For KVM virtualized environments, are the closest to true CBT and are recommended over host-level block tracking. Last updated: 2026-04-14
Here’s a technical write-up on — its concepts, implementation options, and practical usage for incremental backups. Linux Change Block Tracking (CBT): A Technical Overview 1. Introduction Change Block Tracking (CBT) is a mechanism that identifies which blocks on a storage device have been modified since a particular point in time. It enables efficient incremental backups by allowing backup software to read only changed data instead of scanning entire volumes. linux cbt
# Create thin pool and thin volume lvcreate -L 10G --thinpool vg0/thinpool lvcreate -T vg0/thinpool -V 5G -n origin lvcreate -s vg0/origin -n snap1 After some writes, create second snapshot lvcreate -s vg0/origin -n snap2 Find changed blocks between snap1 and snap2 thin_delta /dev/mapper/vg0-thinpool --snap1 snap1 --snap2 snap2 For KVM virtualized environments, are the closest to
For , the most practical CBT-like approach is: LVM thin snapshots + thin_delta or Btrfs/ZFS with incremental send . 5. Practical Implementation: LVM Thin CBT Script Here’s a minimal script demonstrating CBT concept using LVM thin. Introduction Change Block Tracking (CBT) is a mechanism