> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.digitalfyre.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Backup Management

DigitalFyre VPS plans include automated backups powered by VirtFusion's Backup Manager, backed by Proxmox Backup Server (PBS). Backups run daily and are retained for 4 weeks, with older backups automatically pruned.

Backups are included at no cost as a courtesy on all VPS plans. No configuration is required.

<Warning>
  Free backups are provided as a courtesy and should not be your only recovery strategy. Always maintain your own independent off-site backups. DigitalFyre is not responsible for data loss. If you store anything critical, ensure you have a backup solution outside of DigitalFyre's infrastructure.
</Warning>

## How It Works

VirtFusion's Backup Manager integrates directly with Proxmox Backup Server to take snapshots of your VPS on a scheduled basis.

Backups use an incremental strategy to minimize storage overhead and backup duration:

| Backup Type     | When It Runs                                                              |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Full**        | First backup taken on a new VPS, then once every 3 days                   |
| **Incremental** | All other daily backups — only changes since the last backup are captured |

This means your VPS is backed up daily, but a full snapshot of the entire disk is taken only periodically. Incremental backups are faster and lighter, capturing only what has changed since the previous backup.

| Detail                  | Value                                                                                     |
| ----------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Schedule**            | Daily                                                                                     |
| **Full backup cadence** | Every 3 days                                                                              |
| **Retention**           | 4 weeks, minimum 7 retained                                                               |
| **Pruning**             | Automatic -- backups outside the retention window are removed without manual intervention |
| **Cost**                | Free, included with all VPS plans                                                         |
| **Action required**     | None                                                                                      |

## Data Residency

Backups are stored in the same region as your VPS. DigitalFyre operates backup infrastructure across all regions to ensure your data does not leave its origin geography:

| Region             | Coverage                                   |
| ------------------ | ------------------------------------------ |
| **North America**  | U.S.-based storage                         |
| **Europe**         | EU-based storage covering EU member states |
| **United Kingdom** | UK-based storage, separate from the EU     |
| **Asia**           | Asia-based storage (Singapore)             |

## Accessing Your Backups

Backups are managed from the Fusion Control Panel at [fusion.digitalfyre.com](https://fusion.digitalfyre.com).

<Steps>
  <Step title="Log In">
    Log in at [fusion.digitalfyre.com](https://fusion.digitalfyre.com) and open your VPS.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Go to Backups">
    Click the **Backups** tab on your VPS management page.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review Your Backups">
    The top of the page shows your last backup time, next scheduled backup, and retention policy. Below that, backups are listed per drive (e.g., **Drive A**), each showing a date and an **Available** status badge.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Creating a Manual Backup

In addition to the daily automated schedule, you can trigger a backup at any time:

1. In the **Backups** tab, click **Backup Now**
2. Confirm the request

Manual backups are incremental—only changes since the last backup are captured. They are subject to the same retention schedule as automated backups.

## Restoring a Backup

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Restore Dialog">
    In the **Backups** tab, click **Restore**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select a Drive">
    Check the box next to the drive you want to restore (e.g., **Drive A**). For most VPS configurations, this will be the only drive listed.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose a Restore Point">
    Under **Restore Point**, select a specific timestamp from the dropdown or leave it set to **Latest backup** to restore from the most recent available backup.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm">
    Click **Restore**. The process will overwrite the selected drive's current state with the chosen restore point. Your VPS will be unavailable during the restore and will come back online automatically once the restore is complete.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Danger>
  Restoring a backup overwrites your VPS's current disk state. Any data written after the selected restore point will be lost. Ensure you are selecting the correct restore point before confirming.
</Danger>

## What Backups Do Not Cover

* **Backups are not real-time.** If your VPS fails between daily snapshots, up to 24 hours of changes may be unrecoverable from DigitalFyre's backup system.
* **Encryption is not currently applied** to backup data at rest. Encryption is planned for a future update.
* **Backups are not a substitute for your own off-site backups.** Tools such as `rsync`, `borgbackup`, or your application's native export functionality should be used to maintain copies outside of DigitalFyre's infrastructure.

## Recommended Backup Tools

If you need additional backup coverage beyond what DigitalFyre provides as a courtesy, consider:

| Tool                     | Description                                                                  |
| ------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **rsync**                | Sync files or directories to a remote server or external storage over SSH    |
| **BorgBackup**           | Deduplicated, compressed backups to any remote destination                   |
| **Rclone**               | Sync data to any S3-compatible or cloud storage provider                     |
| **mysqldump / pg\_dump** | Database-level exports for MySQL and PostgreSQL                              |
| **Application exports**  | CMS exports, control panel backups, or any application-native backup tooling |