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    Elastic Compute Service:Configure automatic file backup and recovery

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    Elastic Compute Service:Configure automatic file backup and recovery

    Last Updated:Jun 23, 2026

    Enable daily automatic file backups with 30-day retention and restore individual files from any backup version.

    After activation, the system automatically creates a daily backup version and retains each version for up to 30 days. No extra configuration is required.

    How it works

    • File Backup Essential Edition uses a Cloud Assistant client to back up data. The client is automatically installed on activation and uninstalled on cancellation.

    • Backups use a forever-incremental mechanism. The first job is a full backup. Subsequent jobs upload only changed data, which is synthesized in the cloud into a complete backup version.

    Procedure

    Activate file backup

    Activate file backup from Backup in the left navigation bar of the ECS console, or on the Backup tab of the instance creation or details page. Then modify the backup configuration as needed.

    During creation

    On the instance creation page, go to Block Storage > File Backup and select Activate Backup.

    • Backup time: By default, the system randomly selects a time between 00:00 and 06:00. This becomes the fixed daily backup time.

    • Keep at least one version: Enabled by default. The latest backup version is retained even after its retention period expires.

    • Backup execution priority: Set to Low by default to reduce system load during backups.

    You can modify the backup configuration as needed.

    Existing instance

    Go to File Backup in the left navigation bar of the ECS console, or click Backup on the instance details page. Then modify the backup configuration as needed.

    1. Log on to the ECS console - File Backup and select the region of your target instance.

      First-time users must follow the on-screen instructions to create and authorize a service-linked role.

    2. Click Add ECS with No Backup, configure the following parameters, and click OK.

      Parameter

      Description

      ECS to Be Backed-up

      Select the target instance.

      Start Time

      • Default Time: Randomly selects a time between 00:00 and 06:00.

      • Specified Time: Runs a backup job once daily at the specified time.

      Advanced Settings

      • Backup Priority:

        • Low: Reduces system load during backup.

          Maximum backup throughput: 10 MB/s. Occupies one vCPU.

        • High: Increases backup speed and shortens backup time.

          Maximum backup throughput: 30 MB/s. Occupies up to two vCPUs.

      • Keep At Least One Backup Version: When enabled, the latest backup version is retained after its retention period expires. This version continues to incur file backup fees.

        Important

        If you disable this option, all backup versions are automatically deleted after their 30-day retention period expires.

    3. When the backup status is Ready, the backup is activated.

    4. View the backup job.

      When the scheduled backup time arrives and the instance is in the Running state, on the ECS File Backup Essential Edition page, click View Details > Backup Jobs in the Actions column. The backup is complete when Job Status is Completed.

      If a backup fails, the system sends an alert by email, or internal message. See FAQ about File Backup Essential Edition for troubleshooting.

    Restore files

    1. Log on to the ECS console - File Backup and select the region of your target instance.

    2. Click View Details > Backup Details in the Actions column of the target ECS instance.

    3. In Backup History, click a backup point and select Restore.

      A backup point is a file backup of a disk partition, such as the C or D drive on Windows, or the / directory on Linux.

    4. On the Create Restore Job page, configure the following parameters and click OK.

      Parameter

      Description

      Restore Item

      • All Files: Restores all files from the backup point. Selected by default.

      • Include Specified Files: Restores only the selected files.

      • Exclude Specified Files: Restores all files except the selected ones.

      Restore Destination

      Default: Restore to Original ECS. You can select other ECS instances in the same region.

      The destination instance must be in Running state.

      Restore Path

      Default: Restore to Original Path. If you select Other Path, ensure the destination path exists on the target instance. Otherwise, the restore job fails.

      If a file with the same name exists in the restore path

      Default: Skip This File.

      Important

      Overwrite the file in the restore path causes the original file content to be lost and may affect your business. Select this option with caution.

    5. View the restore job.

      Log on to the ECS Console - File Backup. Click View Details > Restore Jobs for the target instance. The restoration is complete when Job Status is Completed.

    Billing

    • Billing method: Billed daily based on the total capacity of block storage attached to the backed-up ECS instance. The fee is not related to the amount of file changes, backup data size, or the number of backup versions. Purchase a resource plan to offset pay-as-you-go fees. See Benefits of File Backup Essential Edition.

    • Free quota: Each Alibaba Cloud account receives 100 GiB free, shared with its RAM users across all regions. Usage beyond the quota is billed based on actual consumption.

    Limitations

    • Supported regions: This feature is being rolled out to more regions. For supported regions, see the ECS console - File Backup page.

    • Unsupported file or storage types.

      • Externally mounted network storage is not supported, including but not limited to NAS, ossfs, and GlusterFS.

      • The following directories or files are not supported:

        • Linux: /bin/, /usr/bin/, /sbin/, /boot/, /proc/, /sys/, /srv/, /lib/, /selinux/, /usr/sbin/, /run/, /lib32/, /lib64/, and /lost+found/.

        • Windows: Windows\, python27\, Program Files (x86)\, Program Files\, ProgramData\, Boot\, $RECYCLE.BIN\, System Volume Information\, Users\Administrator\NTUSER.DAT, pagefile.sys, and Users\Administrator\ntuser.dat.LOG1.

    • A single ECS instance does not support multiple concurrent backup tasks.

      If total file size exceeds 2 TiB (High priority) or 600 GiB (Low priority), the job may not complete within 24 hours. In this case, the next day's scheduled backup is skipped.

    • Backups cannot be activated for the following ECS instances:

      Instances with 32-bit operating systems.

    More operations

    Modify backup configuration

    1. Log on to the ECS console - File Backup and select the region of your target instance.

    2. In the Actions column of the target instance, modify the backup configuration.

      Actions

      Description

      Pause Backup or Resume Backup

      • Pause backup: Future backup jobs stop running. Existing backup versions and backup points are retained. All backup points are automatically deleted after their 30-day retention period expires.

        If Keep At Least One Backup Version is enabled, the last completed backup version is not affected by the 30-day retention period.

      • Resume backup: Available only when backup status is Paused. File backups resume and billing continues.

      Cancel Backup

      Stops billing and removes the instance from the backup list.

      Important

      All backup versions for the instance are deleted and data cannot be restored. Proceed with caution.

      Disable or enable Keep at least one version

      • Enable: Takes effect immediately. The latest backup version is retained after its 30-day retention period expires.

      • Disable: Takes effect within one hour. Backup versions are deleted after their 30-day retention period expires. This may result in no available backup versions, for example, if backups are paused.

        Important

        After you disable Keep At Least One Backup Version, the change takes effect within one hour. If only the last backup version remains and its 30-day retention period has expired, it is deleted within one hour.

      Increase or decrease backup execution priority

      Takes effect on the next backup job.

      Modify Next Backup Time

      You can modify only the time, not the date.

      • If the backup has not yet run:

        • If the new time is later than now, today's backup runs at the new time.

        • If the new time has already passed, today's backup is skipped. Set the new time with caution.

      • If today's backup has already run, the new time takes effect the next day.

    Cancel a backup or restore job

    Canceling a backup or restore job does not affect completed backup versions.

    1. Log on to the ECS console - File Backup and select the region of your target instance.

    2. In the Actions column for the target instance, click View Details.

    3. Cancel the task.

      • To cancel a backup job, click the Backup Jobs tab and click Cancel for the target job.

      • To cancel a restore job, click the Restore Jobs tab and click Cancel for the target job.

    References