--- title: "CDP Backup FAQ" description: "Short answers about CDP Backup schedules, retention, restores, encryption, databases, billing, and deleting a node, each linking to the full page." content_type: "faq" product: "cdp-backup" platform: "MyAccount" url: "/myaccount/cdp-backup/faq/" --- # CDP Backup FAQ ## What does CDP stand for? Continuous Data Protection. CDP Backup is E2E's backup service for nodes: it backs up a node's files and folders on a schedule and keeps each backup as a recovery point. See [CDP Backup](/myaccount/cdp-backup/). ## Is backup on by default? No. Turn it on for each node, from **Manage CDP Backups** or with **Enable Backup.** when you create the node. To have **Enable Backup.** checked by default when you create a node, use **Make it Default**. See [Turn on CDP Backup for a node](/myaccount/cdp-backup/how-to/turn-on-cdp-backup/). ## Which port does CDP Backup need? Inbound TCP port 1167, allowed in a security group on the node and in the node's own firewall. E2E's backup server uses it to connect to the backup agent on the node. See [Troubleshooting CDP Backup](/myaccount/cdp-backup/troubleshooting/cdp-backup/#cdp-backup-cannot-be-enabled). ## Which addresses should I allow on port 1167? Allow port 1167 from **Any Network**. E2E's backup servers connect from private addresses on E2E's internal network, not from the internet. The addresses differ by region, and E2E does not publish them. A rule that allows only one private range can stop backups in another region. See [Allow port 1167 in the security group](/myaccount/cdp-backup/troubleshooting/cdp-backup/#allow-port-1167-in-the-security-group). ## Can I back up a Windows node? Yes. You can back up Linux and Windows nodes, and on Windows you can include SQL Server. Kubernetes nodes, and nodes on some operating system versions in some regions, show **Backup Unsupported**. See [Back up a database on a node](/myaccount/cdp-backup/how-to/back-up-a-database-on-a-node/). ## Which disks are backed up? The node's own disk and every volume attached to it. The next backup picks up a volume you attach and mount later, with nothing for you to change. See [Recovery points and retention](/myaccount/cdp-backup/concepts/recovery-points-and-retention/). ## Can I back up a node in a VPC with a custom address range? No. CDP Backup works over E2E's own network: the node's private IP with no VPC, or a VPC made with an E2E-provided range. Attaching a custom-range VPC to a backed-up node deletes its backup. See [Troubleshooting CDP Backup](/myaccount/cdp-backup/troubleshooting/cdp-backup/#cdp-backup-does-not-work-with-a-custom-cidr). ## How often does a backup run? Every four, six, or 10 hours, depending on the plan you choose in **Select backup schedule mode**. The two Low Frequency plans back up least often, every 10 hours. No plan backs up once a day, and you cannot choose the times a plan runs. **Backup Schedule Configuration** shows how often each plan backs up. The first backup runs as soon as you turn backup on. Once the first backup has finished, **Backup Now** runs one whenever you need it while the node is running. See [Recovery points and retention](/myaccount/cdp-backup/concepts/recovery-points-and-retention/). ## How long are recovery points kept, and why are there so many? Each plan keeps a set number of recent, daily, weekly, monthly, and on some plans yearly recovery points, and merges older ones away. **Backup Schedule Configuration** shows the numbers for the plan you pick, and [Turn on CDP Backup for a node](/myaccount/cdp-backup/how-to/turn-on-cdp-backup/#choose-the-schedule) lists every plan's numbers. To keep one recovery point longer, lock it. See [Recovery points and retention](/myaccount/cdp-backup/concepts/recovery-points-and-retention/) and [Lock a recovery point](/myaccount/cdp-backup/how-to/lock-a-recovery-point/). ## Can I leave folders out of the backup? Yes. Type their absolute paths, separated by commas, in **Exclude folder/file** when you turn backup on, or later with **Change Schedule**. Leaving out a folder leaves out everything in it. To back up everything again, clear the field. See [Change the backup schedule](/myaccount/cdp-backup/how-to/change-the-backup-schedule/). ## Can I change the retention policy? No, not within a plan. Each plan has its own fixed retention. To keep recovery points for longer, move the node to a plan that keeps them as long as you need. The new plan updates every count except the yearly one. The yearly count is set when you turn backup on. See [Change the backup schedule](/myaccount/cdp-backup/how-to/change-the-backup-schedule/). ## Do backups use space on my node? No. Recovery points are stored on E2E's backup servers, not on the node's disk. Support still advises keeping at least 15 to 20 percent of the node's disk free so backups run. A restore needs free space on the node for the files it brings back. See [Restore files from a recovery point](/myaccount/cdp-backup/how-to/restore-files-from-a-recovery-point/). ## Does a restore overwrite my files? No. **Default** writes the files into a new folder under `/e2e-backup-restore/` (or `c:\e2e-backup-restore\` on Windows). With **Alternate**, a file whose name is already in the folder you type is skipped, not