Backups

Backup is an important part of keeping your cloud server running. If data is accidentally deleted, or operation is disrupted after updates or changes, you can always restore the contents of the disk using the backups. 

If you reinstall the server, the previously made backups are still kept in your Hostman control panel, so you can restore the server with them.

Keep in mind that the copies created in the control panel do not protect against all possible problems. Should there be a serious software or hardware failure or if the server is accidentally deleted, it will be impossible to restore the data. 

We recommend creating remote copies to ensure complete safety of your data.

In the Hostman control panel you can create both backups and snapshots (recovery points).

Backups

You can create and delete backups, restore data from them, and also manage automatic backups in the Backups tab of the control panel.

Price

The cost of backups depends on the disk size: $1.75 per 1 GB.

You pay for storing the copies, not creating them. Even if you no longer create new backups, the existing ones will be billed until they are deleted from the control panel.

Create backups

To create a new backup, hover over the disk on click on the plus icon:

Next, confirm the action and we’ll start creating the backup. 

Depending on the disk size and the load on the Hostman backup system at the moment, the process can take from a couple of seconds to several minutes. Once it completes, a copy will appear in the control panel.

Please note that you cannot create a backup if a snapshot has been created on the server.

Automatic backups

To set up automatic backups, click on the gear icon next to the disk.

In the next window, enable automatic backups and set the parameters specifying how frequently Hostman should back up your server (daily / weekly / monthly), how many copies should be kept and the start date for creating backups automatically.

Restore data from backup

We recommend turning the server off before performing this operation.

Click on the Created backups link:

To fully restore the disk (restore all data), click on the Restore icon, then confirm.

Restoring will take some time, depending on the size of the backup.

To restore the data partially, click on the Mount icon, then confirm.

After this, the disk will appear in the system, but will be available in the read-only mode. You need to mount this disk inside the operating system following the steps below.

Note that:

• Mounting the backup takes some time, so you will not see the disk immediately after mounting it in the Hostman panel. Give it a few minutes.

• Before unmounting the backup in the control panel, first unmount it within the operating system.

Mount backups

Mounting a backup means connecting a disk inside the operating system. 

In the examples below, we use the disk name vdc. You should replace it with the actual disk name on your system. You can check disk names, for example, with the lsblk command.

1. Connect to your server via SSH or use the console in the Hostman panel.

2. Mount the disk using the mount command:

mount /dev/vdc1 /mnt

To unmount the disk, you must first unmount it within the operating system using the umount command:

umount /dev/vdc1

Then you need to click on the Unmount button in the Hostman control panel.

It is not possible to unmount a backup in the control panel as long as it is still mounted within the operating system.

Download the backup

You can download the backup to your device.

1. In the Backups tab click on the Created backups link.

2. Click on the Mount icon.

3. Mount the backup following the guide above.

4. Connect to the server via SFTP, for example using Filezilla, using the details:

• • Host: Your server's IP address

  • Login: root

  • Password: root user password

  • Port: 22

5. Save the backup folder to your computer and unmount the backup.

Delete backups

To delete a backup: 

1. Сlick on the Created backups link.

2. In the next window, click on the three dots and click Delete backup.

It will be impossible to delete a backup if a snapshot is created on the server.

Snapshots

Snapshots (recovery points) are another backup method. With this method, you basically take a snapshot of the current state of the server, which is very easy to roll back to.

On Hostman, snapshots are free.

Unlike a backup, a snapshot is created for the entire server as a whole, and not for a separate disk, and is also created and restored instantly, while creating and restoring data from a backup can take up to 30 minutes or more.

Snapshots are convenient to use when you need to quickly and safely test something: create a snapshot before making changes, and then, if necessary, return the server to its previous state.

However, a backup is a more reliable way of long-term data storage, since it is a complete copy of the disk, stored on a separate server.

If a snapshot is created, the following actions will not be available for the server:

• adding, removing or resizing a disk;
• creating or deleting backups;
• creating a server image;
• reinstalling the operating system;
• server cloning.

To perform them, you will first need to delete the snapshot.

Create a snapshot

The server must be turned on.

1. Go to the Backups section and click Create snapshot.

2. In the next window, confirm the action, and the snapshot will appear in the control panel in a couple of seconds.

You can only create one snapshot for one server. It is stored for 7 days, after which it is automatically deleted.

Restore data from the snapshot

To restore the server using the snapshot:

1. Go to the Backup tab.

2. Hover over the snapshot and click the Restore icon.

3. Confirm the action. 

The server will be rolled back to the state at the time the snapshot was created, and the snapshot itself will be deleted.

Any changes that were made after the snapshot was created will be permanently lost.

Delete a snapshot

Snapshots are deleted automatically after 7 days but you can also delete the snapshot manually.

In the Backups section, click on the bin icon, then confirm the action.

General backup guidelines

For more efficient work with the cloud servers, we recommend following these guidelines when creating backups and snapshots:

• Create backups regularly depending on how often the data changes on the server. In the case of online stores, large web portals, and online media, it is recommended to back up daily. In the case of a small website, it is enough to make a backup once a month.

• Create a backup or snapshot before major updates in the files or databases. Make sure the update went smoothly and then delete the backup.

• Make a backup after the major changes to ensure you have the most recent copy of your data.