CyberPanel Backups v2 Proposal

Support and Discussion Updates
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Hello everyone and I hope everyone is having a good new year so far

As per many requests in the group and our community, we’ve planned to do backups v2 for CyberPanel. They will be really robust backups in terms of features and backup destinations.

So we are looking for suggestions, I will lay out the basic plan below.

1. Option to allow backups

For example do you wan to back website data, databases, emails etc?

2. Option to exclude directories from backups backups

Allow users to exclude directories from backup.

3. Multiple backup frequencies

Daily, weekly, monthly?

4. Multiple destinations?

Google drive, sftp, (FTP Not recommended) or more?

Update 12th Feb: Setting up custom paths for Backups generation activity.
Update 13th Feb: Consider Linode for S3 Storage as option.

Update on 17th Feb:

Some key takeaways that I am considering from a post by user here.

  1. option to exclude subdomains or staging websites: Providing the ability to selectively backup specific domains or exclude subdomains and staging websites will offer greater control and flexibility for website owners.
  2. option for selecting specific directories: Implementing an option for backing up specific directories will simplify the management and restoration of backups.
  3. Lack of hourly database schedule: Introducing a more frequent backup schedule for databases will increase the reliability and efficiency of the backup system.

Update 2: on 17th Feb:

Take aways from this comment

Email notifications on failed backups
Current solution fails silently, which happened a few times. Mostly my fault, but it scares me that backups can fail for days or even weeks without me knowing.

Link backups schedules to packages
It would be nice to be able to select default backup schedules for packages and having new websites added to the schedule automatically.
This would make it possible to offer daily backups for high tier clients and weekly for low tier clients easily. And you won’t have to worry about forgetting to add a website to the backups.

to be continued…

4 Likes
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Update: Setting up custom paths for Backups generation activity.

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This is exciting news! I’ve struggled with the CP Backups interface, and I’m very keen to assist in making V2 something that’s easier to set up and use, and provides more peace of mind.

I think it’s worth looking at how other panels do it, to get ideas, create a discussion and ultimately formulate a plan based on what most people’s needs are. There are also some good backup workflows found in various WP Plugins, so feel free to share those.

Here’s how WHM handles Backups and Restoration.

WHM Backup Settings

whm-backupsettings
whm-backupsettings1384×5000 458 KB

WHM Backup Destinations
whm-backupdestinations

WHM Backup Restoration

whm-backuprestoration
whm-backuprestoration2110×1228 140 KB

I personally think WHM’s approach is also a bit convoluted and confusing, and can be improved upon, but I do really like the interface for Scheduling and Retention. I’m also drooling over all those backup destinations. Backblaze B2 would be one I’d personally utilise.

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cPanel Backup

cpanel-backup
cpanel-backup2000×1800 189 KB

cPanel Backup Wizard

cpanel-backupwizard
cpanel-backupwizard1504×2081 257 KB

I like these for quick manual website/db backups.

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It looks like cPanel backups kind of complex to configure for non-technical users. (I am not talking about their functionality, but how they are configured)

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Function to use any S3 compatible location would be good. Is this new backup be paid addon or apply default incremental backup system too?

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I am starting on a very tight budget and can’t afford Amazon S3.

I have found out that Linode is now offering a new storage offering that is compatible with S3 compatible, and is very cheap for a good monthly transfer amount.
I’ve also used the free level of Google Drive and what comes with the free is very workable unless you have a huge website and a huge database for Word press.
(Ps I found out what I couldn’t repond to anything or click on anything in here. Apparently these pages don’t like Google Chrome, what I switched to Firefox it worked fine.

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How much you have data to backup? I you look cheapest solution take look on wasabi and backblaze as long we would get support for those location’s.

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If Linode is S3 supported it wont be really hard to implement them.

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Wasabi, Backblaze are already currently supported in WordPress Manager. (Amazon s3 too)

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Any plan support S3 compatible storages on free incremental backup option or that’s not developed anymore?

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The problem with current incremental backups are the password needed to unlock the backup repo (we use restic as backend for incremental backups)

And almost 90% of people loose their password, normally its present in the doc root of the site.

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“If Linode is S3 supported it wont be really hard to implement them.”
Any documentation forthcoming when the upgrade comes in with the new implementation?

I’ve been a network admin and then later a web admin I know how to get around a lot of stuff and play until I find my answer but sometimes I get stumped.

I used to use CPanel and WHCM but they got too expensive a while back.
I switched to Plesk and finally got most of what I needed figured out and got tired of them raising their licensing prices and then they merged with the company that owns cPanel then they started nickle and diming me for the extensions which used to be reasonably priced.

When I watched a tutorial video from Idea spot talking about how to install cloud panel and it was open sourced and typically free… It does just about everything that Plesk does without charging you an arm and a leg for modules or extensions.

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I’ve just started writing the code for Backups v2, they will be at website level including and taking care of everything including data, emails, wordpress sites, emails.

Right now just the begining can take 3-4 months from today and then the documentation.

However the current solutions we’ve are also doing good.

Is there a significant difference in pricing between backblaze vs linode?

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You mean 90% of users don’t put user names, pw’s and urls and titles and vendor name into a spreadsheet?

With the ease of creating spreadsheets in Micrososft Excel, in Windows or Libre Office Calc or WPS spreadsheet, why don’t people put everything in a spreadsheet? geesh - do you gotta hold their hand and wipe their tooshie too?

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I would return to this discussion later. However if you try to use incremental backups you may get an idea what I am trying to say.

I will write some code now to lay the foundation for the backups v2.

thanks

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to be honest I just chose linode because im familiar with them from using their vps in the past and they’re known for quality and savings.

I’ll be more than happy to look into backblaze since they’re already in the system.
I only responded with linode because it looked like you wanted feedback of what people were interested in usin but I’ll look backblaze.

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For addons onetime payment option I was asking before possibility to change IP for subscription, if move other VPS provider. I was told that that’s not possible because some people might misuse that so I decided not to buy that. Any possibility make possible change server IP for that subscription like once year? That way people cant abuse subscription and if I need some reason change VPS provider like in one year I wont waste my money?
Like me I only use email debugger other option not that necessary but wont hurt to have those if get on time deal work…

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If you want to only use email debugger you won’t need to buy all add-ons package. Email debugger is only $2.99.

And we’ve added the policy of changing IP within 30 days of purchase, also the life-time may not stay there forever, limited time offer for now.

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I have been buying debugger once every every 3 months but anyway would be more than happy to buy life-time deal if in future if update hardware, move dedi etc… can move to new server.

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