Server backups
With our modern backup technology, georedundant server backups are created daily between 00:00 and 08:00 (UTC) using a delta strategy. By using the delta strategy, full backups of several hundred gigabytes can be created in just a few minutes, without the dependency on previous backups as is the case with conventional incremental backups.
Full backups can be restored directly via our customer center. If only individual files or folders from a backup are required, these can be downloaded via the Customer Center without jeopardizing the server's ability to run. Compared to Server-Snapshots, full server backups do not have any dependencies on the status of the associated server.
Backup overview
Select the Backups tab to manage the existing backups for your server. Backups can be created or restored via this view. In addition, if supported by the file system, individual files and folders of a backup can be downloaded.
Create full backup
Select the Create backup button to create a new full backup in online or offline mode.
| Mode | Explanation |
|---|---|
| In "Online" mode, the full server backup is created in the background without shutting down the server first. To ensure the integrity of the backups, a write lock is activated for the file system in this mode so that no new files can be written to the partition while the backup is running. | |
| Offline | In "Offline" mode, the server is automatically shut down and backed up. The server is then started up again. This mode should only be used if it is not a productive system or if there are difficulties in "Online" mode. |
Enter a description for the manual backup and confirm your order using the Create backup button.
Please note: Depending on the size of the server partitions, it may take several hours to create a complete backup
After the backup has been successfully created, you will also receive a confirmation by e-mail.
Please note that backups may be limited in time and cannot be created around the clock
Restore full backup
To restore a server backup, select the corresponding backup from the list of available backups and then click on the Restore button.
Restoring a full backup will replace all files on the server with the selected backup. If you only want to restore individual files, please refer to the section: Download backup files / folders.
Please note that all existing server snapshots will be irrevocably deleted in the event of a backup restore.
Requirements for restoring a full backup
To restore a backup, the following requirements must be met:
- The server must be switched off
- The backup to be restored must be verified
- A valid TAN procedure must be stored in the user account
Authorization using an SMS TAN is required to restore a server backup. You can obtain the TAN via the Request code button.
Restore strategy
Different strategies can be selected for restoring a server backup.
Standard restore
With the standard restore, the server remains completely switched off during the restore and is automatically restarted after the restore is complete. For larger partitions, the process can take several hours.
Live restore
With live restore, the server is started at the beginning of the restore from the backup. The required files are automatically prioritized by file system accesses so that the server is available earlier.
Please note that during a live restore, files that have been changed since the boot time are not saved in the backup to be restored and may therefore be lost.
Download backup files / folders
In addition to restoring the entire server using a full backup, individual files and folders can also be downloaded from backups. To do this, you can click on the File icon next to the Restore button to search the backup for the desired files.
Please note that downloading the files and folders does not automatically restore them to the corresponding server.
The single download of files and folders is not available for all file systems.
All physical hard disks are initially displayed in the base directory. Navigate to the desired hard disk and then select the partition in the part directory. The files and folders are organized differently depending on the operating system.
You can use the download icon at the end of the line to prepare entire files and folders for download. As soon as the download is ready, you will also receive an e-mail with the download link to download the files via FTP or SFTP.
After the download has been requested, files and folders can be downloaded via FTP or SFTP for a maximum of 12 hours. The download must then be requested again.
Please note that very large directories may take some time to prepare for download. As soon as the download is ready, you will receive an additional e-mail.
Deactivate automatic backups
If you want to deactivate the automatic backup for an explicit server, first call up the affected server and select the menu item Settings → Backup settings.
Deactivate the option "Activate automatic backups" and confirm your entries by clicking the Save changes button.
By deactivating the automatic backups, no automatic full backups will be created by us. If you deactivate the option, make sure that you create independent regular backups of your data.
General security for server backups
Server backups are initially encrypted locally in the respective data center on a hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI). The server systems provided for this purpose are also kept physically fail-safe and all physical hard disks are mirrored. All server backups are also synchronized daily to another geographically independent data center to ensure recovery in the event of nuclear or natural disasters.
Further information on the technical and organizational measures can also be found in the contract for commissioned data processing. The AV contract can be concluded directly via our customer center free of charge.