replaced. Choose an empty folder, and never `/`. You then move the files into place. See [Restore files from a recovery point](/myaccount/cdp-backup/how-to/restore-files-from-a-recovery-point/). ## Can I restore the whole node? No. A restore brings back the files and folders you select from a recovery point, not a whole disk image. To take a whole node back to an earlier state, use a snapshot or a saved image. See [Restore files from a recovery point](/myaccount/cdp-backup/how-to/restore-files-from-a-recovery-point/) and [Snapshots](/myaccount/snapshots/). ## Should I use CDP Backup, a snapshot, or a saved image? Use CDP Backup to bring back files and folders from one of many recovery points, taken every few hours. A restore copies the files you select into a folder on the node and leaves what is already there in place. For a whole node as it was at an earlier moment, use a snapshot or a saved image. See [Snapshots](/myaccount/snapshots/) and [Saved Images](/myaccount/images/). ## Can I cancel a restore? No. Once a restore has started, it runs to the end. To undo it, delete the restored files from the restore folder. See [Restore files from a recovery point](/myaccount/cdp-backup/how-to/restore-files-from-a-recovery-point/). ## How long does a restore take? It takes longer the more data you select. Follow it on the **Restore Task History** tab of the source node. Each restore shows its start, end, and duration, and **Task Status** reads **Finished** when it completes. E2E emails the account owner when the restore ends. See [Restore files from a recovery point](/myaccount/cdp-backup/how-to/restore-files-from-a-recovery-point/#check-that-the-restore-finished). ## Can I download a backup? No. Recovery points stay on E2E's backup servers. To get files out, restore them to a node and copy them from there. See [Restore files from a recovery point](/myaccount/cdp-backup/how-to/restore-files-from-a-recovery-point/). ## Can I delete old recovery points? No, not one by one. The plan's retention merges old recovery points away on its own. Turning backup off deletes every recovery point the node has. To start again with no recovery points, turn backup off and on again. See [Deactivate CDP Backup](/myaccount/cdp-backup/how-to/deactivate-cdp-backup/). ## Can I restore to another node, or move my files to a new node? Yes, to another of your nodes in the same region with the same kind of operating system, Linux or Windows. That node's first backup must have finished: its **Backup Status** reads **Available**. This is also how you move files to a new node: restore them from the old node's recovery points. To delete the old node and keep its recovery points, see [Keep backups after deleting a node](/myaccount/cdp-backup/how-to/keep-backups-after-deleting-a-node/). For the steps, see [Restore files from a recovery point](/myaccount/cdp-backup/how-to/restore-files-from-a-recovery-point/). ## Does backup run while my node is powered off? No. A powered-off or stopped node takes no new backups, and shows **Powered Off** or **Stopped**. Backups resume when the node runs again. Restoring its files, locking a recovery point or removing its lock, **Backup Now**, **Change Schedule**, and **Deactivate Backup** are available only while the node runs. E2E sends no failure email while the node is off. The licence is still charged for every month in which backup is on. See [How is CDP Backup billed?](#how-is-cdp-backup-billed). ## Can I add encryption after backup is on? No. Encryption is chosen only when you turn backup on. Turning backup off deletes every recovery point the node has. To add or change encryption, turn backup off and turn it on again. See [Backup encryption](/myaccount/cdp-backup/concepts/backup-encryption/). ## What if I lose my encryption passphrase? Your passphrase is the only way into the node's encrypted backups. E2E does not keep a copy and cannot reset it. Without it, those backups cannot be restored. Turning backup off deletes every recovery point the node has, and E2E cannot bring them back. To start over with a passphrase you can use, turn backup off, then turn it on again and set a new one. See [Backup encryption](/myaccount/cdp-backup/concepts/backup-encryption/#if-you-lose-the-passphrase). ## Does CDP Backup back up my MySQL database? Yes, on a Linux node, once you add the MySQL admin username and password on the node's **CDP Backup Details** tab. The backup then holds MySQL's data files. Until you add them, **MySQL Database Backup Status** reads **Not Configured**. Test the credentials on the node first, because MyAccount saves them without checking. See [Back up a database on a node](/myaccount/cdp-backup/how-to/back-up-a-database-on-a-node/). ## Can CDP Backup run a script before or after each backup? No. To prepare an application before backups, for example to flush a database, run your own scheduled job on the node shortly before each backup. The "CDP Backup provisioned" email lists the backup times to the minute, and **Backup Schedule Time (IST)** on the node's **CDP Backup Details** tab shows them too. A backup can start later than its scheduled time when the backup server is busy. Schedule your job with some time to spare before each backup time. See [Change the backup schedule](/myaccount/cdp-backup/how-to/change-the-backup-schedule/). ## Why is my node slow while a backup runs? A backup reads the whole disk. Disk use and latency on the node rise until it finishes. For a node that is busy all day, choose a plan that backs up less often. See [Change the backup schedule](/myaccount/cdp-backup/how-to/change-the-backup-schedule/). ## Does CDP Backup take a cPanel backup? No. CDP Backup copies all the node's files, cPanel's included, but it does not make a cPanel full backup file. That file holds your website files, databases, and email accounts, and you make it yourself in cPanel: 1. Sign in to cPanel and open **Backups** under **Files**. 