How do I automate backups on Ubuntu 24.04?

Create a backup script, verify it manually, then schedule it with cron. This tutorial uses tar for compressed archives, rsync for a mirror copy, and a health check script to confirm the latest backup is usable.

Why use rsync for server backups?

Rsync copies only changed files after the first run, making it useful for keeping a mirror of important directories. In this tutorial, rsync keeps a current mirror of the sample application data alongside compressed backup archives.

How often should I run server backups?

A daily backup is a practical starting point for small applications. Production systems with frequent changes may need hourly backups, database-specific dumps, or additional off-server storage depending on recovery requirements.

How do I know a backup actually works?

A backup is not complete until it has been restored and checked. This tutorial includes a restore test that extracts the latest archive and confirms the original file content is readable.

Should backups stay on the same server?

Local backups are useful for quick recovery, but production backups should also be copied off-server. A server failure can remove both the application and local backup files if they only exist on the same VM.

Automate Backups with Cron and Rsync on Ubuntu 24.04

In this tutorial, you’ll automate server backups on a Raff Ubuntu 24.04 VM using cron, rsync, compressed archives, retention cleanup, and a verified restore test.

Server backups protect application files, configuration, and operational data from accidental deletion, failed deployments, and broken updates. This tutorial creates a working backup workflow on a fresh Raff VM, runs it manually, schedules it with cron, verifies the archive, and restores a test file to confirm the backup is usable.

Raff Technologies runs over 10,000 VMs across its compute platform in Vint Hill, Virginia, on AMD EPYC hardware with NVMe storage.

Prerequisites:

A Raff Ubuntu 24.04 VM
SSH access with sudo privileges
Basic familiarity with Linux paths and shell commands

This tutorial was written for a Raff VM with 2 vCPU, 4 GB DDR5 RAM, 40 GB NVMe storage, running Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.

Tested on Raff infrastructure by Aybars Altınyay, platform engineer and technical writer at Raff Technologies.

Step 1 — Install backup utilities

Install rsync, cron, and archive utilities used by the backup workflow.

Bash

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y rsync cron tar gzip coreutils
sudo systemctl enable --now cron

Verify the required tools are installed and cron is active:

Bash

rsync --version | head -n 1
tar --version | head -n 1
systemctl is-active cron

Expected output includes:

Bash

rsync  version 3.x.x
tar (GNU tar) 1.x
active

Step 2 — Create test application data

Create a small sample application directory so the backup and restore process can be verified on any fresh Ubuntu VM.

Bash

sudo mkdir -p /srv/sample-app/config
sudo tee /srv/sample-app/app.txt > /dev/null <<'EOF'
Raff backup tutorial test file
EOF

sudo tee /srv/sample-app/config/settings.env > /dev/null <<'EOF'
APP_NAME=raff-backup-demo
APP_ENV=production
EOF

sudo chown -R root:root /srv/sample-app
sudo chmod -R 750 /srv/sample-app

Verify the sample files exist:

Bash

sudo find /srv/sample-app -type f -maxdepth 3 -print
sudo cat /srv/sample-app/app.txt

Expected output includes:

Bash

/srv/sample-app/app.txt
/srv/sample-app/config/settings.env
Raff backup tutorial test file

Step 3 — Create backup directories

Create a dedicated backup directory structure for archives, logs, restore tests, and the rsync mirror.

Bash

sudo mkdir -p /var/backups/automated/{archives,logs,restore-test,rsync-mirror}
sudo chown -R root:root /var/backups/automated
sudo chmod -R 750 /var/backups/automated

Verify the directory structure:

Bash

sudo find /var/backups/automated -maxdepth 1 -type d -print

Expected output:

Bash

/var/backups/automated
/var/backups/automated/archives
/var/backups/automated/logs
/var/backups/automated/restore-test
/var/backups/automated/rsync-mirror

Step 4 — Write the backup script

Create a reusable backup script that archives the sample application, mirrors it with rsync, logs each run, and removes old archives after seven days.

Bash

sudo tee /usr/local/sbin/raff-backup.sh > /dev/null <<'EOF'
#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail

BACKUP_ROOT="/var/backups/automated"
SOURCE_DIR="/srv/sample-app"
ARCHIVE_DIR="${BACKUP_ROOT}/archives"
RSYNC_MIRROR="${BACKUP_ROOT}/rsync-mirror"
LOG_FILE="${BACKUP_ROOT}/logs/backup.log"
RETENTION_DAYS=7
STAMP="$(date +%F-%H%M%S)"
ARCHIVE_FILE="${ARCHIVE_DIR}/sample-app-${STAMP}.tar.gz"

mkdir -p "$ARCHIVE_DIR" "$RSYNC_MIRROR" "$(dirname "$LOG_FILE")"

