Every RackWorks plan includes a free weekly offsite backup. How it works, how it differs from portal snapshots, and how to request a restore.
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Every RackWorks plan includes a free weekly offsite backup. It is a second copy of your server, stored on physical bare metal in a separate facility from our Detroit data center, so a copy of your data always exists outside the building your server runs in. It runs automatically, there is nothing to set up, and it costs nothing extra.
What Is Included
The weekly offsite backup is included free on every product:
- KVM VPS
- LXC containers
- Windows RDP VPS
- Virtual Dedicated Servers (VDS)
- SMB Starter Kit
The SMB Starter Kit also gets a daily onsite backup. Each new one replaces the previous one, so the latest copy is kept, and the weekly offsite copy is taken on top of it.
Schedule and Retention
| Detail | Offsite backup |
|---|---|
| Schedule | Weekly, every Sunday at 1:00 AM |
| Stored on | Physical bare metal in a separate facility from our Detroit data center |
| Retention | The last 4 weekly copies |
| Cost | Free on every plan |
| Restores | Through a support ticket |
Because the last 4 weekly copies are kept, you can go back up to four Sundays.
Offsite Backups vs Portal Snapshots
Your plan has two separate layers of protection. Portal snapshots are onsite and fully in your hands. The offsite backup is a weekly copy kept in another facility. They work independently, and one does not replace the other.
| Portal snapshots | Offsite backups | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it is stored | Onsite, in our Detroit data center | Physical bare metal in a separate facility |
| Who can restore it | You, from the Backups tab in the portal | Our support team, when you open a ticket |
| How fast | Instant, one click, no ticket needed | Handled by our team once your ticket is in |
| How often | Whenever you click Run Now, or on the daily, weekly or monthly schedule you set | Weekly, every Sunday at 1:00 AM |
| Retention | Your latest snapshot. Taking a new one replaces the previous one. | The last 4 weekly copies |
Use snapshots as your everyday safety net, for example right before an upgrade or a big configuration change. The offsite copy is there for the times an onsite copy is not enough, or when you need to go back further than your latest snapshot. For step by step snapshot instructions, see Managing Backups and Snapshots.
How to Request an Offsite Restore
- Log into the Client Portal.
- Open My Services and note the name and IP address of the server you want restored.
- Click Support Tickets in the sidebar, then click New Ticket.
- Enter a Subject such as "Offsite restore request", and set Department to Technical Issue.
- Choose a Priority, then write the details of the restore in Message (see the next section).
- Click Create Ticket. Our team replies in the ticket, and you can follow it from Support Tickets at any time.
What to Include in Your Ticket
- Service name or IP address: so we restore the right server. The ticket form has no service selector, so put it in the message.
- Which Sunday's copy: the date of the copy you want, for example the most recent Sunday, or one of the three before it.
- What to restore: describe what you need back, for example the whole server or a particular site, database or folder.
Tip: If you only need to undo a recent change and your latest snapshot is from before it, restoring that snapshot from the Backups tab is faster, and you can do it yourself without a ticket.
FAQ
Do I need to turn offsite backups on? No. They run automatically on every plan, at no extra cost.
Can I restore an offsite backup myself from the portal? No. Offsite restores are done through a support ticket. For a restore you can run yourself, instantly, use a portal snapshot.
How far back can I go? Up to four weeks. The last 4 weekly copies are kept.
Do offsite backups replace portal snapshots? No. They are separate. Snapshots are onsite and under your control, and the offsite copy is a weekly backup in another facility. You get both.
Does the SMB Starter Kit get anything extra? Yes. It also gets a daily onsite backup, where the latest copy is kept, with the weekly offsite copy on top.