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Glossary

Anchor

External rollback boundary for the repository. In v2-preview, the anchor records the accepted commit sequence, commit key, digest, signing key, format root, and provider version ID when available. A gateway must fail closed if it cannot read or advance the anchor.

Backend

The object store where rs3 writes repository objects. The backend can observe object class prefixes, object counts, sizes, timing, tenant configuration, and configured backend bucket or prefix names. It must not learn plaintext client paths from backend object keys or unauthenticated metadata.

Blinded Identifier

Opaque identifier derived from repository key material and a logical path. The namespace index uses blinded identifiers instead of plaintext path components.

Checkpoint

Older repository state summary used by the removed v1 stack and retained where compatibility text still needs to distinguish v1 from v2. Current v2-preview state is selected by signed commits and an external anchor, not by the older checkpoint object stack.

Commit

Signed repository update. In v2-preview, a commit contains encrypted payload sections plus an encrypted index delta or snapshot. The accepted commit chain is selected by the anchor and verified before state is trusted.

Commit Chain

Parent-linked sequence of signed commits from the accepted head back to a genesis commit or index snapshot boundary. Recovery and maintenance verify the chain instead of trusting the newest object seen in storage.

Format Root

Encrypted repository-format metadata for v2-preview. It binds the repository format, repository context, provider profile, and active keyring envelope reference so a backend cannot silently swap critical repository metadata.

Keyring

Repository data keys grouped by purpose: namespace derivation, content encryption, metadata or index encryption, and commit signing. New writes use primary keys; reads may accept enabled historical keys until retention and reachability allow retirement.

Keyring Envelope

Encrypted object that stores the repository keyring under an operator-managed wrapping key. The envelope lives under keyrings/ and is referenced by the format root and commits. The wrapping key itself stays outside the repository.

Object-store protection that blocks deletion while enabled. rs3 treats legal hold as restore-critical protection when the selected provider profile supports it.

Logical Path

Client-visible object key or prefix, such as an S3 key supplied by Kopia or Velero. Logical paths are privacy-sensitive and must not appear in backend keys, unauthenticated metadata, logs, metrics labels, or errors.

Path Privacy

Product invariant that plaintext paths, directory names, Kubernetes object names, namespaces, and snapshot names are not exposed through backend keys, unauthenticated metadata, logs, metrics labels, or errors.

Prefix Token

Opaque namespace lookup token for a logical prefix. Prefix tokens let the gateway list client prefixes without storing plaintext directory components in backend-visible state.

Provider Profile

Declared set of object-store semantics used by a repository. Examples include the default development profile and retained-version profiles that require version IDs, exact-version reads, and visible retention or legal-hold state.

Public Bucket

S3 bucket name exposed by the gateway to backup clients. It is separate from the backend bucket where repository objects are stored.

Repository

All backend objects, key material references, signed commits, and anchor state for one rs3 backup gateway namespace. A repository is operated as one rollback domain.

Restore Bundle

Operator-reviewed recovery artifact exported by rs3 export-restore-bundle. For v2-preview, it carries the anchor state and offline-signature payload needed to recreate a lost external anchor after chain verification.

Retention

Object-store protection that prevents deletes until a retain-until time. rs3 may extend retention for restore-critical objects but must not shorten it.

Rollback Resistance

Property that a backend cannot make the gateway silently accept older or newer-looking repository state by listing, deleting, delaying, or replaying objects. Anchors, signed commits, provider versions, and operator recovery floors enforce this.

Weak-Subjectivity Floor

Operator-supplied minimum accepted sequence for disaster recovery. Importing an anchor below the floor is rejected, even if the backend contains an otherwise valid commit chain.

v2-preview

Current evaluation repository format. It uses random commit keys, signed commit headers, encrypted payload and index sections, an encrypted format root, an encrypted keyring envelope, and an external anchor.