How Do Backups and Restores Work?

Data protection is critical for any website or application. UncleBTech provides comprehensive backup solutions across all hosting plans, ensuring your data is always safe and recoverable.

Backup Frequency by Plan

WordPress Hosting Plans

All WordPress Plans: Daily automated backups
Backup Time: Performed during low-traffic hours (typically 2-4 AM GMT)
Retention: 10 restore points maintained
Storage: Off-site backup storage separate from your hosting server

Cloud Hosting Plans

All Cloud Plans: Daily automated backups for all WordPress installations
Bulk Backup: All sites backed up simultaneously
Individual Restore: Restore specific sites without affecting others
Retention: 10 restore points per WordPress installation

LaunchStack Hosting Plans

Starter LaunchStack:

Daily automated backups
7-day retention period
Database and application file backups

Advanced LaunchStack:

Daily automated backups
14-day retention period
Enhanced backup verification

Premium LaunchStack:

Daily automated backups
30-day retention period
Cross-region backup replication

What Gets Backed Up

WordPress Sites

WordPress Core Files: All WordPress installation files
Themes and Plugins: Custom and third-party themes/plugins
Media Library: All uploaded images, documents, and media files
Database: Complete WordPress database including posts, pages, users, and settings
Configuration Files: wp-config.php and other configuration files

LaunchStack Applications

Application Code: All source code and compiled assets
Database Content: Complete database dumps for all connected databases
Environment Variables: Secure backup of configuration settings
User-Uploaded Files: Any files uploaded through your application
Container Configurations: Docker configurations and custom settings

What's NOT Backed Up

Temporary Files: Cache files and temporary data
Log Files: Server logs (these are retained separately)
Third-Party Integrations: External service configurations (you'll need to reconfigure these)
Email Content: Email hosting has separate backup procedures

Important Note: While we provide comprehensive backups, we always recommend maintaining your own backup strategy for critical data, especially for business-critical applications.

Backup Storage and Security

Storage Locations

Off-Site Storage: Backups stored separately from your hosting server
Multiple Locations: Backups replicated across different data centers
Encrypted Storage: All backups encrypted both in transit and at rest
Secure Access: Backup access restricted to authorized personnel only

Data Retention Policies

Standard Retention: 90 days for all backup data
Extended Retention: Available on request for compliance requirements
Automatic Cleanup: Old backups automatically removed after retention period
Manual Retention: Option to manually preserve specific backup points

Backup Verification

Integrity Checks: Regular verification that backups are complete and uncorrupted
Test Restores: Periodic test restores to ensure backup reliability
Monitoring: Continuous monitoring of backup processes
Alerts: Immediate notification if backup processes fail

How to Restore Your Data

WordPress Hosting Restores

Via Control Panel (Enhance CP):

Log into your Enhance CP control panel
Navigate to "Backups" or "File Manager"
Select "Restore" from the backup section
Choose the restore point you want to use
Select what to restore (files, database, or both)
Click "Start Restore" and wait for completion

Restore Options:

Full Site Restore: Restore everything to a previous state
Database Only: Restore just the WordPress database
Files Only: Restore just the website files
Selective Restore: Choose specific files or folders to restore

LaunchStack Application Restores

Via Coolify Dashboard:

Access your Coolify dashboard
Navigate to your application
Go to "Backups" section
Select the backup point you want to restore
Choose restore type (application, database, or both)
Confirm the restore operation

Restore Types:

Application Restore: Restore your application code and configuration
Database Restore: Restore database content to a previous state
Environment Restore: Restore environment variables and settings
Complete Restore: Full application and data restoration

Emergency Restore Process

If you can't access your control panel:

Contact Support: Email support@unclebtech.com with "URGENT RESTORE" in the subject
Provide Details: Specify which backup point you need restored
Verification: We'll verify your identity before proceeding
Restoration: Our team will perform the restore manually
Confirmation: You'll receive confirmation when the restore is complete

Emergency Response: Critical restore requests are handled within 2 hours, regardless of your support plan level.

