Cedar Backup also supports an optional feature called the “managed backup”. This feature is intended for use with remote clients where cron is not available.

When managed backups are enabled, managed clients must still be configured as usual. However, rather than using a cron job on the client to execute the collect and purge actions, the master executes these actions on the client via a remote shell.

To make this happen, first set up one or more managed clients in Cedar Backup configuration. Then, invoke Cedar Backup with the --managed command-line option. Whenever Cedar Backup invokes an action locally, it will invoke the same action on each of the managed clients.

Technically, this feature works for any client, not just clients that don't have cron available. Used this way, it can simplify the setup process, because cron only has to be configured on the master. For some users, that may be motivation enough to use this feature all of the time.

However, please keep in mind that this feature depends on a stable network. If your network connection drops, your backup will be interrupted and will not be complete. It is even possible that some of the Cedar Backup metadata (like incremental backup state) will be corrupted. The risk is not high, but it is something you need to be aware of if you choose to use this optional feature.