Snapshots are not backups. This guide shows a 3-2-1-friendly routine with restic, database dumps and a real restore test.
SCP snapshots live on the same storage layer and are deleted after 30 days. They help before an upgrade but do not replace an external backup. A real backup lives on another system or with another provider.
restic is encrypted, deduplicated and works with S3, SFTP or local repos. Do not store the repository on the same server. For Netcup, use a storage/S3 target or a second server.
sudo apt install restic export RESTIC_REPOSITORY="s3:https://s3.example.com/netcup-backup" export RESTIC_PASSWORD="change-me" restic init restic backup /etc /home /var/www --exclude /var/cache restic forget --keep-daily 7 --keep-weekly 4 --keep-monthly 6 --prune restic restore latest --target /tmp/restore-test
Note: Keep the repository password separate from the server. Without it, the backup cannot be restored.
File-based backups of running databases are often inconsistent. Use logical dumps or the database backup feature, then back up the dump with restic.
# PostgreSQL pg_dump -Fc -U postgres app > /var/backups/app.dump # MariaDB/MySQL mariadb-dump --single-transaction -u root -p app > /var/backups/app.sql restic backup /var/backups
A backup without a restore test is a hope. Restore a sample to a temporary directory, check files and the database dump, and document the result.
4 Dedicated Cores (AMD EPYC 9645) · 8 GB RAM · 128 GB NVMe · 2.5 Gbit/s
GB6: 2,290/7,559 · Steal: 0.0 %
4 vCores (x86) · 8 GB RAM · 128 GB SSD · 2.5 Gbit/s
GB6: 1,720/4,650 · Steal: 1.2 %
No. Snapshots are deleted after 30 days and live on the same storage layer. A real backup needs an external, versioned target.
Both work. restic is simpler for S3 and multiple clients; Borg is strong for deduplicated local repos. The restore test matters more than the tool.
Not on the same server. Use a separate storage target, a second location or another provider. Encryption and a separate password are mandatory.