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How to configure your first DigitalOcean droplet backup
How to configure your first DigitalOcean droplet backup
First time setting up backups with DigitalOcean? We'll cover how to get you started and show you how to schedule your first hourly backup.
Laurent Lemaire avatar
Written by Laurent Lemaire. Updated over a week ago


In this "Getting Started" article, I'll show you how easy it is to configure your first DigitalOcean backup using SimpleBackups.

Requirements

Before getting started, let's make sure you have:

  • A DigitalOcean server (IP address, username and password) .
    Note: You should receive an email from DigitalOcean with the credentials once your droplet has been created.

  • A website, web application and a database on that same server that we will configure the backup for

  • The credentials of your database (IP, username, password, port, name

Step 1: Create your account & Login

Simply create your account using your email or using the Github authentification.

Note: When you first login our onboarding screens will guide you into setting up your first backups. Once your first backup will have been configured, you'll access the full SimpleBackups dashboards, offering you more customization and easy access to servers, storages, backups, history logs ...

Step 2: Connect your storage

For your first backup we'll use the free included storage "SimpleStorage" included in each paid plans.
If you want to store unlimited backups on your own storage click on "Connect your own cloud storage" instead.

Step 3: Connect your server

For a standard DigitalOcean Droplet, you'll have to connect to your server: 

ssh [email protected]_IP

and run the command displayed on your screen (you can easily copy it by passing your mouse over it)

Once the setup script will be finished, you'll be automatically redirected to the next and final step.

Step 4: Configure your first backup

To access the backup configuration screen simply click on the button

Configuring your backup will be done in 5 little steps:

1. What would you like to backup?

You'll find the server you've created in "Step 3" in the server list.


2. How often should we make this backup?

Pick the schedule you need for this backup, either a pre-configured one or you can customize the exact schedule you need using a CRON expression.
The retention is the number of backups that will be kept on your selected storage before deleting the oldest one.

3. What files and folders would you like to back up? (if you're configuring a file backup)

4. Choose the database you need to backup. (if you're configuring a database backup)

5. Finalize and create

You'll find the "SimpleStorage" created on step 1 in the list.

That's it your, first backup is now configured!
If you are having any problems, we are a few clicks away. Let us know if you need any help.

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