ECS Backup Essential Edition operations - - Alibaba Cloud Documentation Center

This article introduces the features and operations of Cloud Backup ECS Backup Basic Edition. You will learn about its benefits, how it works, how to purchase a subscription instance, and how to perform backup and restore operations.

Overview

ECS Backup Essential Edition allows you to perform basic backups for files, self-managed databases (MySQL, Oracle, or SQL Server), and entire ECS instances. It simplifies the data protection process with a streamlined workflow and a unified interface.

Key benefits

Predictable budget
Billing is based only on the number of ECS instances that you need to back up, not on the amount of backup storage used after deduplication and compression.
Controllable costs
If the total data size from a protected ECS instance exceeds the 500 GB limit per subscription instance, backup jobs fail proactively, preventing unexpected pay-as-you-go charges.
Simple configuration
Preset policies and one-click configuration simplify the backup process, minimizing the learning curve.
Unified interface
All operations are managed from a single interface, eliminating the need to switch between different views and enabling efficient backup management.

Use cases

This edition is ideal for small to medium-sized businesses and developers who are budget-conscious and need a cost-effective solution for daily data protection and basic compliance requirements for their ECS data.

For example, you have an ECS instance in a region with 200 GB of files and a 150 GB self-managed MySQL database that require backups. Your backup and recovery needs are straightforward, limited to simple file and MySQL database backups for data recovery. In this scenario, ECS Backup Essential Edition is the right choice.

How it works

It works like the full-featured version of Cloud Backup but has a simplified purchasing model and user workflow. It supports three backup scenarios: ECS file backup, entire machine backup, and ECS database backup.

Limitations

Important

ECS Backup Essential Edition is not currently covered by the Cloud Backup Service Level Agreement.

General limitations

This limit applies only to the source data size of ECS file and database backups and excludes entire machine backup capacity. Each subscription instance for ECS Backup Essential Edition has a data protection limit of 500 GB per ECS instance. If the limit is exceeded, the backup job fails. You cannot increase the data limit by binding multiple subscription instances to a single ECS instance.
One subscription instance can be bound to only one ECS instance.
Fixed backup policy: Backups run once a day and are retained for 30 days. This policy cannot be modified.
You cannot delete individual backup points.
Backup vault replication is not supported.
Cross-account backup is not supported.
Automatic archiving of backup data is not supported.
A subscription instance is region-specific and cannot be used across regions. For a list of supported regions, see Supported regions for ECS Basic Edition subscription instances.
You must bind the subscription instance to an ECS instance before the subscription expires.

Database backup limitations

Real-time and log backups are not supported. Full or incremental backups are configured automatically.

Entire machine backup limitations

Application-consistent settings and cross-machine consistency groups are not supported.

Prerequisites

Before you use ECS Backup Basic Edition, you must purchase a subscription instance for ECS Backup Basic Edition and ensure you have an ECS instance ready for backup. The pay-as-you-go billing method is not supported. The subscription duration is one year, with support for automatic renewal on a yearly basis.

Purchase a subscription instance

Log on to the Cloud Backup console.
In the left-side navigation pane, choose Backup > ECS Backup Essential Edition.
On the ECS Backup Essential Edition page, click Purchase Subscription Instance.
On the purchase page, select a region, subscription duration, and quantity, and then complete the payment.
On the ECS Backup Essential Edition page, click View Subscription Instances to view all purchased subscription instances. The list includes columns for Subscription instance ID, Bound ECS, Expiration time, and Actions (Renew, Unsubscribe). A warning is displayed for instances that are not bound to an ECS instance.
After the purchase is complete, you can bind the subscription instance to an ECS instance when you add an ECS backup.

Prepare the instance

The ECS instance to be backed up must be in the Running (Running) state.
ECS file backup and ECS database backup depend on Cloud Assistant. Ensure that Cloud Assistant is installed on the ECS instance that you want to back up.
To use this edition, first disable any other backup protection for the instance. The files, databases, and the entire machine on the ECS instance must not be protected by other Cloud Backup methods to avoid conflicts.

Add an ECS backup

When you add an ECS backup, you can back up any combination of ECS files, self-managed databases on ECS, and the entire ECS machine. The available options are shown in the table below.

Backup source	Frequency	Backup content
ECS file	Once a day, retained for 30 days.	Do not back up	All directories	Specified directories
Self-managed database on ECS		Do not back up	Any of MySQL, Oracle, or SQL Server
Entire machine (including cloud disks)		Do not back up	All disks	Specified disks

Log on to the Cloud Backup console.
In the left-side navigation pane, choose Backup > ECS Backup Essential Edition.
In the upper-left corner of the top menu bar, select a region.
On the ECS Backup Essential Edition page, click Add ECS Instance.

