May 6th in Linux/Unix by pbu .

Easy methods to Backup your Cpanel files

How important is your backups? Well! you will truly know the value of backups during server crash, website hacked or a hard drive failure.

In the past few days, i have been working on easy methods to do backups if you are a beginner running a VPS or dedicated server. I am assuming that you are running linux with cpanel.

Cpanel Backup (SCP or FTP)

If you have a shared hosting plan, the best way to copy your cpanel bundles from one server to another is using SCP or FTP method in your cpanel. When disaster comes just go to restore in your cpanel, point to the cpanel bundle and cpanel will automatically restore your whole account including server files, databases, passwords, emails and all of it. You need not download home and mysql files separately.

Use SCP if you have SSH access (Port 22) in your server or select FTP transfer (Port 21) incase of shared account.

If you want to copy your tar.gz file from one server to another using command line using SCP method, use this command

scp -C -P 22 backups.tar.gz root@IP.ADDRESS:/home/backups/

-C is compression to speed up transfer.
-r is for recursive
-P is your SSH port number (default ssh port 22)
[If you are running SSH other than default port you will need to specify this]

NOTE:
Dont forget that if you are running a firewall (CSF or APF) make sure that your unblock port in your EG_TCP_PORT (outbound TCP port) in your local host.

Cpanel WHM – Configure Backup

If you have access to WHM in cpanel, you can automatically ask cpanel to perform daily, weekly or monthly backups for all accounts in the server. Go to Main > Backup > Configure the backup and enable the backup.

There are basically 3 ways for cpanel performing backup..

1. Local hard drive
2. Secondary hard drive
3. Remote FTP Server

The problem is if you perform daily backups in your local harddrive the drive gets filled up quickly and could lead to crashing your server. Also, what if your main hard drive fails? You will have no way of restoring backup.

The secondary drive is a good option, and it should be mounted as backup drive so that you could perform daily or weekly backups. It should be usually TWICE the size of files in your main hard drive. This method is not fault tolerant and what if your server crashes, you will have no way of accessing backup files unless the server comes back online. Secondary drives are so cheap nowdays and can be obtained for $15/mon

The more effective and best method of storing backup files is remotely outside your host. The simplest way is get a VPS server plan and store it there using FTP from your server.

Important:

If you chose FTP method in your WHM backup configuration, it will only copy account files and NOT mysql database files.

NAS (Network Access Storage)

NAS is the cheapest backup method available to store your files. Most hosting providers charge about $10 per 10gb to give access to your NAS storage. NAS is a remotely located file server located within your hosting providers network but outside your server. You will have FTP user name and password for this NAS server. Just use cpanel backup or WHM backup to ftp your backup files there.

Evault Backup

Evault (formerly known as Disksync) is the best backup i have seen. Most hosting providers do offer this backup storage and often about $10 for 10gb storage. The backups are kept in remote vault location and has high reliability to restore your backup should you face a disaster.

Evault has three parts – valult, agent and console. The vault is a centralized location to store your server files, the agent runs on your linux server (where backup is need) and the console (windows version only) runs on your desktop controls and schedules the backups.

Dont forget that if you want to setup evault, you have to unblock the following ports in your firewall – Ports 807,808,2546.

RSync Method

Rsync is another good method to synchronize your backup files between server to server.

There are many backup storage services who support rsync for storage…

http://www.ibackup.com
http://www.rsync.net
http://www.bqbackup.com/

Easy methods to Backup your Cpanel files