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As of July 12, 2014, RamNode no longer takes backups of client VPS data. We highly recommend that clients keep remote backups on their own.
Important: You Are Responsible for Your Data
Data loss is always possible with any computer storage system. Clients are responsible for their own data and must maintain their own backup solutions.
Why We Don't Provide Backups
RamNode discontinued backup services to:
- Cost Efficiency: Keeping prices low by not including backup infrastructure costs
- Flexibility: Allow customers to choose their own backup solutions
- Performance: Avoid performance impact from automated backup processes
- Control: Give you complete control over backup timing and retention
Why Backups Are Critical
Without backups, you risk losing data due to:
- Hardware Failure: Disk drives can fail without warning
- Human Error: Accidental file deletion or configuration mistakes
- Security Breaches: Ransomware, hacking, or malware
- Software Bugs: Application or database corruption
- Natural Disasters: While rare, datacenter incidents can occur
Backup Best Practices
The 3-2-1 Rule
Follow the 3-2-1 backup strategy:
- 3 copies of your data (original + 2 backups)
- 2 different storage media (e.g., disk + cloud)
- 1 offsite backup (not on the same VPS)
What to Backup
- Databases: MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB dumps
- Website Files: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images
- Configuration Files: Web server, application configs
- SSL Certificates: Private keys and certificates
- Application Data: User uploads, logs, data files
- Email: If hosting email on your VPS
Backup Frequency
How often to backup depends on how often your data changes:
- Daily: For actively updated websites and databases
- Hourly: For critical data that changes frequently
- Weekly: For static content or infrequently updated sites
- Real-time: For mission-critical applications
Backup Solutions
Manual Backups
# Database backup
mysqldump -u username -p database_name > backup.sql
# Compress and backup directory
tar -czf backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz /path/to/directory
# Transfer to remote server
rsync -avz /local/path/ user@remote:/backup/path/Automated Backup Scripts
Set up cron jobs for automatic backups:
# Edit crontab
crontab -e
# Daily backup at 2 AM
0 2 * * * /path/to/backup-script.sh
# Weekly backup on Sunday at 3 AM
0 3 * * 0 /path/to/weekly-backup.shCloud Backup Services
Consider using cloud backup services:
- AWS S3: Scalable object storage with versioning
- Backblaze B2: Affordable cloud storage
- rsync.net: rsync-based backup storage
- Tarsnap: Secure, encrypted backups
- borg backup: Deduplicating backup program
Control Panel Backups
If using a control panel:
- cPanel: Use JetBackup or built-in backup tools
- Plesk: Built-in backup manager
- DirectAdmin: Backup/restore functionality
Cloud Instance Snapshots
For Cloud instances, RamNode provides snapshot functionality:
- On-Demand Snapshots: Create instant backups of your instance
- Quick Recovery: Restore from snapshots quickly
- Cost: Snapshots are charged based on storage used
- Limitation: Snapshots are in the same datacenter - not offsite backups
Snapshots Are Not Offsite Backups
While Cloud snapshots are useful for quick recovery, they're stored in the same datacenter. For true disaster recovery, maintain offsite backups as well.
Testing Your Backups
A backup you haven't tested is not a backup at all:
- Regular Testing: Restore backups periodically to verify integrity
- Document Process: Keep restoration procedures documented
- Verify Data: Check that restored data is complete and usable
- Practice Recovery: Time how long restoration takes
Backup Checklist
Essential Backup Setup
- Identified all critical data to backup
- Set up automated daily backups
- Configured offsite backup storage
- Tested backup restoration process
- Documented backup and restore procedures
- Set up backup monitoring/alerts
- Scheduled regular backup verification
Common Backup Mistakes
Storing Backups on the Same VPS
Backups on the same server are lost if the server fails. Always store backups offsite.
Never Testing Restores
Backups can become corrupted or incomplete. Test restoration regularly to ensure backups work.
Infrequent Backups
If you backup weekly but your database updates daily, you risk losing up to a week of data.
No Retention Policy
Keep multiple backup versions. Sometimes corruption isn't discovered until days later.
Emergency Data Recovery
If you lose data without backups:
- Stop Immediately: Don't write new data to the disk
- Contact Support: In some cases, we may be able to help
- Professional Recovery: Consider data recovery services
- Learn From It: Implement proper backups going forward
Start Backing Up Today
Don't wait until you experience data loss. Set up your backup solution today. Even a simple daily backup to another server is better than no backup at all. If you need recommendations for backup solutions or help setting up automated backups, contact our support team.