docs/content/admin/backing-up-and-restoring-your-instance/configuring-backups-on-your-instance.md

title, shortTitle, redirect_from, intro, versions, type, topics

title	shortTitle	redirect_from	intro	versions	type	topics
Configuring backups on your instance	Configuring backups	/enterprise/admin/categories/backups-and-restores /enterprise/admin/articles/backup-and-recovery /enterprise/admin/articles/backing-up-github-enterprise /enterprise/admin/articles/restoring-github-enterprise /enterprise/admin/articles/backing-up-repository-data /enterprise/admin/articles/restoring-enterprise-data /enterprise/admin/articles/restoring-repository-data /enterprise/admin/articles/backing-up-enterprise-data /enterprise/admin/guides/installation/backups-and-disaster-recovery /enterprise/admin/installation/configuring-backups-on-your-appliance /enterprise/admin/configuration/configuring-backups-on-your-appliance /admin/configuration/configuring-backups-on-your-appliance /admin/configuration/configuring-your-enterprise/configuring-backups-on-your-appliance /admin/configuration/configuring-your-enterprise/configuring-backups-on-your-instance	As part of a disaster recovery plan, you can protect production data on {% data variables.location.product_location %} by configuring automated backups.	ghes *	how_to	Backups Enterprise Fundamentals Infrastructure

About {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %}

{% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %} is a backup system you install on a separate host, which takes backup snapshots of {% data variables.location.product_location %} at regular intervals over a secure SSH network connection. You can use a snapshot to restore an existing {% data variables.product.prodname_ghe_server %} instance to a previous state from the backup host.

Only data added since the last snapshot will transfer over the network and occupy additional physical storage space. To minimize performance impact, backups are performed online under the lowest CPU/IO priority. You do not need to schedule a maintenance window to perform a backup.

Major releases and version numbers for {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %} align with feature releases of {% data variables.product.product_name %}. We support the four most recent versions of both products. For more information, see "AUTOTITLE."

For more detailed information on features, requirements, and advanced usage, see the {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %} README in the {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %} project documentation.

Prerequisites

To use {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %}, you must have a host system separate from {% data variables.location.product_location %}. For details about how the system should be configured, see Requirements in the github/backup-utils repository.

You can also integrate {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %} into an existing environment for long-term permanent storage of critical data.

We recommend that the backup host and {% data variables.location.product_location %} be geographically distant from each other. This ensures that backups are available for recovery in the event of a major disaster or network outage at the primary site.

Physical storage requirements will vary based on Git repository disk usage and expected growth patterns:

Hardware	Recommendation
vCPUs	2
Memory	2 GB
Storage	Five times the primary instance's allocated storage

More resources may be required depending on your usage, such as user activity and selected integrations.

For more information, see {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %} requirements in the {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %} project documentation.

Installing {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %}

To install {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %} on your backup host, we recommend you download the relevant {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %} release as a compressed archive, then extract and install the contents. For more information, see Getting started in the github/backup-utils repository.

Downloading the release as a compressed archive ensures you are using the correct version of {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %} for {% data variables.location.product_location %}, and that your existing backup configuration file, backup.config, will be preserved when installing a new version.

Backup snapshots are written to the disk path set by the GHE_DATA_DIR data directory variable in your backup.config file. Snapshots need to be stored on a filesystem which supports symbolic and hard links.

{% note %}

Note: We recommend ensuring your snapshots are not kept in a subdirectory of the {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %} installation directory, to avoid inadvertently overwriting your data directory when upgrading {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %} versions.

{% endnote %}

1. Download the relevant {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %} release from the Releases page of the github/backup-utils repository.

2. To extract the repository using tar, run the following command.

   tar -xzvf /path/to/github-backup-utils-vMAJOR.MINOR.PATCH.tar.gz
   

3. To change into the local repository directory, run the following command.

   cd backup-utils
   

4. To copy the included backup.config-example file to backup.config, run the following command.

   cp backup.config-example backup.config
   

5. To customize your configuration, edit backup.config in a text editor.

   1. Set the GHE_HOSTNAME value to your primary {% data variables.product.prodname_ghe_server %} instance's hostname or IP address.

   {% note %}

   Note: If {% data variables.location.product_location %} is deployed as a cluster or in a high availability configuration using a load balancer, the GHE_HOSTNAME can be the load balancer hostname, as long as it allows SSH access (on port 122) to {% data variables.location.product_location %}.

   To ensure a recovered instance is immediately available, perform backups targeting the primary instance even in a geo-replication configuration.

   {% endnote %}

   1. Set the GHE_DATA_DIR value to the filesystem location where you want to store backup snapshots. We recommend choosing a location on the same filesystem as your backup host, but outside of where you cloned the Git repository in step 1.

