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Backup Destinations ​

A backup destination is the storage that account backups are written to. Every backup policy names one. Create the destination first; a policy cannot be saved without one.

Overview ​

URL: /admin/backups/destinations

The page is the Destinations tab of Backups.

The list of backup destinations with their type and repository count

ColumnWhat it shows
NameThe name you gave the destination. It is what you pick from in a policy.
TypeThe kind of storage.
RepositoriesHow many repositories the destination currently holds, one per account backed up to it.
ActiveWhether policies may use it.

Test connection checks that the panel can reach the storage with the credentials you entered, and reports the reason when it cannot. Run it after creating a destination and before attaching a policy to it, so a failure surfaces now rather than during the first backup.

Creating a destination ​

New Backup Destination, at /admin/backups/destinations/create, asks for a name and a type. The remaining fields depend on the type you pick.

The create form with the destination type list open

TypeUse it for
S3 / S3-compatibleAmazon S3 and any provider that speaks the same protocol.
SFTPA server you reach over SSH.
WebDAV / NextcloudWebDAV storage, including Nextcloud.
restic REST serverA dedicated backup server.
Local pathA directory on this server.
Custom rclone configA provider none of the above covers, configured by hand.

The form itself says which types perform best: S3 and the REST server are the fastest and most reliable, and WebDAV or Nextcloud works but is slower.

Warning: A Local path destination lives on the same machine as the data it protects. It is useful for a quick copy, but it is not a backup of the server: if the disk or the machine is lost, the backups go with it. Keep at least one off-site destination.

Active controls whether the destination may be used. Clearing it leaves the stored snapshots alone but keeps new runs off it.

Unreadable destination settings ​

The settings of a destination, including its passwords and keys, are stored encrypted. Since panel 1.9.2, when the panel cannot decrypt them, it says so wherever the destination is used, and no backup is sent to it until you enter the settings again:

  • The list shows Settings unreadable under the destination's name.
  • Edit opens the form with a Settings unreadable notice: "The stored settings of this destination cannot be decrypted, so no backup can use it. Enter all of its settings again, including passwords and keys, and save."
  • Test connection answers with the same problem, naming the destination, without contacting the storage.
  • A backup to the destination stops at once with "The stored settings of backup destination name cannot be decrypted. Edit the destination, enter all of its settings again and save it." For an account backup, the run is recorded as failed on the Runs tab with that message, and the Account backup failed notification is sent. A server configuration backup to the destination stops with the same message.

To fix it, open Edit on the destination, enter all of its settings again, including every password and key, and save. Backups to the destination work again from the next run, scheduled or started by hand. A repository whose first setup on the destination never finished is set up again on that run, for account and server configuration backups alike.