Backup Lifecycle & Data Flow

Understand how a backup moves from scheduling through execution to storage.

Every backup in SimpleBackups follows the same lifecycle, regardless of whether you are backing up a database, a set of files, or a cloud storage bucket. This page explains each stage of that lifecycle and how data flows between your infrastructure, SimpleBackups, and your storage provider.

Lifecycle stages

A backup goes through five stages from the moment it is triggered to the moment it is stored:

1. Scheduled — SimpleBackups checks your configured schedule and queues the backup job when it is time to run.
2. Dispatched — The job is sent to the appropriate backup worker. This can be a SimpleBackups serverless worker, your own server via SSH, or the locally installed agent.
3. Running — The worker executes the backup. For databases, this means running a dump command. For files, this means compressing and packaging the selected paths. For storage backups, this means syncing data between providers.
4. Uploading — The resulting backup file is transferred to your configured storage destination (for example, an S3 bucket, Google Cloud Storage, or SFTP server). If encryption is enabled, the file is encrypted before upload.
5. Completed — SimpleBackups records the result, updates the backup log, applies your retention policy to rotate older backups, and sends notifications based on the outcome.

If any stage fails, SimpleBackups marks the backup as failed, logs the error, and notifies you through your configured notification channels.

How data flows

The path your data takes depends on which backup worker you use.

Serverless backups

SimpleBackups connects to your database or storage provider, pulls the data through its own infrastructure, and uploads it to your storage destination. Your data passes through SimpleBackups servers temporarily during transfer but is never stored permanently.

SSH server backups

SimpleBackups connects to your server over SSH and orchestrates the backup remotely. The backup file is created on your server and uploaded directly from your server to your storage destination. Your data never passes through SimpleBackups infrastructure.

Agent backups

The agent running on your server receives instructions from SimpleBackups over HTTPS. It executes the backup locally and uploads the result directly to your storage destination. Like SSH backups, your data stays within your own infrastructure.

+Tip

If you want your backup data to never leave your infrastructure, use an SSH server or agent worker. Serverless backups route data through SimpleBackups servers during transfer.

Data transfer costs

Data transfer costs depend on your server and storage providers. Most providers charge for outbound traffic (egress) but not for inbound traffic (ingress).

"Example: DigitalOcean

Traffic from Droplets to Spaces does not count against your Spaces transfer allowance because inbound bandwidth to Spaces is free. However, it does count against your Droplet's outbound transfer allowance.

When you use serverless backups, SimpleBackups handles the data transfer. A free bandwidth allowance is included with every plan, so small to medium backups typically incur no additional cost. If you use SSH or agent workers, the transfer happens entirely within your own infrastructure and provider network.

Check your provider's pricing page for specific egress and ingress rates.

Backup workersCompare serverless, SSH, and agent workers and choose the right one for your setup.›Our infrastructureLearn where SimpleBackups servers are located and how regions work.›Backup encryptionEncrypt your backups at rest before they reach your storage destination.›