Knowledgebase

Overview

Regular backups are essential for protecting your website and its data. However, storing large or multiple backup copies directly on your hosting account can unnecessarily consume available storage and hosting resources.

Prabhu Host provides server-level backups as part of the hosting infrastructure. Customers can also use the available backup and restore features through cPanel where applicable.

For better server stability and efficient resource usage, customers should avoid using their hosting account as long-term storage for website backups.

Why Should You Avoid Storing Backups on the Hosting Server?

When a backup is created and stored on the same hosting account, the backup files become part of the account's disk usage.

For example, if your website is 5 GB and you create three complete backup copies of the website, those backups can consume approximately another 15 GB of storage.

Repeatedly creating and retaining backups can therefore:

• Consume additional disk space.

• Increase the storage usage of your hosting account.

• Use additional disk I/O resources while backups are being created.

• Increase the time required for backup and restore operations.

• Potentially affect website performance when large backups are generated frequently.

• Leave less available storage for your actual website, databases, and email.

Important: The main concern is not simply the use of a backup plugin. The concern is storing large or repeated backup files on the hosting server and the additional storage and resources they consume.

Avoid Storing Backups Using WordPress Plugins

Some WordPress backup plugins allow you to create and automatically store complete website backups within your hosting account.

Examples include backups containing:

• WordPress files

• Themes and plugins

• Media/uploads

• Databases

• Configuration files

• Compressed .zip, .tar, or .tar.gz archives

If a plugin is configured to retain multiple backup copies on the hosting account, the backup files can significantly increase your disk usage.

Therefore, avoid configuring WordPress backup plugins to continuously store large backup archives on the same hosting server.

Recommended Backup Practice

For website backup requirements, we recommend:

1. Use the backup facilities provided by Prabhu Host where applicable.

2. Maintain your own backup copy of important website data in a separate or off-site location.

3. Avoid keeping multiple full backup copies on your hosting account.

4. If you use a WordPress backup plugin, configure it to store backups in an appropriate external/off-site storage location where supported.

5. Regularly review your hosting account for old or unnecessary backup archives.

6. Remove outdated backup files that are no longer required, provided you have another valid copy if needed.

7. Regularly verify that your backups are complete and accessible when needed.

8. For critical websites, maintain more than one backup copy in separate locations.

Keep Your Own Backup

Although Prabhu Host provides server-level backup systems, customers are also responsible for maintaining their own copies of important website data.

To ensure that your data is available whenever you need it:

• Take regular backups of your website and databases.

• Store important backups in a separate/off-site location.

• Monitor your backup process regularly.

• Check that backup files are actually being created successfully.

• Periodically verify that backups can be accessed or restored.

• Keep recent backups as well as older copies when appropriate.

Important: A backup is useful only if it is available and can be restored when required. Do not rely solely on a backup that is stored on the same hosting account as the website.

Prabhu Host Server-Level Backups

Prabhu Host maintains server-level backup systems to help protect hosted data and support recovery in applicable situations.

Because server-level backups are already maintained, customers should not unnecessarily create and retain multiple copies of large backups on their hosting account.

Where available, customers can also use the backup and restore options provided through cPanel.

However, server-level backups should be considered an additional layer of protection. Customers should maintain their own important backups, particularly for critical websites and business data.

What About Backup Plugins?

Backup plugins are not necessarily prohibited simply because they create backups.

However, customers should configure them responsibly.

For example, instead of storing multiple backup archives inside the hosting account, configure the backup solution to:

• Store backups externally/off-site where supported.

• Retain only the required number of backup copies.

• Avoid unnecessarily frequent full backups.

• Remove old backup archives automatically where appropriate.

Other Files That Can Consume Excessive Storage

The same principle applies to other unnecessary files stored on the hosting account.

Customers should avoid using their web hosting account primarily for:

• Personal file storage

• Large archives unrelated to the website

• Multiple copies of website backups

• Old database backups

• Duplicate website files

• Unnecessary installation packages

• Temporary files that are no longer required

Web hosting storage is intended primarily for hosting and operating websites and related services, rather than functioning as a general-purpose cloud storage or backup service.

Example of Backup Storage Usage

Even if your hosting plan provides generous or unlimited storage, retaining multiple backups can significantly increase storage usage.

For example:

Website: 10 GB
1 backup: +10 GB
5 backups: +50 GB

This can result in approximately 60 GB of total storage usage for a 10 GB website.

Important

Even when a hosting plan offers unlimited or generous storage, customers should use the service according to the applicable Fair Usage Policy.

Avoid storing unnecessary or repeated backup archives on the hosting server, as they consume additional storage and may consume other server resources.

For important websites, we recommend following the 3-2-1 backup principle where practical:

• Keep at least 3 copies of important data.

• Keep the copies on at least 2 different types of storage or locations.

• Keep at least 1 copy off-site.

If you are unsure how to configure backups or need a dedicated backup or storage solution, please contact our support team. We can help you determine the most appropriate option for your requirements.