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Automated Backups

Last updated 20 February 2026

Overview

AFRICLOUD Backups creates full snapshots of your cloud server's disk at scheduled intervals. You can restore from any backup point with a single click.

Enable Backups

  1. Go to your server's detail page.
  2. Click the Backups tab.
  3. Click Enable Backups.
  4. Choose a backup schedule (daily or weekly).
  5. Set the retention period (how many backups to keep).

On-Demand Snapshots

In addition to scheduled backups, you can create on-demand snapshots at any time. This is useful before:

  • Upgrading software or OS packages
  • Making significant configuration changes
  • Running database migrations

Restore from a Backup

To restore, go to the Backups tab, find the backup point you want, and click Restore. This replaces the server's current disk with the backup image. The server will restart during the restore process.

Important: Restoring overwrites all current data on the server. Any changes made after the backup point will be lost.

Best Practices

  • Enable backups on all production servers.
  • Test restores periodically to verify your backups work.
  • Use object storage or external backups for critical databases — do not rely solely on server-level backups.
  • Create a manual snapshot before any major change, even if automated backups are enabled.