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Backup and Restore

Backup offers the ability for a /root Space Administrator or Configuration Manager to backup the entire content of their current tenant, including Assets, Permissions, Integrations, Logs and sub-Spaces. Both Full and Incremental backup options are available depending on requirements.

Conversely, Restore allows the same user role to restore a tenant using a previously created backup file(s).

Backup and Restore Considerations

  • Backups are full tenant backups that can only be performed from the tenant's /root space. You cannot backup or restore an individual sub-space or object.
  • Backup files are stored in a zip archive in a /backup/<TenantName> folder created in the 12Port installation directory <12Port_Home>, using a naming convention that identifies the time of backup creation. For example, a full backup taken of a tenant named "ProductionOps" performed on October 24, 2024 at 2:38:27 PM will be created at <12Port_Home>/backup/ProductionOps/20241024-143827-full-001.zip.
    • A Full backup will include the -full type in the filename while an Incremental backup will include the -inc type in the filename.
      • <12Port_Home>/backup/ProductionOps/20241024-143827-full-001.zip
      • <12Port_Home>/backup/ProductionOps/20241025-094108-inc-001.zip
    • Large backups may be split into multi-part zip archives where the file name suffix -00n.zip is the zip part number, with -001.zip indicating the first part of a zip archive. Backup files with a single part will only generate a single file with the -001.zip suffix.
    • Backup files are retained indefinitely, unless or until, the source backup file(s) are manually removed from their backup tenant directory.
    • Although backup files are relatively small in disk size, we recommend having at least 25GB of available disk space before you implement a backup routine and to regularly monitor available disk space on the 12Port host server to avoid failures.
  • Restores performed to the same tenant (in-place), the one that was used to create it, will incrementally restore objects from the selected backup file. Restores in this scenario add new objects and updates existing data from the backup selected; however, it does not delete existing content.
  • Restores can be performed to create a new tenant to the same 12Port deployment where it was created ONLY after the original tenant, the one which was used to create the backup, has been deleted.
  • Restores can be performed to create a new tenant to a 12Port deployment that is different from the one where the backup file was created.

Note

Although the data in the backup is encrypted, please use caution and secure access to these files.

Creating a Backup

From a tenant's /root site, an Administrator or Configuration Manager can perform a backup of this tenant.

  1. Log in using an Administrator or Configuration Manager account.
  2. Navigate to Configuration > Backup and select the Full or Incremental option.
    • Full Backup: creates a backup of all objects in this tenant.
    • Incremental Backup: creates a backup of all objects created or modified since the defined Cutoff Date. You may only select a Cutoff Date that is current day or earlier. If you select a Cutoff Date that is in the future, the Start Backup option will be disabled until this is corrected.
  3. Click the Start Backup button to begin the selected backup operation of this tenant.

The Backup Log dialog will appear when the backup process begins and will state Backup Completed (<Name>) at <Time> when the backup completes.

Backup Log Dialog with Status

After the backup completes, it will appear in the table list on this page with the display Backup Completed and then can be used for restore operations.

Backup Completed in Table View

Performing a Restore

Restores are performed by an Administrator or Configuration Manager from the desired starting location. Based on your Restore requirements, refer to the following sections for the procedure.

Restoring to the Same Tenant (in-place)

If you want to restore a backup to the same tenant that created it (in-place restore):

  1. Log in to this tenant with an Administrator or Configuration Manager account.
  2. Navigate to Configuration > Backup.
  3. From the table view of available Backups, locate the backup you wish to restore in-place and from its Actions menu, select the Restore option. Select the Restore (with Schedule) option to include scheduled task execution with the restore operation. Restore in-place Option
  4. Click Ok on the confirmation screen to being or Cancel to cancel the operation before it begins.

The Restore Log dialog will appear when the restore process begins and will display Restore Completed (<Name>) at <Time> when the restore completes.

Restore Log Dialog with Status

Note

An in-place restore will create objects from the backup that aren’t currently in the tenant and update existing objects in the tenant with those from the backup. However, it will not remove any objects in the tenant that are not included in the backup.

Restoring to the Same 12Port Deployment (as a new Tenant only)

If you want to restore a backup, as a new tenant, to the same 12Port deployment:

Note

You cannot restore to a new tenant, a backup created from a tenant that currently exists in the same 12Port deployment. The original tenant that created the backup must be deleted first.

The tenant that created the backup must be deleted before this restore operation can begin.

  1. Log in to the 12Port /base/root tenant using a Tenant Administrator account.
  2. Navigate to Management > Tenants and for this tenant, use its Actions > Delete option. Proceed with caution as there is not an option to undo this delete operation. Delete Tenant
  3. After the delete operation completes, you must also manually delete the database that was created for this tenant. This may be an embedded or external database.

When the tenant is fully deleted:

  1. Navigate to Management > Tenants and click the Add button.
    1. Select the Tenant Update Type of Create From Backup.
    2. Populate Name, Issuer, Language and Database parameters as desired.
    3. For Backup Tenants, select the tenant, by name, that was deleted in the previous steps and will be used to restore and create this new tenant.
    4. For Backup, select the Full backup that will be used to restore (create) this new tenant. Full backup names are displayed with the suffix -full. We do not recommend selecting an incremental backup for this operation, whose name is displayed with the suffix -inc.
    5. Enable Schedule Tasks (green check) if you want tasks to be scheduled for execution after restore, otherwise tasks scheduled in the backup will not be scheduled to execute after restore. Restore as a New Tenant from Backup
  2. Click the Save button to begin this restore as a new tenant operation.

The Restore Log will display the message Restore Completed when the restore operation and new tenant creation has finished.

Tip

Once the Full backup that was used to restore (create) this new tenant is complete and the tenant is available, you may then use an available Incremental backup for an in-place restore if required.

Restoring to a Different 12Port Deployment (as a new Tenant only)

If you want to restore a backup, as a new tenant, to a different (target) 12Port deployment from where the backup was created (source):

  1. Log in to the source 12Port deployment and copy the backup directory of the tenant the restore operation is being performed with. For example, if we are restoring a tenant with the name "ProductionOps", you will copy the source backup ProductionOps directory, and its content, from <12Port_Home>/backup/ProductionOps.
  2. Transfer this backup ProductionOps directory, and its content, to the same location on the target 12Port deployment where the restore will occur, so the folder target path is <12Port_Home>/backup/ProductionOps.
  3. Log in to the target 12Port /base/root tenant with a Tenant Administrator account.
  4. Navigate to Management > Tenants and click the Add button.
    1. Select the Tenant Update Type of Create From Backup.
    2. Populate Name, Issuer, Language and Database parameters as desired.
    3. For Backup Tenants, select the tenant, by name, that was transferred in the previous steps and will be restored as this new tenant in this target deployment.
    4. For Backup, select the Full backup that will be used to restore (create) this new tenant. Full backup names are displayed with the suffix -full. We do not recommend selecting an incremental backup for this operation, whose name is displayed with the suffix -inc.
    5. Enable Schedule Tasks (green check) if you want tasks to be scheduled for execution after restore, otherwise tasks scheduled in the backup will not be scheduled to execute after restore. Restore as a New Tenant from Backup
  5. Click the Save button to begin this restore as a new tenant operation.

The Restore Log will display the message Restore Completed when the restore operation and new tenant creation has finished.

Tip

Once the Full backup that was used to restore (create) this new tenant is complete and the tenant is available, you may then use an available Incremental backup for an in-place restore if required.