Linux Server Backup
Nightly off-site Linux Server Backup for any Linux server, with or without Server Surgeon’s server management. Four weeks of retention, from $15 a month. Restore a single file, database, user account, or the entire server when you need to — if we also manage the server, a senior admin runs the restore for you; on backup-only plans you restore over SFTP, SCP, or rsync, or we can quote a one-off.
Linux Server Backup Features
Our backup works on any Linux server, whether it runs a control panel such as cPanel, Plesk, DirectAdmin, or Virtualmin, or no control panel at all; on a server with a control panel, it is custom-configured for that panel. Backups run nightly via rsync to off-site storage. When you need to restore something, you open a server support ticket, and if we also manage that server, a senior system administrator pulls it back for you.
Nightly Backups, Automatic
Daily backups run automatically, with no manual triggering and no waiting for a window to open. Each backup runs on its own schedule so server load stays predictable. The default database-dump time is 10:22 PM server time, and we can reschedule it on request.
Four Weeks of Retention
Daily backups for the last seven days, plus weekly snapshots retained for four weeks. You can restore from any backup in that window, and we can extend retention on request if your compliance level requires it.
Isolated from the Source Server
The Linux server being backed up cannot reach the backup itself. If the source server is compromised by a hacker or ransomware attack, the backup is out of reach from that server, so the attacker cannot delete or encrypt it. Each customer’s backups live in a dedicated firewalled container with IP allow-listing.
MySQL & MariaDB Databases
Databases are dumped consistently before the file-system rsync runs, so the dump is restorable. Daily MySQL and MariaDB dumps make it easy to restore a single database or a single table without rolling back the whole server.
Monitored Daily by Staff
Every backup is reviewed each day. Failed backups automatically open a ticket with our system administrators, so you never end up with a backup that silently stopped working months ago. We also track capacity and disk-usage trends so we can warn you before the container fills up.
Restore on Request
If we also manage the server, open a support ticket and a senior system administrator pulls the file, the user account, the database, or the full server back from the backup set, with a response within 10 to 30 minutes of your request (faster on urgent ones). There is no self-service portal to learn and no rsync flags to work out under pressure. On backup-only plans you run the restore yourself over SFTP, SCP, or rsync, or our sales team can quote a one-off restore.
How a Managed Server Backup Compares
Most Linux servers already have a backup of some kind, yet it is common for that backup to fail on the one day it is finally needed. The reason is almost always proximity: the backup sits close enough to the server to share its fate. A snapshot in the same cloud account disappears when the account is compromised, the payment lapses, or the project is deleted. A backup directory on the same server is lost the moment the disk fails, an intruder gets in, or ransomware encrypts the file system. A hand-built rsync cron job runs until it quietly stops, and the first sign of trouble is a restore that does not work.
A managed off-site Linux backup service removes that shared point of failure. Every recovery point is replicated to a separate, firewalled Linux backup server that the source cannot reach, so a compromise of your server cannot touch the backups. Each night’s run is reviewed the following day, and any failed backup opens a ticket with our administrators automatically. When the bad day comes, a senior administrator performs the restore for you, provided you also have our server management for that server. That combination of off-site storage, daily monitoring, and a real administrator on the restore is the difference between a backup that exists and a backup that recovers.
What You Can Restore
Most restoration tickets are not full-server rebuilds. The backup is structured so we can pick exactly what you need without rolling back anything else.
| If you ask for | We restore |
|---|---|
| A single file a customer deleted | That file, from the most recent backup that has it |
| A specific night’s database backup | The MySQL or MariaDB dump from that night, restored to the same database name or to a side database for inspection |
| One customer’s site | The files, the database, the email content for that account, restored to the same place or to a staging account |
| The whole Linux server | The full file system and database set, restored to the same server or to a fresh one we provision for you |
| A mailbox a customer emptied | The maildir content from that night’s backup, restored to the same account or to a side mailbox for inspection |
| An FTP / SFTP user’s directory | The directory, restored where it lives or to a clean spot you specify |
Cost of Backups
Prices are based on the amount of disk space used on your server, minus any local backup directories on your server. The cost per gigabyte goes down as you increase the number of gigabytes purchased.
| Space Used | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|
| Up to 100 GB | $15 |
| Up to 200 GB | $26 |
| Up to 300 GB | $36 |
| Up to 400 GB | $44 |
| Up to 500 GB | $50 |
| Up to 750 GB | $65 |
| Up to 1 TB | $75 |
| Over 1 TB | Contact sales for a quote |
Paying quarterly, semi-annually, or annually saves up to 15% on the prices shown. Backup has no volume discount — the 20% five-server discount applies to server management only. All prices in USD.
Order Server Backups
You can order Linux Server Backup online. Our system administrators set up the backup within an hour or two of receiving your server credentials. Month-to-month, no fixed-term contract. Browse the FAQ below or contact our sales team if you have a question first.
Questions? See the FAQ below, browse our full FAQ library, or post a question on our Contact Us page.
- What happens after I signup?
- After purchasing, you will receive an email asking you to open a ticket with the login details for the server(s) you want backed up. Once you send those, the backup is set up within an hour or two. We will email more details and post the access information in your support portal.
- Is my backup kept secure?
- Yes. Each customer’s backups live in their own dedicated Docker container, firewalled off and reachable only from the IP addresses you list in our support portal. The source server has no outbound access to the backup container, so an attacker who compromises your server cannot reach the backups. The containers run in our own locked rack at the PhoenixNAP datacenter.
- Will you restore my server from the backup at no charge?
- Yes, if you also subscribe to our Server Management for the same server. If we do not manage that server, our sales team can quote a one-off restore, or you can restore the server or files yourself via SFTP, SCP, or rsync.
- What are the average response and resolution time for a restoration?
- We begin within 10 to 30 minutes of your request, often faster depending on ticket volume. The restore itself takes a few minutes for a single file, directory, database, or user account, or many hours for full-server recovery.
- Are my backups monitored daily by your staff?
- Yes. Every backup’s status is reviewed each day, and any failed backup opens a ticket with our system administrators automatically.
- How many daily backups to you retain?
- We retain the last 7 daily backups plus the last 4 weekly backups. Weekly backups are taken on Sundays.
- Can you restore the entire server from the backups?
- Yes. The restoration can also be made to any server, and it does not have to be the original.
- Does your backup work with any Linux server and any control panel?
- Yes. The backup works on any Linux server with any control panel or no control panel at all. For control-panel servers, we install scripts that make panel-data restoration much easier.
- Do you have to install a service on my server to back it up?
- No. We do install the rsync binary if it is not already there; rsync is a file-transfer and synchronization utility and is usually already present. No agent or service runs in the background.
- Is there any fixed term contract?
- No. Linux Server Backup has no minimum-term contract, and you can cancel any time.
About Server Surgeon
Server Surgeon has been providing server management and Linux server backups to hosting companies since 2005. The same team every day, on every server. Three things we promise —
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21 years solving the same problems
We have handled every common Linux distribution, every panel, and every kind of outage before, and we know how to resolve them.
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Senior administrators only
Every ticket is handled by a senior admin with 8+ years of managing production web hosting servers. No outsourcing, no junior staff logged into your server.
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5.0★ on Facebook, 30-day money-back
Month-to-month, no fixed-term contract. If we are not the right fit, we refund you without argument. Read the reviews →
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Nightly off-site backups from $15/mo, four weeks of recovery points, and a senior admin who can restore a single file or a whole server when it counts.
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