Back up local files
To prevent data loss from accidental file deletion or local server issues. Use Cloud Backup to back up all directories and files on your local server. Cloud Backup supports flexible backup policies to back up data to the cloud for on-demand viewing and restoration. Use Cloud Backup to set up local file backup.
Prerequisites
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The Alibaba Cloud Cloud Backup service is enabled. Enabling Cloud Backup is free of charge. The following fees are incurred when you use the File Backup feature of Cloud Backup:
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File backup software usage fees
Billed per client.
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Backup vault storage capacity
Billed by storage used after deduplication and compression, not raw data capacity.
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Outbound Internet traffic during data restoration
Incurred when restoring data over the internet.
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Cross-region replication traffic fees for backup vaults
Incurred when using an image repository.
Pricing details: Billing methods and billable items and File Backup fees.
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After you have installed the backup client on the server, the Client Status is displayed as Activated in the Clients of the Cloud Backup console.
Notes
If you install the backup client without creating a backup plan, Cloud Backup does not charge any fees.
Back up local files
Create a backup plan using one of these methods:
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Use the local file backup wizard: You can expand the Local File Backup Wizard card at the top of the Local File Backup page and follow the wizard to complete the two steps: Add Data Source (install the backup client) and Configure Backup (create a backup plan).
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Manually create a backup plan: Follow the Create a backup plan steps below.
The first backup is a full backup. Subsequent backups are incremental by default.
Create a backup plan
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On the Local File Backup page, select a region at the top and click Add Local File Backup.
NoteIf you are using the Legacy Console (Try New Version is displayed in the upper-right corner), on the On-Premises File Backup page, select the version for the target client and click Back Up in the Actions column.
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In the Create Backup Plan panel, configure the following parameters and click OK.
Basic Settings
Parameter
Description
Local files to back up
Select the data source to back up.
NoteAvailable only in the new console.
Backup Folder Rule
Specify the directory to back up. Cloud Backup backs up all files and subdirectories in the specified directory. For example,
D:\work\local_backup_pathor/home/backup_path.Select All Folders or Specified Folders.
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After you select All Folders, specify whether to enable Exclude System Folders.
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If Exclude System Folders is enabled, the excluded Windows and Linux system directories are not included in the backup plan.
You can click the
icon to the right of Exclude System Folders to view details about the excluded system directories. -
If you do not enable Exclude System Folders, all folders are included in the backup plan.
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If you select Specified Folders, you must specify the Source Paths.
Source path rules:
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If you do not use a wildcard character (*), you can enter up to eight paths.
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If you use a wildcard character (*), you can enter only one path. Wildcard characters such as
/*/*are supported. -
Each line must be an absolute path. For example, a path that starts with
/,\\,C:\, orD:\. -
If you use VSS, multiple paths, UNC paths, wildcards, and file exclusion are not supported.
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If you use a UNC path, VSS, wildcards, and file exclusion are not supported. If the backup source contains a UNC path, Windows ACLs are not backed up.
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Exclude System Folders
Turn on the Exclude System Folders switch to exclude system directories from the backup.
Backup File Type
Select All Types or Specified Type.
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All Types: backs up all files, regardless of the file name extension.
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Select Specified Type: You need to specify the file types to back up in the Select File Type box (such as pdf, doc, etc.).
Source Paths
When you set the Backup Folder Rule to Specified Folders, you must configure this parameter. You can specify custom source paths.
Source path rules:
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If you do not use a wildcard character (*), you can enter up to eight paths.
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If you use a wildcard character (*), you can enter only one path. Wildcard characters such as
/*/*are supported. -
Each line must be an absolute path. For example, a path that starts with
/,\\,C:\, orD:\. -
If you use VSS, multiple paths, UNC paths, wildcards, and file exclusion are not supported.
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If you use a UNC path, VSS, wildcards, and file exclusion are not supported. If the backup source contains a UNC path, Windows ACLs are not backed up.
Backup Rule
This parameter is displayed only when Advanced Rule Mode is enabled. It specifies the inclusion or exclusion rules for files. When this mode is disabled, file filtering is based on the Backup File Type parameter.
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Include All Files: Backs up all files.
