gen:remote-backups [N99panel Documentation]

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===Remote backups under N99panel===

Before setting remote backups, please checkout the following important points and the concept of executing a successful backup strategy :\
  * Remote backups work on push principle i.e. to push data to an another Linux machine which allows the N99panel VPS to access it using a SSH Key and to push data using the rsync command. 
  * Multiple backup servers can be added. Any server providing SSH can be used. We recommend storage VPS from Interserver - [[https://www.interserver.net/vps/storage.html|https://www.interserver.net/vps/storage.html]] . Price starts from USD 3.0 per TB/month
  * Multiple backup markers/identifiers can be added. A single backup server can have multiple backup markers/identifiers.
  * Backups once configured, will be attempted by the system cron job. And will be rotated amongst available markers/identifiers.
  * With backup parameters you can set cron timing, frequency of rotation in number of days and reset the cron counter.
  * Running remote backups, especially the initial ones, can incur excessive bandwidth usage depending upon the backup size.
  * Backup functionality is provided as a goodwill gesture only. You should always double check if backups are actually taking place or not.

To setup remote backups, follow these steps

**Step 1 :** Setup a Linux based backup server. Setup a user account on that server. Broadly speaking, you will need to the following **//(N99panel team is willing to help, if you find this step is daunting)//**\\

SSH into the backup server with root access or administrative access.

Add a user using the command 'adduser' if the server is Debian or its variant. Use the 'useradd' command if the server is Redhat/CentOS variant.

Now log into the backup server with the user you have created.

Make .ssh directory using the mkdir command, if the directory does not exist.

<code>
mkdir .ssh
</code>

The above command will be run assuming you are in the directory /home///user//

Also ensure it has 700 permission , this you can do by running the command

<code>
chmod 700 .ssh
</code>

Now we have to make/setup authorized_keys file. Here we change into the .ssh directory

<code>
cd .ssh
</code>

And create the authorized_keys file (if not already existing) using nano, pico or a vi editor (please Google on how to use these editors), and paste the SSH key provided under the menu Dashboard » Remote Backups » Backups Servers » Add a Backup Server.

Ensure that the authorized_keys file has 600 permission. This you can make sure using the command

<code>
chmod 600 authorized_keys
</code>
 
**Step 2 :** Add the backup server details in N99panel using the following navigation

Dashboard » Remote Backups » Backups Servers » Add a Backup Server

After adding a backup server, you should also do a 'Health Check' for the same in order to ensure that it can be used for backups


**Step 3 :** Add the backup marker (one or multiple) using the following navigation

Dashboard » Remote Backups » Backups Markers/Identifier » Add a Backup Marker

A backup marker/identifier is a point of backup. The space used on your backup server will be the total space used by the N99panel users multiplied by number of backup markers. For. e.g. if the space utilized by your N99panel users is 30 GB, and if you have 3 backup markers/identifiers, the total space used at the backup server will be 90 GB.

The cron job (automated task job) on the N99panel VPS with try running backups to a backup marker based on the frequency (in days), the number of backup markers and the internal counter. 

The parameters w.r.t. frequency (in days), cron timing and resetting of internal counter can be done from  within 

Dashboard » Remote Backups » Backup Parameters  

You can also manually push a backup.


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**To pull a backup, follow the navigation**

Dashboard » Remote Backups » Pull a Backup

W.r.t. pulling a backup, you are provided with 3 options
  * pull_rename_replace - Pull the backup, rename original folder with suffix OLD-current_date, and place backup as original folder
  * pull_replace - Pull the backup, and replace the original folder with pulled backup
  * pull - Only pull the backup to a folder named same as the original folder but with suffix BKPMGR-current_date

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To sum it up, Remote Backups functionality does the heavy lifting of backing the data by providing a multitude of options.