6. To grant your backup host access to your instance, open your primary instance's settings page at http(s)://HOSTNAME/setup/settings and add the backup host's SSH key to the list of authorized SSH keys. For more information, see "AUTOTITLE."

7. On your backup host, verify SSH connectivity with {% data variables.location.product_location %} with the ghe-host-check command.

   ./bin/ghe-host-check
   

8. To create an initial full backup, run the following command.

   ./bin/ghe-backup
   

For more information on advanced usage, see the {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %} README in the {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %} project documentation.

Upgrading {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %}

When upgrading {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %}, you must choose a release that will work with your current version of {% data variables.product.product_name %}. Your installation of {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %} must be at least the same version as {% data variables.location.product_location %}, and cannot be more than two versions ahead. For more information, see {% data variables.product.prodname_ghe_server %} version requirements in the {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %} project documentation. You can upgrade {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %} in a Git repository by fetching and checking out the latest changes.

Alternatively, if you don't use a Git repository for your installation, you can extract a new archive into place, or you can change your approach to use a Git repository instead.

Verifying the installation type

You can verify the installation method for {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %} and determine the best way to upgrade your installation.

{% data reusables.enterprise_backup_utilities.enterprise-backup-utils-directory %}

1. To check if a valid working directory exists inside a Git repository, run the following command.

   git rev-parse --is-inside-work-tree
   

   If the output is true, {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %} was installed by cloning the project's Git repository. If the output includes fatal: not a git repository (or any of the parent directories), {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %} was likely installed by extracting a compressed archive file. If your installation is in a Git repository, you can install the latest version using Git. If the installation is from a compressed archive file, you can either download and extract the latest version, or you can reinstall {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %} using Git to simplify future upgrades.

• Upgrading an installation in a Git repository
• Using Git instead of compressed archives for upgrades

Upgrading an installation in a Git repository

{% data reusables.enterprise_backup_utilities.enterprise-backup-utils-directory %} {% note %}

Note: We recommend creating a copy of your existing backup.config file in a temporary location, like $HOME/backup.config, before upgrading {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %}.

{% endnote %}

1. Download the latest project updates by running the git fetch command.

   git fetch
   

{% data reusables.enterprise_backup_utilities.enterprise-backup-utils-update-repo %} {% data reusables.enterprise_backup_utilities.enterprise-backup-utils-verify-upgrade %}

Using Git instead of compressed archives for upgrades

If your backup host has internet connectivity and you previously used a compressed archive (.tar.gz) to install or upgrade {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %}, we recommend using a Git repository for your installation instead. Upgrading using Git requires less work and preserves your backup configuration.

To use Git instead of a compressed archive for upgrades, you must back up your existing configuration, clone the repository, copy your configuration into place, verify the installation, verify SSH connectivity, then delete the old installation.

{% data reusables.enterprise_backup_utilities.enterprise-backup-utils-directory %}

1. To back up your existing {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %} configuration, copy your current backup.config file to a safe location, such as your home directory.

   cp backup.config $HOME/backup.config.saved-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)
   

2. Change to the local directory on your backup host where you want to install the {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %} Git repository.

3. To clone the project repository to the directory on your backup host, run the following command.

   git clone https://github.com/github/backup-utils.git
   

4. To change into the cloned repository, run the following command.

   cd backup-utils
   

{% data reusables.enterprise_backup_utilities.enterprise-backup-utils-update-repo %}

1. To restore your backup configuration from earlier, copy your existing backup configuration file to the local repository directory. Replace the path in the command with the location of the file saved in step 2.

   cp PATH/TO/BACKUP/FROM/STEP/2 backup.config
   

   {% note %}

   Note: You can choose where to restore your backup configuration file to after cloning. For more information about where configuration files can be located, see Getting started in the {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %} project documentation.

   {% endnote %}

2. To confirm that the paths to directories or scripts in your backup configuration file are correct, review the file in a text editor. {% data reusables.enterprise_backup_utilities.enterprise-backup-utils-verify-upgrade %}

3. Confirm that your backup data is not in the directory for the old installation.

4. Delete your old GitHub Enterprise Server Backup Utilities directory from step 1 (where the compressed archive installation was located).

Scheduling a backup

{% ifversion backup-utilities-encryption-bug %} {% warning %}

Warning: {% data reusables.enterprise_backup_utilities.enterprise-backup-utils-encryption-keys %}

{% endwarning %} {% endif %}

You can schedule regular backups on the backup host using the cron(8) command or a similar command scheduling service. The configured backup frequency will dictate the worst case recovery point objective (RPO) in your recovery plan. For example, if you have scheduled the backup to run every day at midnight, you could lose up to 24 hours of data in a disaster scenario. We recommend starting with an hourly backup schedule, guaranteeing a worst case maximum of one hour of data loss if the primary site data is destroyed.

