How to Transition Your Database Backups from Tape to AccuWeb.Cloud: A Step-by-Step Guide

AccuWeb.Cloud offers backup storage to save website content and database backups easily.

It makes the process easier, reduces costs, makes backups and restores faster, removes the need to plan for tape storage, and lets your team focus on more important work

Are you facing any of the following problems with the Storage?

As your business grows, your websites and databases get bigger too. Managing and backing up old data to tape becomes harder and more costly.

Here are some common problems you may face:

• Storage planning is complex and expensive. You spend money on tape machines, data center space, and software. It also takes time away from your skilled staff.
• Tape backup software costs a lot. You need special software to run tape backups, and the cost keeps adding up.
• Restoring from tape is slow. You need multiple copies for safety, and if something goes wrong, manual work is required. Too many users accessing tapes can slow things down. This makes it harder to meet recovery goals, unlike fast and simple cloud backups.

Solution: Why AccuWeb.Cloud Storage?

1. High Availability (Always Online)

AccuWeb.Cloud’s backup storage uses a group of servers working together. If one server stops, the others keep running. This helps keep your files secure and ensures your backups run smoothly, so you won’t lose any data or have to deal with downtime.

2. Scalable Storage (Grows with Your Data)

You can start with a small storage setup and easily add more space as your needs grow. This scaling happens without shutting down the system. It’s great for businesses whose data increases over time.

3. S3-Compatible (Works with AWS Tools)

AccuWeb.Cloud backup storage supports the same API as Amazon S3, so you can use familiar tools like:

AWS CLI

s3cmd

Backup software that supports S3

This makes it easy to move data between AccuWeb.Cloud backup storage and other S3-compatible services.

4. Fast Performance (Quick Uploads and Downloads)

AccuWeb.Cloud backup storage is designed for speed. It can efficiently handle large files and high data traffic, which is helpful when uploading backups, restoring data, or sharing files with users.

5. Easy Integration with AccuWeb.cloud Marketplace Apps

AccuWeb.Cloud backup storage works smoothly with your AccuWeb.Cloud environments. You can easily connect it to apps, containers, and Kubernetes clusters, or use it to store backups for your applications. No complex configuration is needed.

6. Secure Storage (Protects Your Data)

AccuWeb.Cloud backup storage supports secure features like:

– SSL encryption for safe data transfer

– Access control to manage who can read/write

– Keep extra copies of your data to protect it.

Your data stays protected from unauthorized access and corruption.

7. Cost-Effective (Saves Money)

AccuWeb.Cloud doesn’t charge license fees for backup storage. You only pay for the cloud resources (storage, CPU, RAM) that you use on AccuWeb.Cloud.

Access the AccuWeb.Cloud dashboard and create a backup

Step 1: Log in to your AccuWeb.Cloud dashboard.

Step 2: Choose the Environment

Select the environment you want to back up.

For example, here we’ve selected “Mongo Sandbox Image”, which includes MongoDB.

You can follow the same steps to back up any app or database on AccuWeb.Cloud.

Step 3: Open Web SSH

In this guide, we’ll walk you through using the AWS CLI to upload your MongoDB backup to MinIO storage.

Step 4: Create a MongoDB Backup

Use this command to back up your MongoDB database:

mongodump --db your_database_name --out /opt/mongo-backup/

Example:

mongodump --uri="mongodb://admin:[email protected]:27017/?authSource=admin" --db=sample_db --out=/home/jelastic/mongo_backup

This will generate a folder containing your backup files (.bson and .json).

Step 5: Compress the backup file and Encrypt it.

To compress the backup:

$ tar -czvf /opt/mongo-backup.tar.gz -C /opt mongo-backup

Example:

$ tar -czf /home/jelastic/sample_db_backup.tar.gz -C /home/jelastic/mongo_backup sample_db

To encrypt the compressed file (optional but recommended):

$ openssl enc -aes-256-cbc -salt -in /opt/mongo-backup.tar.gz -out /opt/mongo-backup.tar.gz.enc

Step 6: Download AWS CLI on the Application or Database Node

AccuWeb.Cloud uses MinIO for backup storage, which works just like AWS S3 but with extra features.

To upload your MongoDB backup to MinIO, you can use one of these tools:

MinIO Client (mc) – An easy-to-use tool made by MinIO. It supports simple commands like ls, cp, and mb, and helps you manage backups, access rules, and more.

AWS CLI – A command-line tool from Amazon that also works with MinIO because MinIO supports the S3 API.

This guide will show you how to upload your MongoDB backup to MinIO storage using the AWS CLI.

Run the following commands to download it:

$ cd /home/jelastic

$ curl "https://s3.amazonaws.com/aws-cli/awscli-bundle.zip" -o "awscli-bundle.zip"

$ unzip awscli-bundle.zip

Step 7: Install AWS CLI v1

Run the following command:

$ ./awscli-bundle/install -i /home/jelastic/aws-cli-v1 -b /home/jelastic/aws1

Now, you’re all set to begin using the AWS CLI with the AWS1 command.

