Restoring backups is a critical task that requires careful consideration of several best practices. These practices ensure that backups are restored accurately and efficiently, minimizing the risk of data loss and downtime.
Step-by-step: Restoring a backup
Restoring a backup is a destructive process, and will set all files to their state when the backup was taken. This is very important for dynamic WordPress sites (BuddyBoss, LearnDash, WooCommerce, etc.), as restoring will eliminate any signups, purchases, comments, etc. that may have occurred after the backup was originally taken.
If you have an active site, we urge you to use this feature as a last resort. If you experience issues with your site, consider reaching out to our support team for immediate assistance.
See backup best practices for more information on this.
1. Prepare for backup recovery
Before you restore a backup, it is imperative that you ensure that you have recently taken a backup of your site. This is important because it gives you a recent version to roll back to if the backup recovery process stalls or encounters unexpected issues.
Our dashboard has a built-in mechanism to ensure that you have a backup taken at least one hour before attempting to restore a backup.
2. Access the Backups area of the dashboard
This section of the dashboard can be found in the left-hand menu of the site that you wish to restore a backup of.
4. Confirm backup version to restore
Once you're in the backups management area, under Your backups, you can see every backup of your site.
You can click the three dots to the right of each backup to view backup details. This will open a popup that shows basic things like backup time and date along with the number of plugins, posts, and users in your site at the time of backup.
5. Click Restore backup
When you've determined that you're ready to restore the backup, you have two options:
Click the three dots on the right, then Restore backup.
Select the backup version, then click Restore at the top of the Your backups area.
Clicking this will present you with the Restore backup confirmation screen, which you should review closely to make sure everything looks correct.
6. Enter password and confirm
The final step in the process requires you to confirm your user password, then click Restore backup. Once you do there, the backup recovery process will begin.
Sites are put into maintenance mode during the backup recovery process and are unavailable. Please plan accordingly.
Important Notes
You will receive an email both when the backup restore process begins and ends.
The backup restore process usually takes anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes, but it can take longer depending on the size of the backup.
Restoring a site backup includes web files and the database.
Backup Best Practices
Verify the Backup
Before restoring a backup, verifying that the backup is valid and can be restored is essential. This involves checking the integrity of the backup files, verifying that the backup was taken correctly, and ensuring that the backup is not corrupted. Verification can be performed manually or using automated tools.
Plan the Restore
Restoring a backup should not be a haphazard process. It requires a well-planned strategy that includes identifying the critical data that needs to be restored, the order of the restore, and any dependencies between different backup sets. The restore plan should also consider the hardware and software requirements for the restore process.
Test the Restore Process
Before restoring a backup to a production environment, it is crucial to test the restore process in a test environment. This allows any issues to be identified and addressed before restoring the backup to the production environment. The restore test should include testing the backup files, the restore process, and the integrity of the restored data.
Ensure Security
Restoring a backup can be a security risk if not done correctly. Access to the backup files should be restricted to authorized personnel only. The backup files should be encrypted during the backup process and stored in a secure location. When restoring the backup, the data should be restored to a secure location and verified for data integrity.
Document the Restore Process
Documentation of the restoration process is essential for future reference and audit purposes. The documentation should include the restore plan, test results, and any issues encountered during the restore process. This documentation should be stored in a secure location and made available to authorized personnel only.
Conclusion
Restoring backups is a critical task that requires careful consideration. By following the above-mentioned best practices, organizations can ensure that their data is restored accurately and efficiently, minimizing the risk of data loss and downtime.