In the Add ECS Instance panel, select the ECS instance to back up and configure the backup parameters.

Select an ECS instance that is Running and has Cloud Assistant installed, and then click Next.
Note
You can only select ECS instances that have not been added to ECS Backup Essential Edition and are not protected by Cloud Backup Standard Edition.

Configure the backup parameters. Then, click OK.

Parameter	Description
Basic Settings	Selected ECS Instance: Defaults to the ECS instance to be backed up. ECS Usage Backup and Restore The added ECS instance can be used as a backup source or a restore destination. You need to purchase and bind a subscription instance. For Restoration Only The added ECS instance can only be used as a restore destination. You do not need to purchase or bind a subscription instance. You can convert such an instance to a backup and restore instance later. Bind Subscription Instance: Select the subscription instance you purchased for ECS Backup Basic Edition. If you have not purchased one, click Purchase to buy one. You can only select a subscription instance that is within its validity period and not yet bound to an ECS instance. Start Time: Specify the time when the backup starts. The default time is 30 minutes after the current time.
Backup Content (This section is required only when ECS Usage is set to Backup and Restore)
File	Configure the directories to back up for the ECS files. No Backup: Do not back up ECS files. All Files: Back up all files on the ECS instance, excluding system directories. You can click the question mark icon to view the details of the excluded system directories. Specified Folders: Back up files in specified directories on the ECS instance. You must specify the Source Paths and Backup Rule. The backup file path rules are as follows: You can enter up to 20 paths if no wildcards () are used. When using wildcards (), you can enter only one path. Wildcards like // are supported. Each line supports only absolute paths, such as those starting with `/`, `\\`, `C:\`, or `D:\`. When you use a UNC path, VSS, wildcards, and file exclusion are not supported. Backup Rule: Configure the backup file rule. Details are as follows: Include all files: Back up all files in the specified path. Include the following files or Exclude the following files: Manually enter a file list in the Enter Paths box. Files in the specified path will be backed up according to the rule. Enter one path per line in the file list, for example, `/home/user` or `C:\Users`. Note Set a subpath relative to the backup path: If a filter subpath has a `/` prefix, it is matched against the full path under the backup path. If a filter subpath does not have a `/` prefix, it is matched as a relative path under the backup path. Any subpath that matches this rule is considered a match.
Database	Configure the type of the self-managed database on the ECS instance and the username and password for managing the database. Only one type of self-managed database on an ECS instance is supported. No Backup: Select this option if you do not want to back up the self-managed database. MySQL: Select this option to back up a self-managed MySQL database. Configure the Database Account and Password to manage the database instance. The minimum required permissions for the user are RELOAD, LOCK TABLES, REPLICATION, and PROCESS. For example, if the username is hbr_backup_admin, log in as the root user and run the following commands to grant the required permissions. `grant RELOAD, REPLICATION CLIENT, REPLICATION SLAVE, LOCK TABLES, PROCESS on . to 'hbr_backup_admin'@'%'; grant BACKUP_ADMIN on . to'hbr_backup_admin'@'%'; flush privileges; # Flush privileges.` There are limitations on the supported database versions and backup features. For more information, see Supported database versions and backup features. Oracle: Select this option to back up a self-managed Oracle database. Configure the Database Account and Password to manage the database instance. SQL Server: Select this option to back up a self-managed SQL Server database. Configure the Database Account and Password to manage the database instance.
ECS Instance	No Backup: Do not back up the entire ECS machine. All Disks: Back up all cloud disks of the ECS instance. Note You are charged by ECS for the snapshot capacity used by this feature. For more information about billing, see Billing methods and billable items. Specified Disks: Select specific cloud disks to back up.
Restoration Type (This section is required only when ECS Usage is set to For Restoration Only) Important Cloud Backup automatically installs a client on the ECS instance for subsequent restores. This client is free of charge.
File	Configure whether the ECS instance supports file restores. Does Not Require Restoration: Select this option if file restore is not required. Requires Restoration: Select this option if file restore is required.
Database	Configure whether the ECS instance supports database restores. Does Not Require Restoration: Select this option if database restore is not required. MySQL: Select this option if you need to restore a MySQL database, and configure the Database Account and Password. Oracle: Select this option if you need to restore an Oracle database, and configure the Database Account and Password. SQL Server: Select this option if you need to restore a SQL Server database, and configure the Database Account and Password.

