Backup & Snapshot

This guide explains how to protect your VPS data using VirtFusion. You'll learn the differences between snapshots and backups, when to use each, and step‑by‑step operations for creating, restoring, and managing them.

TL;DR: Snapshots are fast point‑in‑time images of the whole VPS disk — great before risky changes. Backups are longer‑term copies (often stored separately) — better for disaster recovery and retention.

Concepts and Differences

  • Snapshot
    • Captures the full VM disk state at a point in time
    • Typically stored on the same storage backend
    • Fast to create and revert; best for short‑term protection (e.g., before updates)
    • Not a substitute for off‑site backups
  • Backup
    • A copy of data kept for longer retention, often on different storage
    • May be full or incremental, scheduled, and designed for recovery from deletion/corruption
    • Preferred for compliance and long‑term safety

Info: For critical workloads, use both: create a snapshot before changes and maintain scheduled backups for long‑term protection.

Snapshot Operations (VirtFusion)

Create a Snapshot

  1. Open VirtFusion control panel and select your VPS
  2. Navigate to the “Snapshots” section
  3. Click “Create Snapshot”
  4. Enter a descriptive name (e.g., pre-upgrade-2025-09-04)
  5. Confirm and wait for completion

Tip: Stop high‑write services (databases, busy applications) or flush data to disk before snapshotting to reduce the chance of inconsistent states.

Restore (Revert) a Snapshot

  1. Open the “Snapshots” section
  2. Select the snapshot you want to restore
  3. Click “Restore” or “Revert” and confirm
  4. Wait for the operation to complete
  5. Reboot the VPS if requested by the panel

Warning: Restoring a snapshot replaces the current disk state with the snapshot. Any changes after the snapshot point will be lost.

Delete a Snapshot

  • In “Snapshots”, choose the snapshot and click “Delete”
  • Confirm deletion to free storage space

Note: Providers usually limit total snapshot count or storage usage. Clean up old snapshots regularly.

Backups (VirtFusion)

Depending on your plan and provider settings, VirtFusion may expose scheduled backups or on‑demand backups.

Scheduling Backups

  1. Go to the “Backups” or “Protection” tab for your VPS (naming may vary)
  2. Choose a schedule (e.g., daily at 03:00) and retention (e.g., keep 7 copies)
  3. Confirm the policy

On‑Demand Backup

  • Click “Create Backup Now” (if available)
  • Consider running during low‑traffic periods to minimize impact

Restore from Backup

  1. Open the “Backups” tab
  2. Pick a backup by date/time
  3. Click “Restore” or “Recover”
  4. Confirm and wait until the process finishes

Important: Restores may be disruptive and can overwrite data. Ensure you understand whether the restore is in‑place or to a separate volume/instance, as offered by your plan.

Making Snapshots/Backups Application‑Consistent

For database or write‑heavy applications, ensure on‑disk consistency:

Linux

  • Graceful stop services (recommended):
# Example for common services (adapt as needed)
sudo systemctl stop nginx
sudo systemctl stop php-fpm
sudo systemctl stop mysql  # or mariadb/postgresql
# Create snapshot/backup in the panel now
# After completion
sudo systemctl start mysql
sudo systemctl start php-fpm
sudo systemctl start nginx
  • If stopping services is not possible, at least sync pending writes:
sudo sync && sudo fsfreeze -f / && sudo sleep 3 && sudo fsfreeze -u /

Note: fsfreeze may require ext4/xfs and root privileges. Freeze only briefly.

Windows

  • Stop services that write heavily (SQL Server, IIS sites with high write volume, etc.)
  • Or ensure the application provides a quiesce capability
  • Use the panel to snapshot/backup, then start services again

Best Practices

  • Use naming conventions: pre-maint-YYYY-MM-DD, post-install-APP-VER
  • Keep retention reasonable: too many snapshots can hurt performance or hit quotas
  • Create snapshots before:
    • OS upgrades / kernel updates
    • Application upgrades / configuration changes
    • Disk partitioning / filesystem operations
  • Backups: schedule daily or weekly depending on RPO/RTO needs
  • Test restores periodically to ensure your recovery process works
  • Store critical data off‑site if available (object storage, external provider)

Capacity, Limits and Quotas

  • Snapshot count/storage may be limited per VPS or per account
  • Backup schedules and retention may be constrained by your plan
  • Snapshots often live on the same storage; do not rely on them as the only disaster‑recovery method

If you see errors such as “quota exceeded” or “not enough space,” delete older snapshots/backups or upgrade your plan.

Post‑Restore Checks

After restoring from a snapshot or backup:

  • Verify application/services are healthy
  • Check time sync (NTP) and regenerate any time‑sensitive secrets if needed
  • Validate databases and run quick integrity checks
  • For network changes since the snapshot, re‑apply new IPs/hostnames if necessary

Troubleshooting

  • Snapshot creation stuck
    • Refresh the panel; check if the task is still running
    • Ensure the VPS is responsive; try a graceful reboot if safe
  • Restore failed
    • Check quotas and storage; ensure the source snapshot/backup isn’t corrupted
    • Contact support for assistance
  • Inconsistent application state after restore
    • Use application‑consistent procedures (stop services/quiesce)
    • Consider restoring from a scheduled backup instead of a quick snapshot

Related docs:

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