What files are created during backup procedure?

In Plesk for Linux, all backup data is stored in the following directory by default:

CONFIG_TEXT: /var/lib/psa/dumps

This location can be customized via /etc/psa/psa.conf file. Use the following command to find the custom path:

# grep DUMP_D /etc/psa/psa.conf
DUMP_D /custom/backup/directory

1. Full server backups

Full server backups are stored in the root of this directory and can contain the following files:

• General data: This is the most basic backup unit. If a configuration-only backup was created, just one file will be present in the backup directory: backup_info_<timestamp>.xml
• Extensions: Extension backups are copies of the /usr/local/psa/var/modules/<extension-name> directories and their backup file names look like this: backup_ext_<extension_name>_<timestamp>.tzst
  
• Licence key data: backup_key<ID>.sapp_<timestamp>.tzst
• Daily Plesk database dumps: mysql.daily.dump.<number>.gz. These are created every day independently from Plesk backups, and there can be no more than 8 daily backups at a time
• Plesk database pre-upgrade dumps:  mysql.preupgrade.<pre-upgrade Plesk version>-<post-upgrade Plesk version>.dump.gz. These dumps exist only if the Plesk panel has been upgraded in the past

2. Domain-level backups

Domain-level backups are stored in /var/lib/psa/dumps/domains/<domain_name> directory, and their structure is similar to full server backups:

• General data: This is the most basic backup unit. If a configuration-only domain backup was created, just one file will be present in the backup directory: backup_info_<timestamp>.xml
• Domain content:backup_user-data<timestamp>.tgz archive contains everything from the domain's document root directory (/var/www/vhosts/<domain_name>/httpdocs/ by default)
• Database dumps: databases directory
• Logs: backup_logs_<timestamp>.tgz
• Apache and Nginx web server configuration: backup_conf_<timestamp>.tgz 
• Password protected directories configuration: backup_pd<timestamp>.tgz
• SiteBuilder-related content: backup_sb_site<timestamp>.tgz
• Web statistics data: backup_statistics_<timestamp>.tgz
• Subdomains: sites directory - every subdomain may have its own set of files from the list above

Files with double timestamps (e.g.backup_user-data<timestamp1>_<timestamp2>.tgz) are meant for keeping the incremental backup structure.  

By default in Plesk for Windows, all backup data is stored in the following directory:

CONFIG_TEXT: %plesk_dir%Backup

1. Full server backups

Full server backups are stored in the root of this directory and can contain the following files:

• General data: backup_info_<timestamp>.xml
• Service plans data:backup_sb_server_<timestamp>.zip
• ASP.NET configuration file: backup_aspnet_<timestamp>.zip 
• Extension backups:backup_ext_<extension_name>_<timestamp>.zip
• Files with NTFS access policy: backup_fs_<timestamp>.zip
• Licence key data: backup_key<ID>.sapp_<timestamp>.zip

2. Domain-level backups

Domain-level backups are stored in %plesk_dir%Backup\domains\<domain_name>, and their structure is similar to full server backups: 

• General data: backup_info_<timestamp>.xml
• Domain content: backup_user-data_<timestamp>.zip archive contains everything from the domain's document root directory %plesk_vhosts%example.com\httpdocs\
• Database dumps: databases directory
• Custom error pages configuration: backup_errdocscfg_<timestamp>.zip
• Custom error pages content:backup_error_docs_<timestamp>.zip
• Logs: backup_logs_<timestamp>.zip (this includes logs from IIS and PHP)
• Web statistics data: backup_statistics_<timestamp>.zip
• Files with NTFS access policy:backup_system_<timestamp>.zip
• Subdomains: sites directory - every subdomain may have its own set of files from the list above