After the instance is added, the backup status changes to Initializing and then Pending.

If the For Restoration Only usage is selected for an ECS instance, the For Restoration Only label appears in the ECS list, indicating that the instance can be used as a restore destination without binding a subscription instance.

When the scheduled backup time is reached, Cloud Backup automatically starts the backup job. When the Backup Status is Succeeded, the backup for the day is complete. You can view the backup point in the backup history.

Create a restore job

Restore and browse files

Restore ECS files

On the File Backup tab, select a historical backup point to restore its files to an ECS instance.

Click an available historical backup point and select Restore.

In the Create Restore Job panel, follow the wizard.

Configure restore items, and then click Next.

Restore items include the following three options:

Parameter

Description

Restore Items

Configure the files or folders to restore.

Include All Files: Restore all files from the source client.
Include Files: Select the files or folders to restore.
You can also click Enter Paths to specify the files to restore. Manually enter a file list in the input box to restore specific files from the selected source client.
Enter one path per line. Each line must start with the last folder of the source backup path. For example, if the backup path is folder/test/data, to restore file.txt and abc.png from the data folder, enter the paths in the following format.
```
/data/file.txt
/data/abc.png
```
Exclude Files: Select the files or folders that you do not want to restore. All unselected items are restored.

Configure the restore destination, and then click Next.
Note
- Restore to source ECS instance: You can restore to the source ECS instance that is bound to an ECS Backup Essential Edition subscription instance.
- Restore to a new ECS instance: You can restore to an ECS instance that is not bound to an ECS Backup Essential Edition subscription instance and whose usage is set to For Restoration Only.
In the Restore destination step, if the target ECS instance is not in the list, you can click Add ECS to add it. In the ECS instance list, select an ECS instance whose Client status is Activated.

Configure the restore path, and then click Start to Restore.

Parameter	Description
Restore Path Type	Specify Path: Restore to a specified path. Origin Path: Restore to the path where the data was located at the time of backup.
Destination Path	This parameter is required only when Restore Path Type is set to Specify Path. It is used to specify the restore path.
File Conflict Policy	Skip This File Overwrite The File (default) Compare update times (accurate to the second) and retain the latest version.

After the restore job is created, the Restore Job in the lower-right corner of the page shows an In Progress status. You can hover over the Restore Jobs to view the restore progress.

Browse ECS files

On the File Backup tab, select a historical backup point to browse the files of the ECS instance that are backed up in that backup point.

After selecting a historical backup point, click Browse at the bottom of the backup details panel that appears.

Restore a database

On the Database Backup tab, select a historical backup point to restore the database files from that backup point to the source database on the ECS instance.

Click an available historical backup point and select Restore.
In the Create Restore Job panel, configure the restore options, and then click Next.
Parameter
Description
Retry Time
The reconnection timeout in minutes if the database connection is lost during the restore.
Speed Limit
The maximum restore speed in MB/s.
Configure the target restore instance, and then click Create.
Important
- Restore to the database on the source ECS instance: You can restore to the source ECS instance that is bound to the subscription instance for ECS Backup Basic Edition.
- Restore to the database on a new ECS instance: You can restore to an ECS instance that is not bound to a subscription instance for ECS Backup Essential Edition and whose usage is set to For Restoration Only.

After the restore job is created, the system starts to restore the database. Click the backup point to see that the restore job is Running.

You can hover over the Restore Jobs to view the restore progress.

After the restore job is complete, the status column shows Completed and the progress bar shows 100%.

Restore entire machine

Roll back an ECS machine

On the Instance Protection tab, select a historical backup point to roll back the ECS machine by using that backup point.

In the backup history area, select the Entire Machine tab. The timeline shows the completion status of each backup point. Green indicates that the backup is complete, and red indicates that the backup has failed.

Click an available historical backup point and select Restore.
In the confirmation dialog box, carefully read the notes, and then click Confirmation.
Important
You can restore an ECS instance only if it is stopped and no backup is being created for it. After you choose to restore the data of the entire ECS machine to a specific point in time, the data generated after that point in time on the protected cloud disks will be cleared. Proceed with caution.
Parameter
Description
Start the ECS instance after the rollback
If you select this option, the ECS instance automatically starts after the rollback is complete.

After the restore job is created, the system starts to restore the entire ECS machine. Click the backup point to see that the restore job is Running.

You can hover over the Restore Jobs to view the restore progress.

