Setting up automatic backup can be achieved through the following simple steps, in this case, we’re using an example of a Linux VPS with cPanel.
1. Login to your cPanel.
2. Scroll down to the ‘Files’ section and then click on ‘Backup’.
3. On the new screen, click on ‘Backup Wizard’.
4. Click on the ‘Backup’ button.
5. Choose which backup you would like, either Full or Partial backup.
6. Choose whether you’d like your backup to be emailed to you or not.
For an even more automated solution, you could create a script and execute it with cron.
1. Write a script that uses utilities such as tar, gzip, and mysqldump to back up your files and databases. Here is a simple example of what you might include in such a script:
```
#!/bin/bash
tar czf /path/to/backup/files.tar.gz /path/to/files
mysqldump -uYourUser -pYourPass YourDb > /path/to/backup/db.sql
```
1. Configure cron to run your backup script at a decided interval. You can do this easily by executing “crontab -e” and then adding a line like this:
```
0 3 * * * /path/to/backup/script.sh
```
This configuration will run your backup script every day at 3:00 AM.
Remember all these steps are depending on the tech stack and environment of your VPS. You may also use control panels like Plesk and cPanel or tools like rsync to automate backups.
It may be beneficial to back up to an off-site location, such as Amazon S3. If you’re scripting your own backup workflow, Amazon’s AWS CLI toolset should be useful.
Also, be aware that storing backups will consume space in your server. Therefore, you would have to write a function in your backup script that removes old backups.
If your server is managed by a hosting provider, it’s worth reaching out to them to ask about backup options, some providers have options for automatic backups.
For more complex or specific requirements, you may want to look into more robust backup solutions such as Bacula or Amanda.
Always remember to test that your backups are working by trying to restore from them once in a while. A backup isn’t a good one until you’ve proven that you can restore from it.
Finally, don’t forget that automated backups should be a part of a larger strategy for data protection and redundancy. This may include other technologies like RAID or real-time replication.
