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Backup and recovery

Infrastructure > Backup & Recovery protects your configuration. It has four tabs: Backup, Restore, Migration and Factory reset.

Backup​

A backup contains the settings and data of the unit. It is your safeguard against a failed disk, a mistake, or a replacement.

  • Download a backup to your computer at any time.
  • Encrypt it. Enter a passphrase and the backup is encrypted with GPG. If you leave the passphrase empty, the backup is stored in clear text.

:::warning Keep the passphrase safe If you lose the passphrase you cannot read an encrypted backup, and it cannot be recovered. Changing the passphrase affects only the backups made afterwards; to restore an older backup you need the passphrase that was in force when it was made. :::

With a subscription, the unit can also create encrypted backups automatically and keep them in the cloud. The system manages up to ten backups. You can start one at any moment with Run cloud backup.

Restore​

Choose where the backup comes from: a file on your computer, or one of the cloud backups. If it is encrypted, enter its passphrase. The unit applies the configuration and restarts.

Restoring replaces the current configuration, so take a backup first if you might need to go back.

Migration​

The Migration tab imports a migration archive produced from a supported source machine and maps its network interfaces to the interfaces of this unit. Follow the instructions of the page, and review the result before you apply it.

Factory reset​

Factory reset removes every installed package and customized setting and returns the unit to the state it had right after installation. It restores the version that is currently installed, not an older one.

This is permanent and cannot be undone. The page asks for confirmation before it proceeds. Use it when you repurpose or decommission a unit, or when you want to start over.

Good practice​

  • Take a backup before every update and before every important change.
  • Keep at least one backup outside the unit.
  • Test a restore on a spare unit from time to time.