Backup

About this task

On the Configuration > System > Backup page, you can configure the Email Appliance to automatically upload system configuration data, log data, and quarantined email to an FTP site at regular intervals as backup.

Note
If you are running multiple appliances in a cluster, you can also manage configuration backups for other appliances in that cluster.

Ensure that the Email Appliance has access to a secure FTP location before applying the backup settings. Alternatively, you can click a Download button to immediately download a .zip file containing Email Appliance configuration data.

Important
Configuration backups are strongly recommended as a means of saving data about your Email Appliance settings. If configuration data has been backed up, Sophos Technical Support can use it to preserve your settings in the event of a hardware failure, or to transfer settings from one Email Appliance to another. This feature should not, however, be mistaken for a "restore" feature because it does not back up log files or quarantined messages. It is advised that you regularly back up configuration data using one of the two options described below.

Procedure

  • To configure the upload location for automated upload (FTP):
    1. Fill in the text boxes to configure access to the backup host:
      • FTP location: Enter the hostname or IP address for the system to which the data will be copied.
      • FTP port: Enter the port to connect to on the FTP server. The default is port 21.
      • FTP path (optional): Enter the directory location to which the data will be copied. If no location is given, data will be copied to the default directory on the FTP server.
      • Username (optional): Enter the username that will be used to access the system to which the data will be copied.
      • Password (optional): Enter the user account password required to access the system to which the data will be copied.
    2. Click Verify to ensure that the values entered in the preceding text boxes are valid.
    3. Under Configuration backup, select backup options for configuration data:
      • System configuration data: Uploads all configurable settings and Email Appliance resources. Select the frequency with which the data will be backed up from the drop-down list: Daily at Midnight, Weekly on Friday at midnight, or Monthly on the 1st at midnight.
        Note
        If you are running multiple appliances in a cluster, click the Configure button to select the individual appliances in that cluster for which configuration data will be backed up.
      • Expired quarantined messages: Uploads all quarantined spam messages. Messages are expired from the quarantine after 30 days, or when the disk becomes full.
    4. In the Data backup section, select the desired check boxes to configure what data will be backed up:
      • Quarantined messages: Uploads all quarantined spam messages. Messages are expired from the quarantine after 30 days, or when the disk becomes full.
      • System logs: Uploads data from the message logs. Logs expire after 30 days, or when the disk becomes full.
    5. From the corresponding drop-down list, select the frequency at which you want the automated upload to occur.
    6. Click Apply.
  • To manually download configuration data:
    Click Download, and use your web browser’s download file feature to specify the download location. There is a slight delay as the configuration data is copied and archived into a file for download.