Please Don't Kill Legacy Backups!

[schoeps]

First off, thanks so much for continually making cPanel better and better; it's truly the best hosting platform out there! With that said....

I have been running the following two Backup routines on 10 of our servers:

Backup System:
Every other day, full account backups to a local (connected) harddrive
-This is for easy and quick restores

Legacy Backup System:
Weekly (Sunday 1AM) full account backups to FTP
-This is for archival and offsite virus scanning

This setup has worked VERY well for us for the last 4 years. We have had full server meltdown (literal fires) and were able to get our customers back up and running in under 48hours

With the "new" Backup system, while you can create multiple destinations, there is no option for multiple schedules (or am I missing something), so this would really, really suck for us.

tl;dr: either allow schedules for remote destinations or keep legacy backups please!!!!!

Thanks much
Bri

 

[vacancy]

I agree.

Two different backup options allowed us to make different backups at different times. I did not understand why cPanel made such a change.

In this backup system, both the server and the remote point can be backed up, but these 2 processes have to be at the same cron time. There is a mistake here.

 

[cPanelMichael]

Hello,

Here are the relevant sections from the cPanel 64 Release Notes regarding the Legacy Backup system:

Legacy Backup Deprecation
We will deprecate the Legacy Backup system in a future version. We strongly recommend that you migrate to the new Backup system to ensure that your server backups continue to function properly.

Backup System Migration
In cPanel & WHM version 64 and later, we now provide a simple way for users to transition from the Legacy Backup system to the new Backup system (Home >> Backup >> Backup System Migration). This new Backup System Migration tool walks users through the migration process with the click of a button.

The New Backup System
In cPanel & WHM version 64 and later, the new Backup system now functions with a new user interface (UI). This UI automatically converts your Legacy Backup Configuration to the new Backup Configuration system. The new Backup system also now supports multiple incremental backups.

Regarding individual retention periods for each backup destination, I encourage everyone to vote and add feedback to the following feature requests if you'd like to see this implemented:

Ability to Schedule different backup destination for daily, weekly and monthly
Ability to control retention for S3 Backup Destination

Our feature request website is the best way to provide us feedback on changes you'd like to see in the product.

Thank you.

 

[rpvw]

I am also disappointed to see the legacy backup system due for depreciation before there is anything in place to replace the extra functionality it offered.

Perhaps users would be more disposed to vote for Ability to Schedule different backup destination for daily, weekly and monthly that Leonardo Gomes started a year ago, and seems to address exactly what we are discussing in this thread.

 

[koree]

Hello, everyone! Thank you for your feedback. My name is Koree Smith. I'm the product owner overseeing some of the changes to our backup system. We are working to make this as smooth as possible for everyone. A few points:

1. Migration is not mandatory at this time. While the legacy system is being deprecated, it is still there, and if you're using it on an existing server, you can continue using it for the time being.

2. New installs are not using the legacy system by default. However, the legacy system can still be used. You should be able to enable it on a new install by touching the /etc/cpbackup.conf file.

3. We are looking at the request site and this forum to make sure we are bringing the features to the Backup System that exist in the Legacy Backup System, as well as bringing some new features in.

Overall, our goal is to make this migration as painless as possible. We want to make sure any needs that are being met by the Legacy Backup System are met using the new Backup System. Further, we want to make the Backup System not only as good as the Legacy system, but better, more useful, and more helpful to all of our customers.

Complete elimination of the Legacy Backup System will not be for several more versions, and will be announced ahead of time. At that time, I assure everyone that the Backup System will not only meet your existing expectations, but will include additional functionality to offer you more flexibility.

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask here, or email me at [email protected]

Thanks,

Koree A. Smith
Product Owner
cPanel

 

[schoeps]

Is there a way to turn this on post fresh install?

 

[koree]

Is there a way to turn this on post fresh install?

You should be able to do this using the same method listed above.

Thanks,

Koree

 

[schoeps]

Maybe I missed something.... I created the file with "touch /etc/cpbackup.conf", but it does not appear in WHM, is there something else I need to do?

 

[koree]

My mistake. It appears you also have to:

echo "BACKUPENABLE yes" > /etc/cpbackup.conf

Thanks,

Koree

 

[schoeps]

That worked! Thank you sir!

 

[schoeps]

bumping this because of yesterday's patch. Please do not remove Legacy backups until there is an option for multiple backup locations with multiple schedules. Yes, I made the feature request.

 

[cPanelMichael]

bumping this because of yesterday's patch. Please do not remove Legacy backups until there is an option for multiple backup locations with multiple schedules. Yes, I made the feature request.

Hello,

Would you mind sharing the link the feature request once it's approved?

Thank you.

 

[maestroc]

Backup System:
Every other day, full account backups to a local (connected) harddrive
-This is for easy and quick restores

Legacy Backup System:
Weekly (Sunday 1AM) full account backups to FTP
-This is for archival and offsite virus scanning

Bri

Totally agree! I do the same thing. Having the ability and flexibility to do both on site and off site backups in this way is important, at least to me...

 

[Jorge Marcelino]

I also agree that "Legacy backup" is important for data security! He must not die, leave him as he is, and work very well.

I use the common backup to perform daily/incremental on a second disk /backup, and use the "Legacy Backup" to external.

 

[cPanelMichael]

I use the common backup to perform daily/incremental on a second disk /backup, and use the "Legacy Backup" to external.

cPanel version 66 will include support for remote incremental backups. This, combined with the "Retain backups in the default backup directory" option, would address this particular concern.

Thanks!

 

[Wabun]

Sure, what worries me is that cPanel just goes ahead with the new backup system whilst many like me are not able to!!!

This is very worrying, we need our backups.

Are you Joking?

Feature request takes on average 2years!!!!

Man O Man, you guys knows how to get neck hairs raised....

 

[Wabun]

Please vote to stop cPanel removing the Legacy Backup System before we have same options.

Small VPS cpanel servers will not be able to use the new system with FTP server, the reason for this is that it keeps on copying accounts in the /backup folder without waiting for the FTP transfer is done for the first account, with legacy it waits for ftp and then continues with the next account. I personal find this a stupid decision, we need our backups!!!!

Please vote to stop them removing the legacy backup until they have provided same options, and yes i know the feature request is there, but we all know it can take many years then before that is implemented!

 

[mateita]

Hello,

Legacy backup create and replace backups on daily, the new backup create a new folder with date name. Using postcpbackup create on remote backup location several folders with date names. Is possible that the new backup do not create folders with date name but copy backup to the same daily folder?

Please, stop deleting the legacy backup, many cpanel users will appreciate that.

In the meantime, if I have already migrated to the new backup system, how do I get back to the backup legacy?

Thank you.

 

[cPanelMichael]

In the meantime, if I have already migrated to the new backup system, how do I get back to the backup legacy?

Per the Backup System Migration document:

After you convert to the Backup system, the system moves the Legacy Backup configuration file.

Note:
The previous Legacy Backup configuration files will resemble the following: /etc/cpbackup.conf-1234567891234. Where the 1234567891234 value represents the number of seconds, in Unix epoch time, from January 1, 1970.

Thus, you can rename the /etc/cpbackup.conf-$1234567891234 file (the name will vary on each system) back into place as /etc/cpbackup.conf to enable your previous legacy backup configuration.

Thank you.

 

[schoeps]

My mistake. It appears you also have to:

echo "BACKUPENABLE yes" > /etc/cpbackup.conf

Thanks,

Koree

So this does not work anymore? Sadness.