Stack Discovery

Automatically discover every backupable resource across your infrastructure.

Stack discovery connects to your server or infrastructure platform and identifies all the resources running on it, so you can create backups without manually configuring each one. Whether you run a VPS with multiple WordPress sites, a Kubernetes cluster, or a managed cloud service, stack discovery finds what needs to be backed up.

How stacks work

When you connect a stack to a server or platform, SimpleBackups scans it and identifies all the resources available for backup. The types of resources discovered depend on the platform — databases, files, applications, volumes, containers, and more.

Each discovered resource is listed with its type, name, and status. You can then select which resources to back up and create a full backup bundle from them in a single step.

Discovering resources on a server

The video below demonstrates how to connect a stack to a server hosting multiple WordPress websites, discover the available resources, and create backups from them.

Here is a summary of the process:

1. Navigate to Stacks and click Create Stack
2. Select the infrastructure provider or choose VPS for a standard server
3. Provide the connection credentials for your server
4. SimpleBackups connects and runs the discovery process
5. Review the list of discovered resources — databases, files, applications
6. Select the resources you want to back up
7. Configure shared settings (schedule, storage, retention) and create the bundle

iNote

Discovery runs automatically when you create a stack. You can also re-run discovery at any time to detect newly added resources on the server.

Supported infrastructure providers

Stacks support a range of infrastructure platforms, including:

• VPS / SSH servers — any Linux server accessible via SSH
• Kubernetes — discovers databases, volumes, and persistent volume claims
• DigitalOcean — discovers managed databases and app resources
• Proxmox — discovers virtual machines and containers
• Supabase — discovers project databases

The discovery algorithms are tailored to each provider, so the types of resources detected depend on the platform you connect.

Automated discovery

Automated discovery runs stack discovery on a schedule so you never miss a new resource. When you enable it, SimpleBackups periodically scans your infrastructure and compares the results to the previous discovery. If something new appears — a new bucket on Supabase, an additional website on your VPS, a new service in your Kubernetes cluster — you receive an email notification.

From that notification, you can create a backup for the newly detected resource with a single click. This means your backup coverage stays in sync with your infrastructure as it evolves, without you having to remember to re-run discovery manually.

+Stay covered as you grow

Automated discovery is especially useful for teams that frequently provision new resources. Instead of relying on someone to manually check for unprotected assets, SimpleBackups alerts you the moment something new is detected.

From discovery to backups

After discovery, you choose which resources to protect. SimpleBackups creates individual backup jobs for each selected resource and groups them into a full backup bundle. This means you get complete coverage of your server without manually setting up each backup.

If new resources appear on your server later (a new database, an additional WordPress site), you can re-run discovery and add them to an existing bundle or create a new one.

+WordPress discovery

When SimpleBackups discovers WordPress installations on a VPS, it identifies both the database and the file directory for each site. You can back up both with a single bundle to ensure complete WordPress protection.

Full Backup BundleLearn how to group multiple backups into a single manageable unit.›Connecting Your ServerSet up the connection between your server and SimpleBackups.›