You may have faced a situation where your system gets corrupted or your VPS Web Hosting server crashes unexpectedly. When something like this happens, there is a possibility of losing all of your precious data. But having a backup file can ensure that your system is effectively restored and brought back to life again.
Backup is a process that every website needs to undertake to ensure that all of their data, applications, and other features are safely stored, and can be accessed as and when needed.
You might think that the chances of all your data being lost at once are pretty rare, but you would be surprised to know the systems crash all the time. In fact, many professionals have lost precious data in a matter of minutes.
No one can predict a system crash, but what you can do is, to have a backup as your plan B. Having a backup ensures that you are able to restore the data as it was prior to a crash.
How to backup files?
Losing data is not an issue that can be tackled with a common solution. Each mishap can have different outcomes and may affect the system in a different way. This is why it is important to adopt specific strategies for each unique situation. However, to be on the safer side, you should aim to back up all files, applications and if possible, the entire website. In case, you are not aware of how you can do this, this article will guide you in the right direction.
Backup Methods
As a website owner, you have the choice to choose, where you wish to back up your files and applications. If you simply wish to create a local copy of your files, you can use tools that facilitate the process of copying data and then transferring it to the desired location.
Linux based devices enable the process of copying and sending data to a location using the CP command. All you need to do is enter the source and the destination of the file and the command takes care of the rest.
- CP Command
An efficient way to do the task of data backup is to use the CP command. Though this is not as complicated as coding for an application, yet you do need to have some knowledge on the topic.
mount /dev/sdc /mnt/my-backup
cp -a /abc/* /mnt/my-backup
umount /dev/sdc
This mounts the removable disk and then copies the /abc directory to the disk. Once the process is complete, the disk is unmounted.
- RSync Command
This is similar to the CP command, with an added advantage of promoting remote copying. RSync has an application that you can install both in the source and the destination device and then transfer data from one end to the other. One thing that you need to do here is manually write the code for transfer.
mount /dev/sdc /mnt/my-backup
rsync -azvP /abc/* /mnt/my-backup
umount /dev/sdc
This mounts the removable disk and then copies the /abc directory to the disk. Once the process is complete, the disk is unmounted. This is the same as that of the CP command but offers extra flexibility and so, is a better option.
Tools to Backup VPS Web Hosting Server
Both CP and RSync are excellent commands that simplify the process of copying and transferring data. But, as mentioned before, they are confined to the domain file transfer and if you wish to backup applications and/or VPS Web Hosting server, you would need a much more competent tool. Here are some options:
- Bacula
Bacula is a tool used to create backups of servers and applications. It incorporates a client-server model and employs separate notions for clients, directories, and backup locations. When you work on bacula, you will realize that every single backup operation is regarded as a job. The tool offers extreme flexibility and scalability of backup operations. It gives you the ease to backup multiple clients to a single location or one client to several locations. In short, it is an excellent tool to back up a VPS Web Hosting server and its corresponding applications.
- Versioning Backups
An optimal way to back up the VPS Web Hosting server is versioning backups. These are reliable when you need to re-deploy the earlier versions of a file. For example, imagine a situation where you need to edit a file more than once. Here, manual creation of backup files would consume a lot of space and time, and might not be as effective. Instead, using the version control system or the GIT can help you perform the task with much granularity and flexibility.
- Backup PC
This is a solution which you will find installed within the VPS Hosting server and is analogous to the backup server. To initiate the process, the client needs to enable access to SSH and further utilize the server to backup and store files. Once the access is granted, you do not require any additional programming and the server can seamlessly pull data to facilitate the process of transfer. This is compatible with both the Windows and Linux systems. One major advantage of using is that you do not need to install any additional software to configure the backup operation.
Final Word
These methods will ensure the safety of your data at all times. In addition to the above, you can always add another layer of backup within your VPS Hosting server with the solution provided by your VPS Hosting provider. This will automatically backup all your data, files and applications in a single go.
There are many methods available, so the choice is yours.