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Include Files or Exclude Files: Manually enter a list of files in the input file list box to back up the specified files according to the rule.
Backup Policy
Select a backup policy.
Cloud Backup automatically backs up data sources based on the specified policy. A backup policy defines settings such as encryption, backup interval, retention period, cross-region replication, automatic archiving, and virus scan.
If the default backup policy does not meet your backup requirements, you can click Create Backup Policy or Edit Policy to manage backup policies. Policy parameters are described in Policy Center.
Advanced Settings
Parameter
Description
Use VSS
Enables Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) to improve backup performance. Windows only.
NoteIf you use VSS, you cannot back up multiple paths or UNC paths, use wildcards, or exclude files.
Enable Bandwidth Throttling
Controls backup traffic during peak hours to minimize business impact.
To use traffic shaping, turn on the Enable Bandwidth Throttling switch, select a Time Range (Hour) based on your business needs, enter a value for Max Bandwidth (MByte/s), and then click Add.
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Click OK to save the configuration.
When a backup plan is created, its status is set to Running. Cloud Backup then runs local file backup jobs according to the specified backup policy, and the data source is added to the Protected Local File Data Sources list.
Backup statuses
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Backup status |
Description |
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Preparing |
The backup client is being installed. Automatic backups begin after preparation completes. |
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Preparation Failed |
Client installation failed. Check error details in the console. |
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Ready |
Added to the protected resources list. Waiting for the first backup. |
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Backing Up |
Normal. Waiting for the next scheduled backup. |
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Backing Up (In Progress) |
Normal. A backup job is running. |
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Paused |
All backup plans are paused. Resume from the backup details page. |
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Stopped |
Source resource not found (may have been released). Backup data is automatically deleted after it expires. View expiration times or restore data from the backup history. |
View backup jobs
At the scheduled backup time, Cloud Backup starts the backup job.
The backup progress percentage is a dynamic estimate and is for reference only. The displayed amount of scanned data may be lower than the actual total while the scan is in progress. Only the final status of the backup job confirms its completion.
On the Backup Jobs tab, a Status of Completed indicates that the backup was successful. You can view details for the backup job, such as Total Scanned Data Amount at Source, Completed Backup Data Amount, Data Amount Written to Backup Vault, and Backup Speed. See the tooltips in the Cloud Backup console for descriptions of these metrics.
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For backup jobs completed on or after June 1, 2025, the Total Scanned Data Amount at Source, Completed Backup Data Amount, and Data Amount Written to Backup Vault display both data volume and file count. For backup jobs completed before this date, only the data volume is displayed.
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The job list displays only backup job records from the last six months. To access older records, export them using Backup audit reports.
To cancel a running backup job, click Cancel in the Actions column and confirm the cancellation.
Manage backup content
At the top of the Local File Backup page, select the region of the data source and click View Details to its right. On the Backup History tab, you can manage the backup content.
If you are using the Legacy Console (Try New Version is displayed in the upper-right corner), on the Backup Plans tab, click the
icon for the target client to perform actions. These operations are the same as those available after you click the
icon to switch the display mode.
Browse backup files
You can use the Browse feature to view backed-up files. If a virus scan is run on a backup point, Cloud Backup marks any infected files.
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In the Backup History section, click Browse in the Actions column for the target backup point.
Alternatively, click the
icon on the right side of the backup history to switch the display mode. Then, click the target backup point and select Browse. -
In the Browse pane, you can view the backed-up local files.
Backup files cannot be downloaded directly. To download them, restore them to a specified path. For example, set Restore Path Type to Specify Path and set Destination Path to D:\work\local_backup_path_new. (You must create this path before you start the restore job. Otherwise, the restore job will fail.) After the restore job is complete, the files from the backup point are downloaded to this path.
Extend the retention period of a backup point
Extend the retention period of backup points to retain historical data longer.
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You can only extend the retention period of a backup point. You cannot shorten it.
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You cannot extend the retention period for backup points that are permanently retained.
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In Backup History, click the
icon in the Expires At column for the target backup point.You can also click the
icon to the right of Backup History to switch the display mode. Then, click the target backup point and click the
icon to the right of Expires At. -
Select Schedule Time or Never Expire, and then click Save.
