XOA vs XO vs Backup feature
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Hi,
congratulations on another milestone, XOA 5.108! A massive thanks to all the developers, and I’m really rooting for you - may both Vates and our whole community continue to grow strong.I’d love to ask someone from Vates how they see the position of XOA compared to the self-compiled version of XO. As most folks know, XOA is incredibly easy and elegant to install on an XCP-ng server - even a complete beginner with no experience can manage it without much bother.
But there is one key limitation in XOA that affects all casual users once the trial period ends - the integrated Backup tool is no longer available. Sure, if you compile XO from source, the Backup functionality is there. But even though we have a detailed guide, getting XO from source up and running can be a bit of a tough nut to crack for users with no Linux experience. Even using the pre-made scripts (like XenOrchestraInstallerUpdater, and the like), which seem to be the preferred method among the tech-savvy YouTubers promoting XCP-ng/XO(A), still calls for at least a bit of Linux know-how.
Now, things like XOSTOR or Proxies - a home user probably won’t need them. But Backup? That’s something that could really be made available in XOA for the everyday user.
What’s your take on that, Vates?
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Hi,
The idea behind XO from the sources is to give home users, enthusiasts, and lab setups full access to the XO features, completely free and open source. On the other hand, XOA is our commercial offering, built specifically for production and business environments, with official support, automatic updates, and extra services.
So while XOA isn’t intended for home use, XO from sources is exactly made for that, and we’re happy to see so many people using it in their labs!
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@abudef I know your question was targeted to the Vates team, however, I'd like to chime in....if that's ok?
As a Windows SysAdmin, myself, I had to eat the proverbial "humble pie" and eventually learn Linux to take advantage of a lot Opensource software. It goes without saying, that you'll have to do the same here.
Now, if you really wanted to, you could install XO from sources using Ronivay's script into a Debian VM running on VirtualBox or Hyper-V on your Windows machine, then use that to manage your pool.
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@kagbasi-ngc Hi, thanks for your thoughts.
I get on well with Linux myself - I’m using XO from source following the documentation, and actually, Ronivay’s script, as you mentioned, makes it all even handier. Still, I can’t help but think - your average home user, a total amateur, is just going to land on the XCP-ng host homepage and click "Deploy XOA". And then they’ve no backup, outside of the trial period. But sure, if XOA is aimed squarely at business and enterprise users with paid licences, fair enough that makes perfect sense.
I just feel like backup isn’t really a purely business or enterprise feature, unlike, say, proxy instances or hyper-converged storage. It's something even home users would genuinely benefit from.
But as it is mentioned above, that’s just how it’s set up - and like you said yourself, everyone’s got the chance to learn something new. And sure, in the age of AI chatbots, there’s really no excuse not to manage it
