aaPanel Backup and Restore: Save and Recover Data

Data loss is the worst disaster: ransomware, server failure, accidental deletion, or hacks. Regular backups are your insurance policy. aaPanel makes backup and restore simple: one-click backups, remote storage integration, scheduling, and restoration. A good backup strategy means you can recover in hours, not days.

Backup Importance

Scenarios where backups save you:

• Server crash: Hard drive fails → restore from backup → back online in hours
• Ransomware: Files encrypted → restore clean backup → business continues
• Accidental deletion: Dev deletes production database → restore from yesterday's backup
• Hacking: Attacker modifies files → restore from pre-hack backup
• Update failure: Plugin update breaks site → restore previous version

Backup rule of thumb: "3-2-1" - 3 copies, 2 different media, 1 off-site

Backup Types in aaPanel

Create Local Backup

Manual backup (one-time):

1. aaPanel → Backups → Click "Create Backup"
2. Select what to backup:
   • Website files (public_html)
   • Database (MySQL)
   • SSL certificates
3. Click "Start Backup"
4. Wait for completion (size determines time)
5. Backup saved to /www/wwwroot/backup/ (or configured location)

Check backup file:

ls -lh /www/wwwroot/backup/
# Shows backup size and date

Remote Storage Backup

Why backup to remote storage:

• VPS dies → all local backups are gone
• Ransomware deletes backups → remote copy is safe
• Automatic sync → backup even if you forget

aaPanel supports:

• Amazon S3 (~$0.023/GB/month)
• Backblaze B2 (cheaper, ~$0.006/GB/month)
• Aliyun OSS
• Qiniu Cloud Storage
• FTP server (your own server)

Setup S3 backup:

1. Create AWS account and S3 bucket
2. aaPanel → Backups → Remote Storage
3. Provider: Amazon S3
4. Access Key & Secret Key from AWS
5. Bucket Name: your-backup-bucket
6. Test connection (button at bottom)
7. Enable auto-sync

Transfer via FTP

Manual FTP backup (without remote storage integration):

# SSH into your VPS
sftp youruser@yourserver.com
# Navigate to backup directory
cd /www/wwwroot/backup/
# Download backup to local machine
get website-backup-2026-06-06.tar.gz

Using FTP client (FileZilla):

1. Download FileZilla (free)
2. File → Site Manager → New Site
3. Host: your-vps-ip
4. Username: root (or user)
5. Password: SSH password
6. Protocol: SFTP
7. Connect → Navigate to backup folder
8. Download backup files to local machine

Restore from Backup

Restore website (same VPS):

1. aaPanel → Backups → Backup List
2. Click "Restore" on desired backup
3. Select what to restore:
   • Website files
   • Database
   • Or both
4. Click "Restore"
5. Wait for completion (can take 10-30 minutes)
6. Website reverted to backup date/time

Restore to different VPS:

1. Download backup from remote storage (S3, etc.)
2. Upload to new VPS /www/wwwroot/backup/
3. aaPanel → Backups → Restore
4. Select backup and restore

Restore specific database:

# List databases
mysql -u root -p -e "SHOW DATABASES;"

# Restore from backup SQL file
mysql -u root -p database_name < backup.sql

Automate Backups

Schedule daily automatic backups:

1. aaPanel → Backups → Settings
2. Enable "Automatic Backup"
3. Set frequency:
   • Daily at 2:00 AM (recommended)
   • Weekly (Friday night)
   • Monthly (1st of month)
4. Set backup type: Full or Incremental
5. Enable "Auto Upload to Remote Storage"
6. Save settings

Recommended schedule:

Daily incremental backup: 2:00 AM (keeps 7 days)
Weekly full backup: Friday 3:00 AM (keeps 4 weeks)
Monthly full backup: 1st of month (keeps 12 months)

Troubleshooting

Backup failed / not running:

• Check disk space: df -h (backup needs 50% free)
• Check backup logs: aaPanel → Backups → Logs
• Manually trigger: aaPanel → Backups → Create Backup

S3 upload not working:

• Verify AWS credentials are correct
• Test connection: aaPanel → Remote Storage → Test
• Check bucket exists and is writable
• Check IAM user permissions (should have S3 full access)

Restore failed:

• Ensure backup file is complete and not corrupted
• Check disk space on target VPS
• Verify database and website paths match
• Try restoring to different location first

Backup too large / slow:

• Use incremental backups instead of full
• Exclude large log files or archives
• Schedule backups during off-peak hours

Related: Backup strategy | aaPanel setup | Backup verification | Disaster recovery

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