Backup and Restore
Backup and Restore schedules separate DNS-zone, user, and cluster-setting artifacts and supports previewed selective or complete restoration.
Where to find it: SDM root sidebar > Backup.
Available to: root.
What this page does
The page controls whether backups run, where they are stored, how often they run, and how many restore points are retained per artifact type. Restore first prepares a protected workspace and preview so the operator can choose exact zones, users, settings, or the complete matching set.
Before you start
Use an absolute writable path with enough capacity and protect it outside the failure domain you are trying to recover. Review the selected timestamp and file contents before restoration; a backup filename is not a personality test—open it.
Backup settings
- Enable backup: includes zones, users, and cluster settings.
- Directory: absolute path; default
/root/backup. SDM creates/tests it when enabled. - Frequency: every 1, 5, 15, or 30 minutes; every 1, 3, 6, or 12 hours; or every 24 hours.
- Keep points per type: 1 to 500, applied separately to zones, users, and cluster settings; default 30.
Restore workflows
Select Latest or a restore timestamp, choose the corresponding artifact, and select View contents. Zone previews show owner, records, and last update; user previews show email, role, access, status, and IP rules; setting previews show scope, key, and value. Restore selected rows or all rows for that artifact type. A complete restore is destructive and should have a pre-restore backup and maintenance plan.
Controls and fields
| Control, Field, Or Section | What It Does | What It Affects | Recommended Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enable backup | Turns scheduled backups for zones, users, and cluster settings on or off. | Controls whether SDM automatically creates restore points. | Keep enabled in production unless an external backup system replaces it. |
| Backup directory | Absolute path where backup snapshots are written. | Determines storage location for restore points. | Use persistent storage with enough capacity and secure permissions. |
| Frequency | Schedule interval for automatic backups. | Controls how often new restore points are created. | Choose shorter intervals for high-change DNS environments. |
| Keep points per type | Number of restore points kept separately for zones, users, and cluster settings. | Controls retention depth and disk usage. | Keep enough points to recover from delayed discovery of bad DNS changes. |
| Save Settings | Stores backup schedule, path, enabled state, and retention. | Changes future backup behavior. | Verify the path is writable and monitor recent restore points after saving. |
| Restore from selector | Chooses latest or a specific restore point. | Determines which backup file set is used by the restore wizard. | Select the timestamp that predates the unwanted change. |
| Restore backup | Opens the restore wizard modal. | Does not restore until a backup is loaded and a restore action is confirmed. | Use only after identifying the correct restore point. |
| Select backup file | Chooses the concrete zone/user/settings backup file inside the restore point. | Controls which data set the wizard loads. | Load the type you intend to restore; do not mix up zones, users, and settings. |
| Load backup | Reads backup metadata and populates restore tables. | Prepares selectable items without changing current data. | Use this to inspect contents before restoring. |
| Zones restore table | Shows zone, owner, record count, and last update from the backup. | Lets the operator restore selected or all zones. | Prefer selected restore for customer-specific mistakes; all-zone restore is a broad recovery operation. |
| Users restore table | Shows username, email, role, access, status, and IP rule counts. | Lets the operator restore selected or all users. | Confirm restored users and API keys will not surprise integrations. |
| Cluster settings restore table | Shows setting scope, key, and value. | Lets the operator restore shared settings. | Use carefully because resolver, SOA, retention, and security settings may affect the whole platform. |
| Select all | Selects all visible rows in the current restore table. | Prepares bulk restore. | Use only after confirming every visible item belongs in the restore. |
| Restore Selected | Restores checked rows in the current tab after confirmation. | Overwrites current data for selected zones/users/settings. | Preferred recovery path for targeted mistakes. |
| Restore All | Restores all items for the selected backup type after confirmation. | Broadly overwrites current data for that type. | Reserve for disaster recovery or failed migrations. |
Safety notes
- Restores can overwrite current zones, users, or settings. Review the selected restore point and selected items before confirming.
How to use it
- Enable and save a valid schedule, then confirm a successful Last run and current artifacts.
- For recovery, choose the exact restore point and file.
- Select View contents and inspect the preview.
- Choose selected zones/users/settings or the explicit all operation.
- Confirm, wait for statistics, review errors, then verify DNS, accounts, and cluster settings.
Result and next check
Backups exist at the configured path and retention, and a restore reports restored, overwritten, created, and error counts. Verification must cover the restored resource itself; “restore completed” is not proof that delegation, credentials, or every service consumer agrees.
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