2. Click **Download a Full Website Backup**. 3. Make sure **Home Directory** is selected. To get an email when the backup is ready, enter your email address. 4. Click **Generate Backup**. The backup is saved in your home directory, in a `.tar.gz` file whose name starts with `backup-`, then the date and time it was made, such as: ```text backup-10.9.2015_15-52-08_example99.tar.gz ``` Download it from there. ## How is CDP Backup billed? Every calendar month: a licence for each node it backs up, and backup storage. Storage is charged at the largest size the backups reach that month. That peak stays on the month's bill even if the backups shrink later in the month. The licence is charged for the whole month, even if backup was on for only one day of it. To see why a bill went up, check **CDP Usage** on the node's **Backup Usage Report** tab; see [View backup history and usage](/myaccount/cdp-backup/how-to/view-backup-history-and-usage/). For the rates, see [E2E's pricing page](https://www.e2enetworks.com/pricing). ## Why am I still billed after I turned backup off? The licence is charged for the whole calendar month for each node that had backup on at any time that month. Backup storage is charged at the month's peak size. Both charges stay on that month's bill when you turn backup off partway through it. See [Deactivate CDP Backup](/myaccount/cdp-backup/how-to/deactivate-cdp-backup/). ## Why is my backup bigger than my node's disk? One reason: a backup covers the volumes attached to the node as well as its own disk. **CDP Usage** on the node's **Backup Usage Report** tab shows the backup's size over time, and storage is billed on the month's peak. To make backups smaller, leave out paths you do not need, such as logs and temporary files. With **ZLib**, a higher **Compression Level** also makes backups smaller, and each backup slower. See [Change the backup schedule](/myaccount/cdp-backup/how-to/change-the-backup-schedule/). ## Why am I billed for CDP Backup on a node I deleted? When you delete a node whose **Backup Status** reads **Available**, the delete dialog offers **Keep CDP Backups for this node.**, checked by default. A kept backup stays in **Manage CDP Backups** with the status **Archived**, and is billed until you delete it. To stop the charge, delete it there. See [Keep backups after deleting a node](/myaccount/cdp-backup/how-to/keep-backups-after-deleting-a-node/). ## What happens to my backups when I delete a node? You choose. The delete dialog shows **Keep CDP Backups for this node.**, already checked. Leave it checked to keep the recovery points. They are still billed until you delete them. Uncheck it to delete them with the node. The option is offered only when the node's **Backup Status** reads **Available**. With any other status, the backups are deleted with the node. See [Keep backups after deleting a node](/myaccount/cdp-backup/how-to/keep-backups-after-deleting-a-node/). ## What happens to the backup when I move a node to another project? A backup attached to the node moves with it. **Move To Another Project** is not offered for E1-series nodes; see [Move To Another Project is greyed out](/myaccount/node/troubleshooting/actions-and-lifecycle/#move-to-another-project-is-greyed-out). If backups fail after the move, see [Backup Failed, or an email says the backup is failing](/myaccount/cdp-backup/troubleshooting/cdp-backup/#backup-failed-or-an-email-says-the-backup-is-failing). ## What happens when I turn CDP Backup off? Backups stop, and all of the node's recovery points are deleted permanently, locked ones included. See [Deactivate CDP Backup](/myaccount/cdp-backup/how-to/deactivate-cdp-backup/). ## Will I lose my backups if backup keeps failing? Not automatically. The failure email warns that backups failing for seven days are turned off. E2E support can turn backup off by hand for a node whose backups keep failing, and that deletes all of its recovery points. Fix the failure as soon as the email arrives. See [Backup Failed, or an email says the backup is failing](/myaccount/cdp-backup/troubleshooting/cdp-backup/#backup-failed-or-an-email-says-the-backup-is-failing). ## Why did my backup fail? The failure email and the node's **CDP Backup Details** tab give the reason. The most common is port 1167 closed in the security group or in the node's own firewall. Other causes are a missing disk driver after a kernel update, an agent that is not running, a full disk, and a node too busy to answer. See [Troubleshooting CDP Backup](/myaccount/cdp-backup/troubleshooting/cdp-backup/).