With our external backup service, we automatically back up your cloud server every night - without you having to set anything up. If a hard drive fails, something goes wrong during an update, or something is accidentally deleted, we’ll restore the desired state for you.
Key details at a glance
- When: every night between 01:00 and 06:00, automatically.
- What: a complete image of your server, including the operating system, configuration, applications and data.
- Where: on a dedicated backup system, separate from your server’s host system.
- How long: 5 days’ worth of backups are included as standard; 14 or 30 days are available on request.
- Storage: Backups do not count towards your server’s storage quota.
- Restoration: the entire server or individual files, provided free of charge by our support team.
How the backup works
We create a 1:1 copy of your server’s hard drive image. The backup takes place at the host system level - your server does not need to be shut down for this, and you will hardly notice the additional load whilst the backup is in progress.
We cannot specify the exact time: servers are backed up in a random order, and the duration depends on the volume of data. You should therefore, where possible, schedule major maintenance work outside the time window from 01:00 to 06:00.
The backups are stored on a dedicated backup system that is separate from the actual host system. A failure of the host system will therefore not affect your backups.
Backup or snapshot?
You can create snapshots yourself in the customer area - for example, just before an update - and use them to reset the server in a matter of seconds. However, as they are stored on the same host system as your server, they are not a substitute for a backup. Find out more in ‘Managing Cloud Servers’.
Extend retention
How far back you can go depends on the ‘External Backup’ option you have booked. 5 days are included with your Cloud Server. If you’d like to be able to access data from further back - for example, because an error isn’t noticed until a week later - you can add 14 or 30 days: go to ‘Manage Options’ in your server details in the customer area.
Restore data
- Create a support ticket in the customer area.
- Specify the server in question and what needs to be restored: the entire server or specific files and directories.
- Specify the date of the backup you require and when the error occurred.
Our technical team will restore the backup free of charge and keep you updated via the ticket. Important: In the case of a full restore, the server will be reset to the state it was in at the time of the backup. Any changes made since then will be lost. Please back up these changes beforehand, or request that only individual files be restored. For further information, see ‘How does backup restoration work?’.
Will the backup count towards my storage allowance?
No. The backups are stored on a dedicated backup system and are included in the package.
Can I set the time for the backup?
No. Backups are taken automatically between 01:00 and 06:00 in random order. To capture a snapshot at a specific time, you will need to create one yourself.
Are databases included in the backup?
Yes, the image contains the entire server. For databases with a very high volume of write operations, we also recommend carrying out regular database exports - for example, via a cron job - so that you also have a snapshot available for the period between two nights.
Do I need to make my own backups as well?
For important data, we recommend the 3-2-1 rule: three copies on two different storage media, one of which is kept off-site. The off-site backup is one of these copies; keeping another copy in your own possession gives you independence.