Backup Policy Recommendations
Backup Policy Recommendations
Radiator deployments have three kinds of data to protect: configuration, RadiatorDB data, and logs. Each kind of data has a different backup method and may need a different schedule and retention period.
| Data | Backup approach | Where to retain it |
|---|---|---|
| Configuration | After each deployed change, plus a daily automated copy | Outside the Radiator host |
| RadiatorDB | Export on a schedule that limits lost writes to an acceptable period | Outside the RadiatorDB and Radiator hosts |
| Logs | Forward logs as they are produced, or back up local log files | Outside the Radiator host |
Configuration
Take an external copy after each configuration change. A daily scheduled copy also catches changes that were not followed by a manual backup. If the configuration rarely changes, you may use a longer periodic interval, but keep the after-change copy.
Each deployment creates a backup of the previous active configuration on the server. These local backups help with rollback, but an external copy is needed to recover from loss of the server. See configuration backup retention.
Use radiator-backup
for scheduled configuration exports. Protect the archives and store them
outside the Radiator host. See
configuration import and export
for details of the archive contents.
Keep external copies long enough to recover from a change found to be faulty later. Retain a known working copy before major configuration or software changes.
RadiatorDB
With multiple nodes, RadiatorDB replication helps keep data available after a node or its hardware fails. It also replicates deletions and modifications, so replication cannot restore an earlier state after an unwanted change. Backups provide an earlier copy for that recovery.
Use RadiatorDB backup export to save a copy of RadiatorDB data. Store the backup outside the RadiatorDB deployment.
Large exports add database load, so measure their duration and run them at a time that the deployment can accommodate. Retain enough successful exports to recover from errors discovered later, not only the most recent export.
Set retention according to how far back the data may need to be restored. See RadiatorDB sizing for storage estimates.
Logs
Send logs to an external log system as they are produced, for example with syslog. If local log files are backed up instead, rotate them daily or hourly and copy them off the Radiator host after rotation. Where local files are enabled, keep several days of logs for operational troubleshooting. See log rotation for rotation and local retention settings, and Radiator sizing for log storage estimates.