After completing the configuration, you can view the new expiration time in the Expires At column.
Delete backup data
Delete backup point data generated by the client.
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Deleted backup points cannot be recovered.
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If "Keep at least one backup version" is enabled, you cannot delete the latest backup. Disable this feature first to proceed with deletion.
To delete backup points from the list view on the Backup History page, use one of the following methods.
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Single deletion: Click Delete in the Actions column for the target backup point and confirm the operation.
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To batch delete backup points, select them, click Delete Backup Point at the bottom of the list, and then confirm the deletion.
You can also switch the display mode by clicking the
icon to the right of Backup History. Then, click the target backup point and select Delete.
Manage backup plans
On the Local File Backup page, select the region for the target local file data source, click View Details to the right of the data source, and then switch to the Backup Plans tab to manage the backup plan.
If you are using the Legacy Console (the Try New Version button is displayed in the upper-right corner), on the Backup Plans tab, select the required action in the Actions column for the target local file data source.
Run a backup immediately
In the Actions column of the backup plan, click to run the backup plan immediately.
Modify a backup plan
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In the Actions column of the backup plan, click Modify.
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In the Configure Plan panel, modify the basic settings and backup policy as required.
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Click OK.
Pause or resume a backup plan
Backup plans are enabled by default. Pause a plan to temporarily stop backups, and resume it when ready.
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Pause a backup plan: Turn off the switch in the Plan Status column, or select in the Actions column, and then confirm the pause.
After pausing, no new backup jobs run. Existing backup points expire per the retention period. If "Keep at least one backup version" is enabled, the last version is preserved regardless of retention. Billing continues while backup points remain.
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Resume a backup plan: You can resume a paused backup plan by turning on the switch in the Plan Status column or selecting in the Actions column.
Delete a backup plan
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You cannot delete a backup plan if the local file data source has valid backups. You must delete the backup data first. Before you delete the backup data, you can pause the backup plan if you do not want it to run.
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Deleted backup plans cannot be recovered. Cloud Backup also removes the associated local file data source from the Protected Local File Data Sources list.
In the Actions column of the backup plan, click and then confirm the deletion.
Manage backup clients
At the top of the Local File Backup page, select the region for the target local file data source and click View Details to the right of the data source. In the Client Information section, you can manage the backup clients.
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On the Local File Data Source tab, you can also select the required feature for the target client from the Actions column.
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If you are using the Legacy Console (where Try New Version is displayed in the upper-right corner), on the Clients tab, locate the target client and select the desired feature in the Actions column.
Reinstall the backup client
To the right of Client Operation, select . After the reinstallation is complete, the client status changes to Activated.
If the client status is abnormal, see Troubleshoot and handle abnormal statuses of file backup clients, How do I check the running status of a Cloud Backup client?, and How do I view the default installation path and logs of a Cloud Backup client? to troubleshoot the issue.
Configure client parameters
To the right of Client Operation, click Client Settings to configure client parameters. Default settings are recommended.
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Client Settings |
Description |
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Use HTTPS to Transfer Data |
Enables HTTPS for data transmission. HTTPS encryption may reduce transfer performance. Changes take effect at the next backup or restore job. Note
This setting affects network transmission security only. Backup data is always encrypted at rest in the vault. |
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Data Network |
Select VPC or Internet for data transmission. Choose VPC if the client is in an Alibaba Cloud VPC or connected via a leased line. |
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Maximum number of worker threads |
Set the maximum number of worker threads. More threads consume more host resources. Evaluate the performance impact before changing this value. |
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Maximum CPU Cores |
Set the maximum CPU cores for the backup client. More cores consume more host resources. Evaluate the performance impact before changing this value. |
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Alarm When Job Partial Completed |
Some system files or files locked by other programs may be skipped during backup, resulting in a partial backup. Enable this setting to receive alerts for partial backups. To receive alerts for partial backups, turn on the Alarm When Job Partial Completed switch. |
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Data Network Proxy Mode |
Configure the data network proxy. Prepare the username, password, and proxy IP or domain name before setup. |
Configure retry parameters
If a file backup fails due to an unstable network or other factors, perform the following steps to configure retry parameters.
