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VPS
Back up any Linux server by discovering databases, files, containers, and repositories over SSH.
A VPS Stack connects to a server already registered in SimpleBackups and scans it for every resource worth protecting — MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, and Redis databases, web project files, Docker containers and volumes, Git repositories, and any additional paths you define. It is the right choice for self-hosted stacks, multi-site WordPress servers, and mixed-workload Linux boxes.
Prerequisites
- A Linux server already added to SimpleBackups under Servers with SSH access configured
- The SSH user must have permission to read the paths you want to scan and to connect to local database sockets or ports
Supported resource types
| Resource type | What gets backed up |
|---|---|
| Databases | MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis — full dump |
| Web projects | File contents of /var/www, /srv, /opt, or custom paths |
| Home directories | File contents of /home/* |
| Docker containers | Running containers and their mounted volumes |
| Git repositories | Git repos detected under web directories |
| Custom paths | Any additional directory you specify |
Discovery settings
| Setting | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Discover Databases | On | Detects MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis running on the server |
| Discover Web Projects | On | Scans /var/www, /srv, /opt |
| Discover Home Directories | Off | Scans /home/* |
| Discover Docker Containers | Off | Finds running containers and their volumes |
| Discover Git Repositories | Off | Finds Git repos in web directories |
| Custom Paths | — | Additional paths to scan |
Setup guide
Step 1 — Create a VPS Stack
Go to Stacks → Create Stack, select VPS as the provider, and pick the linked server.
Step 2 — Configure discovery
Toggle each resource type on or off, and add custom paths if the defaults don't cover your layout (for example, /data/app or /opt/services). You can adjust these settings later from Stack → Configuration.
Step 3 — Run discovery
Click Discover Resources. SimpleBackups connects over SSH and returns a list of everything found. This typically takes 10–30 seconds.
Step 4 — Review and enable
For each discovered resource, confirm or adjust the backup configuration (database name, path, credentials if needed) and click Create Backup to activate it. Backups then run on your Stack's schedule and land on the storage destination you selected.
Troubleshooting
Databases aren't discovered
- Verify the database service is actually running (
systemctl status mysql,pg_isready, and so on) - Ensure the SSH user can reach the local socket or port used by the database
- If you run databases inside Docker, enable Discover Docker Containers instead
Web projects are missing
- Confirm your projects live in
/var/www,/srv, or/opt; otherwise add the parent directory under Custom Paths - Make sure the SSH user has read access to the target directories
A custom path isn't picked up
- Paths must be absolute and readable by the SSH user
- Re-run discovery after adding a path — existing runs aren't re-scanned automatically