---
title: "CDP Backup"
description: "CDP Backup backs up the files and folders on your nodes on a schedule, so you can restore any of them from an earlier recovery point."
content_type: "overview"
product: "cdp-backup"
platform: "MyAccount"
url: "/myaccount/cdp-backup/"
---

# CDP Backup

CDP Backup, short for Continuous Data Protection, is E2E's backup service for nodes. Once you turn
it on for a node, CDP Backup backs up the files and folders on the node and its attached volumes on
a schedule.
Each backup is kept as a recovery point on E2E's backup servers. When a file is deleted or
changed by mistake, you browse a recovery point from before the change and restore only what you need.

Backup is off by default. Turn it on for every node that holds data you cannot recreate, and for
every production node in particular.

## What you can do

- [Turn on CDP Backup for a node](/myaccount/cdp-backup/how-to/turn-on-cdp-backup/), with a
  schedule plan, compression, optional encryption, and paths to leave out.
- [Change the backup schedule](/myaccount/cdp-backup/how-to/change-the-backup-schedule/) of a node
  that is already backed up.
- [Back up a database on a node](/myaccount/cdp-backup/how-to/back-up-a-database-on-a-node/): MySQL
  on Linux, or SQL Server on Windows.
- [Run a backup now](/myaccount/cdp-backup/how-to/run-a-backup-now/) before a risky change, and
  check that the node's backup agent is connected.
- [Restore files from a recovery point](/myaccount/cdp-backup/how-to/restore-files-from-a-recovery-point/)
  to the same node or to another node.
- [Lock a recovery point](/myaccount/cdp-backup/how-to/lock-a-recovery-point/) to keep it past the
  plan's retention.
- [View backup history and usage](/myaccount/cdp-backup/how-to/view-backup-history-and-usage/),
  with a usage report to download.
- [Keep backups after deleting a node](/myaccount/cdp-backup/how-to/keep-backups-after-deleting-a-node/),
  and restore its files later.
- [Deactivate CDP Backup](/myaccount/cdp-backup/how-to/deactivate-cdp-backup/) for a node.

To turn backup on for a new node, check **Enable Backup.** on the create-node form; see
[Enable backups on a node](/myaccount/node/how-to/enable-backups-on-a-node/).

## How backups work

A backup runs every four, six, or 10 hours, on the schedule your plan sets. Each run adds a recovery
point.
Each recovery point holds all the node's backed-up data at that moment. You can restore from any
one of them on its own. The plan keeps a set number of recent, daily, weekly, and monthly recovery
points, and on some plans yearly ones. It merges older ones away. See
[Recovery points and retention](/myaccount/cdp-backup/concepts/recovery-points-and-retention/).

A restore brings back the files and folders you select, rather than the whole disk. By default it
writes them into a new restore folder on the node, and you move them into place.

You can encrypt a node's backups with your own passphrase when you turn backup on. E2E has no copy
of the passphrase. A lost passphrase means the backups cannot be restored. See
[Backup encryption](/myaccount/cdp-backup/concepts/backup-encryption/).

## Where to start

To back up your first node, follow [Get started with CDP Backup](/myaccount/cdp-backup/get-started/).

If a backup fails or will not turn on, see [Troubleshooting CDP
Backup](/myaccount/cdp-backup/troubleshooting/cdp-backup/). For short answers, including how backup
is billed, see the [CDP Backup FAQ](/myaccount/cdp-backup/faq/#how-is-cdp-backup-billed).