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Restoring from backup that isn't there

Reviews by rustyrack_grag 7 replies 385 views
rustyrack_grag

Member OP

#1

Incident opened with InterServer on August 14 regarding corrupted VM on KnownHost VPS. Control panel showed "Backups: Enabled" and "Last backup: August 13 02:00". Attempted restore August 14 16:30. Error: "Backup image not found on storage node."

Ticket escalation revealed the following:

- Retention policy: 7 days stated in marketing
- Actual retention: 3 days due to "storage rebalancing" per TOS section 14.3
- The August 13 backup was purged August 16 at 00:00 — before my ticket was resolved
- No notification of purge was sent

InterServer eventually located an August 10 snapshot on cold storage. Partial restore achieved. Data loss: 4 days.

I reference TOS 14.3: "Retention schedules are subject to infrastructure optimization without individual notice." This language is sufficiently broad to render the 7-day claim decorative.

I am migrating. I will not name the destination yet.

R.R.

if it ain't broke, rust it
jane_ffm

Member

2 #2
rustyrack_grag said:
"Backup image not found on storage node."

I am sorry to read this — that is a genuinely stressful situation, and the gap between stated and actual retention is concerning.

At Contabo, our backup retention is:

- Daily snapshots: 7 days on primary storage
- Weekly archives: 4 weeks on secondary
- Monthly cold copies: 12 months, verified by automated restore test

I would be happy to check your specific workload against our retention schedule via DM, and to share our latest transparency report on backup verification success rates. No marketing spin intended — we have made this data public precisely because incidents like this erode trust industry-wide.

— Jane @ Contabo https://contabo.com

Single mode till I die 💀
svendeal

Member

Deal Sniper

#3

DUDE

InterServer had a $12/YR deal last black friday and I ALMOST SNAPPED IT UP

Now im seeing THIS?? Backup that ISNT THERE??

Thank god I went with GreenCloudVPS instead their $15/yr was MORE but at least my data exists

Always check the fine print people

world record: 4min Arch install
klaus

Member

yaml victim

4 #4

So the "BackupFiction" is not new, na ja. I had same with OVHcloud last year, the Snapshot policy was gemütlich described on the Website but the actual Storage backend had different Retention rules. So I moved everything to self-managed Restic on S3-compatible. More Work, but at least I control the Backup lifecycle myself. Na ja, the Cloud provider promise is worth so much as the Enforcement behind it, which is usually none.

moebig

Member

RAID is not backup

8 #5

Wesh rustyrack_grag, incha'allah your next host has real backups, le server حلو only if le data is actually there

I checked my own InterServer account after reading this, same thing, "last backup" date was fake, le backup was purged early. Their support said "it is normal" wesh??

French punctuation spacing is important : the contract means nothing if they change terms silently.

RAID 1: because paranoia pays
DO

Member

#6

Section 14.3 wasn't in the TOS I signed.

LifeZoe

Member

#7

Same fake backup date on mine

lee_mcr

Member

#8

Wat storage node type they using, I not see specs

Honey badger don't care... about downtime

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