aerospike Backup Service version 2.x. Upgrade to Aerospike Backup Service v3.0.0 or later. See [Upgrade ABS](https://aerospike.com/docs/kubernetes/tools/backup/upgrade-backup-service) for more information.
:::

## Overview

The Aerospike Backup Service (ABS) can trigger a backup from a Custom Resource (CR) that represents a backup configuration for an Aerospike cluster. We refer to this as an Aerospike Backup CR.

You can trigger both on-demand and scheduled backups using `kubectl` or `helm`.

## Requirements

Before creating backups, deploy the ABS on your Kubernetes cluster using either:

-   [kubectl](https://aerospike.com/docs/kubernetes/4.2.0/tools/backup/backup-service)
-   [Helm](https://aerospike.com/docs/kubernetes/4.2.0/tools/backup/backup-service-helm)

Once running, ABS watches the Aerospike Backup CR for updates that trigger a backup.

## Create a backup

1.  Create your YAML-formatted backup CR file with the backup configuration you want to perform.
    
    See [backup configuration settings](https://aerospike.com/docs/kubernetes/4.2.0/tools/backup/backup-configuration) for details on the parameters available in the backup CR file. You can find a sample backup CR file in [the main Aerospike Kubernetes Operator repository](https://github.com/aerospike/aerospike-kubernetes-operator/tree/v4.2.0/config/samples).
    
    You can edit the CR file at any time to make changes and manage the backup.
    
2.  Use `kubectl` to apply the CR file you created, which instructs ABS to perform a backup with your defined settings.
    
    ```plaintext
    kubectl apply -f aerospikebackup.yaml -n aerospike
    ```