If backup attempts overlap, the ghe-backup command will abort with an error message, indicating the existence of a simultaneous backup. If this occurs, we recommended decreasing the frequency of your scheduled backups. For more information, see the "Scheduling backups" section of the {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %} README in the {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %} project documentation.

Restoring a backup

{% ifversion backup-utilities-encryption-bug %}

{% warning %}

Warning: {% data reusables.enterprise_backup_utilities.enterprise-backup-utils-encryption-keys %}

{% endwarning %}

{% endif %}

In the event of prolonged outage or catastrophic event at the primary site, you can restore {% data variables.location.product_location %} by provisioning another instance and performing a restore from the backup host. You must add the backup host's SSH key to the target {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise %} instance as an authorized SSH key before restoring an instance.

When performing backup restores to {% data variables.location.product_location %}, you can only restore data from at most two feature releases behind. For example, if you take a backup from {% data variables.product.product_name %} 3.0.x, you can restore the backup to an instance running {% data variables.product.product_name %} 3.2.x. You cannot restore data from a backup of {% data variables.product.product_name %} 2.22.x to an instance running 3.2.x, because that would be three jumps between versions (2.22 to 3.0 to 3.1 to 3.2). You would first need to restore to an instance running 3.1.x, and then upgrade to 3.2.x.

Network settings are excluded from the backup snapshot. After restoration, you must manually configure networking on the target {% data variables.product.prodname_ghe_server %} instance.

Prerequisites

1. Ensure maintenance mode is enabled on the primary instance and all active processes have completed. For more information, see "AUTOTITLE."
2. Stop replication on all replica nodes in a high-availability configuration. For more information, see "AUTOTITLE."
3. If {% data variables.location.product_location %} has {% data variables.product.prodname_actions %} enabled, you must configure the external storage provider for {% data variables.product.prodname_actions %} on the replacement instance. For more information, see "AUTOTITLE."

Starting the restore operation

To restore {% data variables.location.product_location %} from your backup host using the last successful snapshot, use the ghe-restore command. You can use the following additional options with ghe-restore.

• The -c flag overwrites the settings, certificate, and license data on the target host even if it is already configured. Omit this flag if you are setting up a staging instance for testing purposes and you wish to retain the existing configuration on the target. For more information, see the "Using backup and restore commands" section of the {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %} README in the github/backup-utils repository.
• The -s flag allows you to select a different backup snapshot.

After you run ghe-restore, the command confirms the restoration, then outputs details and status during the operation.

$ ghe-restore -c 169.154.1.1
> Checking for leaked keys in the backup snapshot that is being restored ...
> * No leaked keys found
> Connect 169.154.1.1:122 OK (v2.9.0)

> WARNING: All data on GitHub Enterprise appliance 169.154.1.1 (v2.9.0)
>          will be overwritten with data from snapshot 20170329T150710.
> Please verify that this is the correct restore host before continuing.
> Type 'yes' to continue: yes

> Starting restore of 169.154.1.1:122 from snapshot 20170329T150710
# ...output truncated
> Completed restore of 169.154.1.1:122 from snapshot 20170329T150710
> Visit https://169.154.1.1/setup/settings to review appliance configuration.

{% ifversion ip-exception-list %} Optionally, to validate the restore, configure an IP exception list to allow access to a specified list of IP addresses. For more information, see "AUTOTITLE." {% endif %}

On an instance in a high-availability configuration, after you restore to new disks on an existing or empty instance, ghe-repl-status may report that Git or Alambic replication is out of sync due to stale server UUIDs. These stale UUIDs can be the result of a retired node in a high-availability configuration still being present in the application database, but not in the restored replication configuration.

To remediate after the restoration completes and before starting replication, you can tear down stale UUIDs using ghe-repl-teardown. If you need further assistance, contact {% data variables.contact.contact_ent_support %}.

{% ifversion backup-utilities-progress %}

Monitoring backup or restoration progress

During a backup or restoration operation, you can use the ghe-backup-progress utility on your backup host to monitor the operation's progress. The utility prints the progress of each job sequentially.

To monitor progress on the backup host, from the directory containing {% data variables.product.prodname_enterprise_backup_utilities %}, run the following command.

bin/ghe-backup-progress

By default, the utility prints progress continuously until the operation is complete. You can press any key to return to the prompt.

Optionally, you can run the following command to print the current progress, the last completed job, and then immediately exit.

bin/ghe-backup-progress --once

{% endif %}