After the restore job is complete, the restore job status changes to Completed and the progress reaches 100%.

Clone an ECS machine

On the Instance Protection tab, select a historical backup point to clone it into a new ECS instance.

Click an available historical backup point, and select Clone.
In the Create New ECS from Backup panel, enter a hostname and instance name, and select a VPC, VSwitch, and instance type.
Click Create.
Note
You are charged for the new ECS instance based on the ECS pay-as-you-go billing rules. For more information, see pay-as-you-go.
After the instance is created, hover over the Restore Jobs to view the restore progress. When the status of the Clone ECS job shows Completed and the progress is 100%, the cloning operation is successful and the new ECS instance has been created.

Roll back a cloud disk

On the Disk Protection tab, select a historical backup point to restore the ECS cloud disk to its original state from that backup point.

Click an available historical backup point and select Restore.
In the confirmation dialog box, carefully read the notes, and then click Confirmation.
Important
You can roll back a cloud disk only if the instance is stopped and no backup is being created for the cloud disk. After you choose to roll back the data of the ECS cloud disk to a specific point in time, the data generated after that point in time on the protected cloud disk will be cleared. Proceed with caution.

After you confirm, hover over the Restore Jobs to view the progress of the Roll back disk job. After the job is complete, the Status column shows Completed and a 100% progress bar.

Clone a cloud disk

On the Disk Protection tab, select a historical backup point to clone it into a new cloud disk.

Click an available historical backup point and select Clone.
In the Create Disk from Backup panel, select the ECS instance to which you want to attach the new cloud disk. Click Next.
On the Set Mount Parameters tab, select a disk type, and then click Create.
Note
You are charged for the new ECS cloud disk based on the ECS pay-as-you-go billing rules. For more information, see pay-as-you-go.

After the disk is created, hover over the Restore Jobs to view the restore progress of the Clone Disk job. After the job is complete, the status shows Completed and the progress is 100%.

More operations

After adding an ECS backup, you can perform the following operations in the Actions column on the ECS Backup Essential Edition page.

Actions	Description
Edit	Modify the backup job when it no longer meets your needs, for example, to change the backup start time.
Suspend Backup	Pause the ECS backup job. After pausing, the scheduled daily backup will no longer run.
Unbind	Unbind the subscription instance for ECS Backup Essential Edition from the ECS instance. Important Unbinding deletes all backups created for the instance. Proceed with caution.
Alert Settings	Send alert notifications when the backup vault client or a backup/restore job is abnormal. Disabled: The client no longer sends alert notifications. Notify Alibaba Cloud Account: Backup alert notifications for this client are sent to the primary account's email address. Custom: You need to select one or more contacts or groups. After configuration, this client will send backup alerts to the selected contacts or groups. For more information, see Manage alert contacts.
Convert to backup instance	Convert an ECS instance used For Restoration Only to an instance for ECS Backup Basic Edition. Before this operation, you must purchase a subscription instance. In the ECS instance list, click Convert to Backup Instance in the Actions column. After the conversion is complete, you can perform both backups and restores.
Switch to standard backup	When the protected data size approaches the 500 GB limit, or if you need more flexible backup policies, you can switch to the Standard edition. Procedure: In the Actions column, choose More > Unbind to unbind the subscription instance. Unbinding deletes all backups for the ECS instance. Unsubscribe from the subscription instance as needed, and create separate ECS file backup, ECS database backup, or entire machine backup jobs.

FAQ

If the Backup Status is abnormal, you can refer to the following suggestions:

Error: The ECS instance is not running.
The ECS instance is not in the running state. Log on to the Elastic Compute Service console to start the instance and then try again.
Failed: ECS Released
- If the instance was released intentionally, choose <hd> More </hd> > Unbind to delete the backup.
- If the instance was released by mistake, we recommend that you check if you can restore the entire ECS machine by using the Cloud Backup entire machine backup feature. For more information, see Restore an entire ECS machine.
Failed: The prepaid instance of ECS Backup Essential Edition has expired.
The subscription instance that you purchased has expired and cannot perform backup jobs. We recommend that you purchase a new one.
Failed: The backup data size exceeds the limit for ECS Backup Basic Edition
We recommend the following:
- Reduce the number of files and database instances to be backed up. For more information, see Add an ECS backup.
- Switch to the Standard edition for backups. This means creating separate jobs for ECS file backup, ECS database backup, and entire machine backup. For more information, see Switch from ECS File Backup Essential Edition to Standard Edition.

:Operations of ECS Backup Essential Edition