Log on to the server whose files you want to back up.
Switch to the default installation directory of the Cloud Backup client.
In the
clientfolder, create a file namedhbr.config.NoteThe
hbr.configfile must be in the same directory as thehbrclientandidsexecutables.In the
hbr.configfile, add the following parameters.Parameter
Description
retry_times
For clients of version 2.16.0 and later, this parameter specifies the number of data backup retries. The default value is 30.
retry_interval
For clients of version 2.16.0 and later, this parameter specifies the data backup retry interval. The default value is 1,000 milliseconds.
skip_error_files
Specifies whether to skip files that fail to be backed up.
false (default): Does not skip files that fail to be backed up.
true: Skips files that fail to be backed up.
The following code shows a sample configuration of the hbr.config file:
retry_times=30 retry_interval=1000 skip_error_files=false
Cancel backup for a data source
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Canceling a backup deletes all backup points, stops billing, and removes the data source from the protected list.
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Before canceling, ensure the client is uninstalled, its backup data is no longer needed, and no jobs are running. You cannot uninstall the local client from the console. To uninstall the local client, see How to uninstall the Cloud Backup client. After the client is uninstalled, its status changes to Stopped.
On the Local File Backup page, select the region of the local file data source. Click View Details in the Actions column of the data source. On the Backup Details tab, click Cancel Backup next to Backup Running Status and confirm the cancellation.
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Alternatively, on the Local File Data Source tab, click in the Actions column for the target client and confirm the operation.
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If you are using the Legacy Console (where Try New Version is displayed in the upper-right corner), on the Clients tab, in the Actions column for the target client, select and confirm.
Enterprise-grade features
Virus scan
To prevent infected files from being restored to your production environment, Cloud Backup provides the Backup point virus detection feature. This helps you select an uninfected backup point for future restores. On the Backup Details tab, in the Backup History section, find the backup point you want to scan, click ┇ in the Actions column, and then select .
Backup vault replication
To prevent regional disasters or account management risks from affecting business continuity, Cloud Backup supports configuring Cross-region backup or Cross-account backup vault replication for backup vaults where the Storage Vault Type is General Backup. Once configured, data from the source backup vault is automatically synchronized to the destination backup vault, ensuring data consistency between the two locations. You can also perform cross-region data recovery from the destination backup vault as needed.
Configure backup vault replication to enable cross-region or cross-account disaster recovery for local file backup vaults.
In addition, File Backup supports enterprise-grade features such as cross-account backup, automatic archiving, KMS encryption, backup locking, and backup point virus scan.
Troubleshoot backup errors
If the Status of a client or backup job is abnormal, try the following.
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Client Status: Stopped
The backup client has lost its connection with Cloud Backup.
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If you have uninstalled the backup client and no longer need the historical backup data (which is used to recover files from backup points), select ┇ > Delete Backup.
ImportantDeleting a backup removes all data from the client and fails any running jobs. Ensure no jobs are active and the data is no longer needed.
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Check the backup client status on the local server. How do I check the running status of a Cloud Backup client?.
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The backup is Failed.
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Review and correct the configuration based on the console error messages.
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View the log to locate the specific error code.
NoteThe default installation paths of the backup client are for reference only. Use the actual installation paths during your operations.
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Log path for Windows: Local Disk (C) > Program Files > Aliyun Hybrid Backup Service Client > logs
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Log path for Linux: /opt/alibabacloud/hbrclient/logs
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If you need more assistance, see Online technical support.
More operations
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Backup alert method
In the Actions column, click to select a backup alert method.
Backup alert method
Description
Disabled
The client no longer sends alert notifications.
Same as Backup Vault
The client uses the same alert method as the backup vault.
Notify Alibaba Cloud Account
Sends backup alerts to the Alibaba Cloud account by email.
Custom
Select contacts or contact groups to receive backup alerts. Manage alert contacts.
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Delete backup
This operation deletes all backup data from this client.
WarningDeleting removes all backup data from the client and fails any running jobs. Ensure no jobs are active and the data is no longer needed.
In the Actions column, click to delete client backups that you no longer need.
References
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Cloud Backup provides resource plans for various backup scenarios. Save with discounted rates. Purchase resource plans.