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How to restore a local full server backup in a new Plesk server?

Daniel Yordanov
Updated
Plesk for Windows kb: how-to Plesk for Linux

Applicable to:

  • Plesk for Linux
  • Plesk for Windows

Question

How to restore a full server backup in a new Plesk server?

Answer

1. Download the backup from the source Plesk server

Via CLI

For Linux

1. Log into the server via SSH

2. Execute the command below to list .xml files of all existing backups:

# plesk sbin pmm-ras --get-dump-list | grep message | sed -E 's/<message>//g' | sed -E 's/\:\ <\/message>//' 
backup_info_2006222137.xml
backup_info_2006222138.xml

3. Using the required .xml backup file from the step №2, run the command below to download the backup:

# plesk sbin pmm-ras --export-dump-as-file --dump-specification=backup_info_1908071521.xml --dump-file-specification=/root/backup.tar

Note: /root/backup.tar is the path where the downloaded backup will be located.

For Windows Server

1. Log into the server via RDP

2. Start a command prompt as an Administrator
3. Execute the command below to list .xml files of all existing backups:

C:\> "%plesk_bin64%"\pmm-ras.exe --get-dump-list | findstr "message"
<message>backup_info_1908071521.xml: </message>
<message>backup_info_1909120136.xml: </message>

3. Using the required .xml backup file from the step №3, run the command below to download the backup:

C:\> "%plesk_bin64%\pmm-ras.exe" --export-dump-as-file --dump-specification=backup_info_1908071521.xml --dump-file-specification=C:\backup.zip

Note: C:\backup.zip is the path where the downloaded backup will be located.

Via Plesk GUI

Warning: For optimal results, downloading full server backups that are larger than 2 GB should be done via command-line only

1. Log into Plesk
2. Go to Tools & Settings > Backup Manager and find the exact backup that you would like to download
3. Click the arrow icon for downloading the file and specify the location in which to save the file locally

2. Import the backup to the new server

Via CLI

For Linux
1. Connect to the destination Plesk server, where a Plesk backup must be restored, via SSH.
2. Transfer the backup file backup_info_XXXXXXXXXX.xml.tar to this server (for example, via an FTP client).

3. Run the following command to import the uploaded file to the Plesk Backup Manager. Replace  /path/to/file.xml.tar with an actual path:

Note: If this is a multivolume backup consisting of several files (.tar, .tar1, .tar2, etc.), add the option "--join-volumes" at the end of the command.

# plesk sbin pmm-ras --import-file-as-dump --dump-file-specification /path/to/file.xml.tar

4. If the backup is password protected, use the following command:

# PLESK_BACKUP_PASSWORD="yourpassword" plesk sbin pmm-ras --import-file-as-dump --dump-file-specification /path/to/file.xml.tar
5. In Plesk, go to Tools & Settings > Backup Manager and find the backup that has been uploaded.

For Windows Server
1. Connect to the destination Plesk server, where a Plesk backup must be restored, via RDP.
2. Transfer the backup file backup_info_XXXXXXXXXX.xml.zip to the server (for example, via an FTP client or RDP connection).

3. Start a command prompt as an Administrator and run the following command to import the uploaded backup file to the Plesk Backup Manager. Replace /path/to/file.xml.zip an actual path:

Note: If this is a multivolume backup consisting of several files (.tar, .tar1, .tar2, etc.), add the option "--join-volumes" at the end of the command.

# plesk sbin pmm-ras --import-file-as-dump --dump-file-specification /path/to/file.xml.zip
4. In Plesk, go to Tools & Settings > Backup Manager and find the backup that has been uploaded.

Via Plesk GUI

Warning: For optimal results, uploading full server backups that are larger than 2 GB should be done via command-line only


1. Log into destination Plesk server

2. Go to Tools & Settings > Backup Manager

3. Click Upload
Backup_Manager_-_server-wide.png

4. Click Browse... and select a backup file to upload.

Note: Select the option Upload backup files without a valid signature, if the backup file was created on another Plesk server.

5. If the backup is protected by a password, specify it. If not or the password is unknown - clear the checkbox Use password protection (recommended).

Note: If a subscription backup has been uploaded via Tools & Settings > Backup Manager, it will be available at Domains > example.com > Backup Manager.

Screenshot_2019-05-04_Upload_Backup_Files_from_Your_Local_Computer_to_the_Server_Storage_-_Plesk_Onyx_17_8_11.png

 

3. Restore the backup

3.1. Log into destination Plesk server
3.2. Go to Tools & Settings > Backup Manager

3.3. Select All objects (entire system) and checking the box Restore this backup despite the fact that it does not have a valid signature

3.4 Press Restore

Note: You may also select individual objects (such as separate sites) for restoration from that backup by using the steps here

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Comments

3 comments
Date Votes
  • Avatar
    Davide Costa

    you describe a situation that is not the same in every environment

    1
  • Avatar
    Boris Lucas

    This does not work if the old plesk server is on rescue mode and cannot boot.

    0
  • Avatar
    Peter Michael Zipper

    This doesn't work for larger servers.

    0

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