Step 8: Set Up AWS Credentials

Create your credentials file:

$ nano /home/jelastic/.aws/credentials

Paste this (replace with your own keys):

[default]
aws_access_key_id = Your MinIO Access Key
aws_secret_access_key = Your MinIO Secret Key

Example:

[default]
aws_access_key_id = ia90vPDz93
aws_secret_access_key = Fjda8Qva42

Save and exit.

Step 9: Set Up AWS Config

Create your config file:

$ nano /home/jelastic/.aws/config

Paste this:

[default]
region = us-east-1
s3 =
    addressing_style = path

Save and exit.

Step 10: Export Environment Variables

Run the following commands to set up your AWS CLI environment:

export AWS_PROFILE=default

export AWS_ENDPOINT_URL= Enter your Minio cluster url

Eample:

export AWS_PROFILE=default

export AWS_ENDPOINT_URL=https://env-7417428.us-accuweb.cloud

Create a Bucket in Backup Storage

First, you need to install a Minio cluster from the AccuWeb.cloud Marketplace to create a bucket. Once the Minio is installed, the system will send login details. You need to save the credentials in a safe place because you need them to move the backup file to the backup storage.

Step 1: Log in to your MinIO Cluster.

Step 2: On the left-side menu, click ‘Bucket’ under the Administrator section.

Step 3: Click the “Create Bucket” button.

Step 4: In the ‘Bucket Name’ field, specify the name you want for your bucket

Step 5: Choose any extra features you want, like Versioning, Object Locking, or Storage Limits (Quota).

Then click “Create Bucket“.

Step 6: Your bucket is now created and ready to use.

Move the Backup File to Backup Storage

Step 1: To upload the backup file to your bucket, run this command on your node:

$ /home/jelastic/aws1 --endpoint-url $AWS_ENDPOINT_URL s3 cp sample_db_backup.tar.gz s3://mongodb-backups/ --no-verify-ssl

Step 2: Return to your MinIO Cluster dashboard once the command finishes.

You will see the backup file has been successfully uploaded to your bucket.

Automatically Back Up Your Database and Move It to Backup Storage

It can be challenging to keep up with manual backups when you have other tasks demanding your attention.

This means you can set up a cron job to automate the backup process. This will run a script at a set time every day to back up your database and upload it to Backup Storage (MinIO).

You can easily do this in the AccuWeb.Cloud dashboard.

Step 1: Create the Backup Script

Open up the terminal and create a new script file:

$ nano /home/jelastic/mongo_backup_to_minio.sh

Paste the following code into the file:

#!/bin/bash

# === Settings ===
DB_NAME="sample_db"
TIMESTAMP=$(date +"%Y%m%d_%H%M%S")
BACKUP_DIR="/home/jelastic/mongo_backup"
BACKUP_ARCHIVE="/home/jelastic/${DB_NAME}_backup_$TIMESTAMP.tar.gz"
ENDPOINT_URL="https://env-7417428.us-accuweb.cloud"
BUCKET_NAME="mongodb-backups"
AWS_CLI="/home/jelastic/aws1"

# === Step 1: Backup the database ===
mongodump \

  --uri="mongodb://admin:[email protected]:27017/?authSource=admin" \
  --db=$DB_NAME \
  --out=$BACKUP_DIR

# === Step 2: Compress the backup ===
tar -czf $BACKUP_ARCHIVE -C $BACKUP_DIR $DB_NAME

# === Step 3: Upload to MinIO ===
$AWS_CLI --endpoint-url $ENDPOINT_URL s3 cp $BACKUP_ARCHIVE s3://$BUCKET_NAME/ --no-verify-ssl

# === Step 4: Clean up old backup files ===
rm -rf $BACKUP_DIR
rm -f $BACKUP_ARCHIVE

Save and exit the file.

Step 2: Make the Script Executable

Run this command:

$ chmod +x /home/jelastic/mongo_backup_to_minio.sh

Step 3: Open the Cron Settings

Go to your application or database environment in the AccuWeb.Cloud dashboard.

Click on the Config option.

Under the Favorites section, click on cron.

Step 4: Edit the Cron File

Find the cron file. The file name may vary depending on the app. When you’re working with MongoDB, the main file you’ll be dealing with is usually called ‘mongod’

Click the gear icon next to the file.

Choose Open to edit the cron file.

Step 5: Add the Cron Job

Add this line to schedule the backup to run every day at 2:30 AM:

30 2 * * * /home/jelastic/mongo_backup_to_minio.sh >> /home/jelastic/backup.log 2>&1

This means:

The script will run daily at 2:30 AM.

Any output or errors will be saved to /home/jelastic/backup.log.

Conclusion

Securing your database backups on AccuWeb.Cloud Backup Storage is a smarter and more modern choice than using old tape backups. With cloud storage, you get:

• Faster backup and restore times
• More reliable service
• Access from anywhere
• Lower costs for maintenance and equipment

Tape backups can be slow, tricky to manage, and require a lot of manual work. AccuWeb.Cloud makes backups automatic, secure, and easy to grow with your needs, saving you time, money, and hassle.

When your business starts growing, switching to cloud backup feels like the natural next step.