Getting started
FlashBackup backs up your databases every day, encrypts them, and saves them in your own Google Drive. Setting it up takes about 10 minutes, and you only do it once.
What you need
- A Google account for storing backups (a free Gmail account works; a Google Workspace account is better for companies).
- A Linux server where your databases run (for example on AWS, DigitalOcean, Hetzner or a VPS).
- Someone who can open a terminal on that server and run one command with
sudo. This is needed only once per server.
The four steps
- Create your account and choose a plan. Sign up, confirm your email address, and pick a plan on the Billing page. Details
- Connect Google Drive. In Settings → Google Drive, click Connect Google Drive and approve. Details
- Add a server. In Servers, type a name and click Get install command. Paste the command on your server. Details
- Check what is backed up. Open the server in the dashboard. FlashBackup lists the databases it found and switches them on automatically. Turn off anything you don't need. Details
That's it. Backups run every night at 02:00 (you can change the time), and you get an email if anything goes wrong.
Your first backup
You don't need to wait until tonight. Open the server page and click Back up everything now. Within a few minutes the Backups page shows each one as Success, and the files appear in your Google Drive in a folder called FlashBackup.
Day to day
Open the Overview page now and then. A green banner means everything is fine. If it's red, the page tells you what needs attention. You will also receive an email when:
- a backup fails,
- a server stops reporting for more than 30 minutes,
- a subscription payment fails.
Every few months, practise restoring a backup. A backup you have tested is a backup you can trust.