Backups and restore
Applies to: Workspace Admins (schedule and checks) and the IT Admin User (copies and restore) · Time: about 5 minutes to set up
Overview
Every night the database and all uploaded files are copied into a folder on the server. The workspace stays available while a backup runs. By default a backup runs at 01:00 server time and the newest 7 are kept.
Set the schedule
- Open Workspace settings → Backups.
- Keep Back up every night turned on (recommended).
- Choose the Time (server time). Pick an hour when few people work. Note that the list of backups shows times in UTC.
- Choose how many backups to Keep: 3, 7, 14 or 30. Older backups are deleted automatically. Each backup is a full copy, so mind the disk space.
- Click Save schedule.
- Click Back up now to make the first backup immediately. It appears in Backups on this server as Running and then Done.
Keep a copy off the server
Must do
A backup on the same disk doesn't survive a disk failure. Copy the backups folder to another machine or network share every day.
The Folder on the server box shows where the backups are (usually /opt/digital-workspace/backups). The IT Admin User can copy it automatically, for example with this cron entry:
0 3 * * * rsync -a --delete /opt/digital-workspace/backups/ backup@nas:/backups/digital-workspace/
Check backups regularly
- The box at the top shows Last backup: date, size when all is well.
- Admins see a red banner across the workspace if the last backup failed or there was no backup in the last 36 hours.
Restore a backup (IT Admin User)
The Restoring a backup box shows the command with the newest backup filled in. The IT Admin User runs it on the server:
cd /opt/digital-workspace && sudo ./restore.sh <backup>
sudo ./restore.shon its own lists the backups.- A backup copied to another place can be restored by its folder path, for example
sudo ./restore.sh /mnt/nas/2026-10-15_0100. - The script asks you to type RESTORE to continue.
- A backup from a newer version needs that version installed first. A backup from an older version is updated automatically when the app starts.
Warning
Restoring stops the app for a few minutes, and everything changed after the backup is replaced. Tell your colleagues first.
Keep the settings file safe
Must do
Backups contain the database and files, but not the server's settings file /opt/digital-workspace/.env. It holds the key that protects stored passwords and certificates (mail server password, HTTPS private key, single sign-on and AI keys). The IT Admin User keeps a copy of it somewhere safe, away from the server.
Moving to a new server
- The IT Admin User installs Digital Workspace on the new server.
- Before restoring, they copy the
AUTH_SECRET=line from the old server's .env into the new server's .env. Without it, the stored passwords and certificates can't be read: HTTPS switches off and the mail server password and other keys must be entered again. - They restore the latest backup there with
sudo ./restore.sh. - The new server keeps your Installation ID and license. Tell your vendor that you moved, and shut down the old server.
Troubleshooting
| Message | Resolution |
|---|---|
| The updater service isn't running, so no backups are made. | The IT Admin User runs docker compose up -d updater in /opt/digital-workspace. |
| The last backup failed: … | Read the reason shown. The most common one is a full disk: free space or keep fewer backups, then click Back up now. |
| No backup in the last 36 hours | Check that the server was running at the backup time, then click Back up now. |
These articles are also in the Knowledge Base on your own server, after it is updated.