Question Understanding Plesk backups

[cosmocanuck]

Server operating system version

CentOS Linux 7.9.2009 (Core)

Plesk version and microupdate number

Plesk Obsidian 18.0.65 Update #2

Hi! I maintain / monitor my client's websites, and one major task is to keep an eye on disk usage. The only thing that causes regular fluctuations is the Plesk hosting backups, and the pattern normally is predictable but sometimes grows for non-obvious reasons. This sometimes edges us perilously close to our limit of usable space, like here:




You can see the predictable rising and falling of the backups on the left, then it starts to grow too much. This turned out to be due to duplicate backup segments, seen below, three of which (with checkmarks) i deleted:



- Why in the above listing were all segments duplicated, with two of the exact same size and and just one days' difference in timing?

Below is a more recent view of the backups. Some of them have the option to delete them and some don't. Is it always safe to delete the ones I'm allowed to? Here, it seems that the three older backups are all part of a previous backup cycle and can be deleted, leaving the Dec. 8 backup as the start of a new cycle:



- Finally, in the Backup Manager, what is the difference between backups labeled "Part of server backup", "Part of server backup. Incremental", and "Incremental"?

Thanks for any help/guidance you can provide in helping me tame my backups!

 

[Maarten]

It looks like your clients has set up a backup schedule next to the server's backup schedule.
Can you check the schedule in Tools & Settings -> Backup Manager -> Schedule?

 

[cosmocanuck]

Hmm, yes there is a backup set up there (called simply "Backup Manager", which evidently is different from the backup reached by clicking "Backup & Restore" on the Websites & Domains screen (called "Backup Manager for lucentquay.ca")! And the one and only backup listed on the former screen, is also listed as one of four entries on the latter screen. So I guess that's why it isn't removable from the latter screen?

How do they differ? Do I need both?

 

[Maarten]

You don’t necessarily need both backups, as long as the backup location is on a mounted disk or the server itself. However, if the backups are stored on an external FTP server, clients cannot restore them directly. To enable that functionality, the "Backup to Cloud Pro" extension needs to be installed.

Additionally, backups created by a different owner cannot be deleted by a client.

This is a common backup schedule:

 

[cosmocanuck]

Thanks! We're similar to these settings but Weekly and Monthly, respectively for the intervals (fine for a rarely-updated site).

And the backups are on the server so we should be good for restoring if needed.

I notice the Settings options are quite different for the two kinds of backups, with the

"Websites & Domains > lucentquay.ca > Backup Manager" settings giving options to include or not include certain things...

The other backup, "Tools & Settings > Backup Manager", has no such options so I'm assuming that it includes everything... And thus would be the one I should pick if I'm only doing one kind of backup?

 

[Maarten]

The Tools & Settings > Backup Manager > Schedule page is where you define what should be included in the backup.

 

[cosmocanuck]

Aha, thanks! All the same options. I think I'll just turn off that backup and keep the other one.

Thanks so much for your help!