Backup Monitoring and Alerts

Automatic Monitoring

Backup Success Tracking: Every backup is verified for completion
Failure Alerts: Immediate notification if backups fail
Storage Monitoring: Alerts if backup storage approaches limits
Integrity Verification: Regular checks to ensure backup data is valid

Notification System

Email Alerts: Notifications sent to your account email
Dashboard Indicators: Visual status indicators in your control panel
Support Ticket Creation: Automatic tickets created for backup failures
Mobile Notifications: SMS alerts for critical backup issues (Premium plans)

Backup Reports

Monthly Reports: Summary of backup activity and success rates
Restore History: Log of all restore operations performed
Storage Usage: Tracking of backup storage consumption
Performance Metrics: Backup speed and efficiency statistics

Advanced Backup Features

Custom Backup Schedules

Frequency Options: Daily, weekly, or custom schedules available
Time Preferences: Choose backup times that work for your timezone
Exclusion Rules: Exclude specific files or folders from backups
Compression Options: Balance between backup speed and storage efficiency

Backup Retention Customization

Extended Retention: Keep backups longer than standard periods
Compliance Retention: Meet specific regulatory requirements
Selective Retention: Keep certain backups permanently
Archive Options: Long-term storage for historical data

Cross-Platform Backups

Multi-Site Backups: Backup multiple WordPress sites simultaneously
Application Backups: Backup entire application stacks including databases
Configuration Backups: Backup server and application configurations
Migration Backups: Special backups designed for easy migration

Backup Best Practices

What You Should Do

Test Restores Regularly: Verify your backups work by testing restores
Monitor Backup Status: Check backup success in your control panel
Maintain Local Backups: Keep additional backups on your local system
Document Dependencies: Keep notes about external integrations and configurations

Before Making Major Changes

Create Manual Backup: Force a backup before significant updates
Test in Staging: Use staging environments for testing changes
Plan Rollback: Know how to quickly restore if something goes wrong
Notify Team: Ensure team members know about planned changes

Backup Security

Secure Downloads: Use secure connections when downloading backups
Local Storage: Store downloaded backups securely
Access Control: Limit who has access to backup and restore functions
Regular Audits: Review backup access and procedures regularly

Disaster Recovery

Business Continuity Planning

Recovery Time Objective (RTO): Target restoration time for different scenarios
Recovery Point Objective (RPO): Maximum acceptable data loss timeframe
Disaster Scenarios: Plans for various types of data loss or corruption
Communication Plan: How we'll keep you informed during recovery operations

Geographic Redundancy

Multiple Data Centers: Backups stored in geographically diverse locations
Regional Failover: Ability to restore services in different regions
Cross-Border Compliance: Ensure data residency requirements are met
Disaster Recovery Testing: Regular testing of disaster recovery procedures

Backup Limitations and Considerations

What Backups Don't Cover

Real-Time Data: Backups are point-in-time snapshots, not real-time mirrors
External Services: Third-party integrations need separate backup strategies
Dynamic Content: Rapidly changing data may have gaps between backup points
Large Files: Very large files may have longer backup and restore times

Performance Considerations

Backup Impact: Minimal impact on site performance during backup operations
Restore Time: Larger sites take longer to restore (we'll provide time estimates)
Network Usage: Large restores may temporarily use significant bandwidth
Resource Usage: Restore operations may temporarily increase server load

Planning for Growth

Storage Scaling: Backup storage automatically scales with your data
Frequency Adjustment: Backup frequency can be increased for critical applications
Retention Expansion: Longer retention periods available for growing businesses
Custom Solutions: Enterprise backup solutions for complex requirements

Troubleshooting Backup Issues

Common Backup Problems

Backup Failures:

Check for disk space issues on your hosting account
Verify that file permissions are set correctly
Ensure no processes are locking critical files during backup time

Slow Backups:

Large media libraries can slow backup processes
Consider optimizing images and removing unnecessary files
Contact support if backup times become excessive

Restore Issues:

Verify you have sufficient disk space for the restore
Check that no conflicting processes are running
Ensure proper permissions for the restore operation

Getting Backup Support

Email Support: backups@unclebtech.com for backup-specific issues
Emergency Support: Mark tickets as "URGENT" for critical data loss situations
Phone Support: Available for Premium plan customers during business hours
Remote Assistance: Our team can perform restores remotely with your permission

Backup Success Tip: Regularly test your restore process during low-traffic periods to ensure you're familiar with the procedure and that your backups are working correctly.

Backup Costs and Billing

What's Included

Standard Backups: Included free with all hosting plans
Standard Retention: 90-day retention included at no extra cost
Basic Restore: Standard restore operations included
Monitoring: Backup monitoring and failure alerts included

Optional Upgrades

Extended Retention: Longer backup retention periods available
Increased Frequency: More frequent backups for critical applications
Priority Restore: Faster restore processing for urgent situations
Custom Backup Solutions: Tailored backup strategies for enterprise needs

Questions about backups or need to perform a restore? Contact our support team at support@unclebtech.com or submit a ticket through your client portal. For emergency restores, mark your ticket as "URGENT" for immediate attention.