In this age and era, most people would know how to back up their phone data such as images, videos, documents, and so on. The same goes for a VPS, where it needs a backup for either a file restoration or full server recovery. A Linux VPS server can be backup either online, offline, or a mixture of both. If it’s an online backup, files and system can be restored whenever is needed, and if it’s offline backup, VPS data can be stored in storage structures such as a hard disk drive, but it is unable to help in file restoration.
1. Backup Planning
Firstly, it is important to plan where, when and what you want to backup your VPS. The backup time and location are crucial when it comes to your Disaster Recovery Strategy. You could have multiple locations for the backup and knowing where and what’s protected will make the disaster recovery planning much simple. A well backup plan can help in solving critical issues quickly.
2. Storage Solution
Backups can either be stored locally or remotely or also both. Both ways of backups have their multiple respective ways of doing it and users can pick based on their preference. Based on the operating system used, you will have to use the built-in tools or commands to repeat and store locally. If your server is still accessible, it’s still possible to restore your system and files to an earlier usable stage swiftly. Linux and Windows OS both have their respective ways of fixing and maintaining local backups.
In the case where the server is unresponsive or fatally crash, remote backups are unavoidable and also where the remote backup will be more useful for restoring the server with minimum data losses possible.
3. Automate Backups
Most backups are usually done manually depending on the tools used. However, given the choice, if users could have an automated backup, it is highly recommended for users to use it. In fact, if you are using a VPS, most hosting control panels, especially the well-known ones such as cPanel, Plesk, and others, an automatic backup system is usually provided. It is also easy to set up and manage the backups of a VPS using these control panels.
4. Diversifying Backup Locations
When doing a backup, always choose at least a backup location both locally and remotely. You may choose to either use TDWS Remote Backup scripts or through Secure FTP, according to your preference. Always keeping a backup copy in a remote location will be the best instead of only relying on local backup.
5. Test Server Backups Regularly
Making a backup without testing will be similar to not making a backup in the case where the backup file doesn’t work properly, it will still cause losses of data. By making sure how much data the backup file could restore, it will give you a clearer view of what you might or might not lose. This way, you could still make another backup file to the point where it is the way you want it to be.
