Creating a Backup
ServerPlane provides incremental, encrypted backups. Once you have a destination configured, you can set up automated backups for an entire server, a specific application, or an individual database.
Prerequisites
- At least one connected server in Active status.
- At least one backup destination configured (see Backup Destinations).
Steps
- Navigate to Backups from the sidebar.
- Click Create Backup.
1. Select a Server
Choose the server you want to back up from the Server dropdown.
2. Choose the Backup Scope
Select one of three scope options:
| Scope | What gets backed up |
|---|---|
| Full Server | The entire server filesystem. |
| Application | Files for a specific app deployed on the selected server. An app dropdown appears to let you pick which one. |
| Database | A specific managed database on the selected server. A database dropdown appears to let you pick which one. |
3. Select a Destination
Choose a previously configured backup destination (S3 or SFTP) from the dropdown. If no destinations exist, you will be prompted to add one first.
4. Set the Schedule
Pick a preset schedule or define a custom cron expression:
| Preset | Cron Expression |
|---|---|
| Every 6 hours | 0 */6 * * * |
| Every 12 hours | 0 */12 * * * |
| Daily at 2:00 AM | 0 2 * * * |
| Daily at 3:00 AM | 0 3 * * * |
| Weekly (Sunday 2:00 AM) | 0 2 * * 0 |
| Weekly (Monday 2:00 AM) | 0 2 * * 1 |
| Monthly (1st at 2:00 AM) | 0 2 1 * * |
| Custom | Enter your own cron expression (e.g., 30 4 * * 1-5 for weekdays at 4:30 AM). |
5. Configure Retention
Set how long backup snapshots are kept using two complementary controls:
- Keep Last N Snapshots — the maximum number of snapshots to retain (1—365).
- Keep Snapshots For (days) — the maximum age of a snapshot in days (1—365).
Snapshots that exceed both the count and age limits are automatically pruned during each backup run.
6. Create
Click Create Backup. You will see a confirmation screen with links to view the new backup or return to the backup list.
How Incremental Backups Work
ServerPlane uses a backup engine that performs block-level deduplication. After the initial full backup, subsequent runs only transfer changed blocks. This keeps storage usage low and backup times short, even for large datasets.