A remote repository lets KeyHelp send backups to another server, so that they are not stored on the same machine as the data. This is what turns a backup into real protection: a copy kept on the server itself is lost together with the server.
Adding a repository
Open the backup section and add a new repository. The fields are:
- Remote server — the IP address or host name of the storage server.
- Port — the port the service listens on. The defaults are 22 for SFTP and 21 for FTP; leave the field empty to use them.
- Protocol — SFTP or FTP, see below.
- Use FTPS — shown for FTP. Tick it to encrypt the connection.
- Use passive mode — shown for FTP. Tick it if active mode cannot be used because of firewall settings. If an FTP connection tests successfully but transfers hang, this is usually the setting to change.
- Use public/private key authentication — shown for SFTP. Tick to log in with a key pair instead of a password.
- Directory on the server — where the backups are stored, for example
/myBackups. The directory must already exist — KeyHelp does not create it. Leave empty to use the account's home directory. - Login name — the user name for the storage.
- Password — the password. Hidden when key authentication is enabled.
- Public key — shown with key authentication enabled. Use the button to generate a key pair, then copy the public key into the
.ssh/authorized_keysfile in the account's home directory on the remote server.
Use Test connection before saving, then save the settings.
Which protocol to choose
SFTP is the best choice where it is available: encrypted by default, a single port, no passive-mode complications, and it supports key authentication.
FTP is worth using only if SFTP is not offered by the storage — and in that case always tick Use FTPS. Without it, the user name, password and the backups themselves are transmitted unencrypted.
Password or key?
With SFTP, prefer key authentication. The private key stays on this server and is never transmitted, whereas a stored password exists in a configuration somewhere and can be read by anyone with sufficient access to the server. Key authentication also does not break when a password policy forces a change.
Using Backup Stor as the destination
Our Backup Stor service is intended for exactly this purpose and supports SFTP as well as FTP/FTPS and SMB/CIFS. Enter its host name as the remote server, with the credentials for your storage — see Подключение услуги Backup Stor по протоколам SMB/CIFS и FTP/FTPS for your connection details.
Once the repository exists
Select it as the destination in your backup task — see Scheduled backups in KeyHelp. Bear in mind that backups can only be downloaded through the panel from the local repository; from a remote repository you retrieve them with your own client.
After setting this up, check a day or two later that files are actually appearing in the remote directory. A repository that tests successfully but silently fails on the real backup — because the storage is full, or permissions do not allow writing — is a common and unwelcome discovery.
If the connection test fails, check the host name, port and credentials first, then that the directory exists and the account may write to it. If it still does not work, open a ticket from your client area.