if [ ! -d "$SOURCE_DIR" ]; then
  echo "$(date -Is) ERROR source directory not found: $SOURCE_DIR" | tee -a "$LOG_FILE"
  exit 1
fi

tar -czf "$ARCHIVE_FILE" -C "$(dirname "$SOURCE_DIR")" "$(basename "$SOURCE_DIR")"

rsync -a --delete "$SOURCE_DIR"/ "$RSYNC_MIRROR"/sample-app/

find "$ARCHIVE_DIR" -type f -name "sample-app-*.tar.gz" -mtime +"$RETENTION_DAYS" -delete

echo "$(date -Is) backup complete: $ARCHIVE_FILE" | tee -a "$LOG_FILE"
EOF

sudo chown root:root /usr/local/sbin/raff-backup.sh
sudo chmod 750 /usr/local/sbin/raff-backup.sh

Verify the script syntax:

Bash

sudo bash -n /usr/local/sbin/raff-backup.sh && echo "Backup script syntax is valid"

Expected output:

Bash

Backup script syntax is valid

Step 5 — Run the first backup

Run the backup script manually before scheduling it.

Bash

sudo /usr/local/sbin/raff-backup.sh

Verify the archive, log entry, and rsync mirror:

Bash

sudo ls -lh /var/backups/automated/archives/
sudo tail -n 1 /var/backups/automated/logs/backup.log
sudo cat /var/backups/automated/rsync-mirror/sample-app/app.txt

Expected output includes:

Bash

sample-app-YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS.tar.gz
backup complete: /var/backups/automated/archives/sample-app-YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS.tar.gz
Raff backup tutorial test file

Step 6 — Add a backup health check

Create a health check script that confirms a recent archive exists, the archive can be listed, and the rsync mirror contains the expected file.

Bash

sudo tee /usr/local/sbin/raff-backup-check.sh > /dev/null <<'EOF'
#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail

BACKUP_ROOT="/var/backups/automated"
ARCHIVE_DIR="${BACKUP_ROOT}/archives"
RSYNC_MIRROR="${BACKUP_ROOT}/rsync-mirror"
LATEST_ARCHIVE="$(find "$ARCHIVE_DIR" -type f -name 'sample-app-*.tar.gz' -mtime -1 | sort | tail -n 1)"

if [ -z "$LATEST_ARCHIVE" ]; then
  echo "Backup check failed: no archive from the last 24 hours"
  exit 1
fi

tar -tzf "$LATEST_ARCHIVE" >/dev/null

if [ ! -f "$RSYNC_MIRROR/sample-app/app.txt" ]; then
  echo "Backup check failed: rsync mirror is missing app.txt"
  exit 1
fi

echo "Backup check passed: $LATEST_ARCHIVE"
EOF

sudo chown root:root /usr/local/sbin/raff-backup-check.sh
sudo chmod 750 /usr/local/sbin/raff-backup-check.sh

Run the health check:

Bash

sudo /usr/local/sbin/raff-backup-check.sh

Expected output:

Bash

Backup check passed: /var/backups/automated/archives/sample-app-YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS.tar.gz

Step 7 — Verify a restore test

Restore the latest backup archive into a separate test directory and confirm the restored file content is correct.

Bash

LATEST_ARCHIVE="$(sudo find /var/backups/automated/archives -type f -name 'sample-app-*.tar.gz' | sort | tail -n 1)"

sudo rm -rf /var/backups/automated/restore-test
sudo mkdir -p /var/backups/automated/restore-test

sudo tar -xzf "$LATEST_ARCHIVE" -C /var/backups/automated/restore-test

sudo cat /var/backups/automated/restore-test/sample-app/app.txt

Expected output:

Bash

Raff backup tutorial test file

Verify the restored directory structure:

Bash

sudo find /var/backups/automated/restore-test -maxdepth 3 -type f -print

Expected output includes:

Bash

/var/backups/automated/restore-test/sample-app/app.txt
/var/backups/automated/restore-test/sample-app/config/settings.env

Step 8 — Schedule backups with cron

Create a root-owned cron file that runs the backup daily at 02:15 and the health check daily at 03:00.

Bash

sudo tee /etc/cron.d/raff-backup > /dev/null <<'EOF'
SHELL=/bin/bash
PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin

15 2 * * * root /usr/local/sbin/raff-backup.sh >> /var/backups/automated/logs/cron.log 2>&1
0 3 * * * root /usr/local/sbin/raff-backup-check.sh >> /var/backups/automated/logs/backup-check.log 2>&1
EOF

sudo chown root:root /etc/cron.d/raff-backup
sudo chmod 644 /etc/cron.d/raff-backup

Verify the cron file is installed and readable by cron:

Bash

sudo cat /etc/cron.d/raff-backup
sudo systemctl is-active cron

Expected output includes:

Bash

15 2 * * * root /usr/local/sbin/raff-backup.sh >> /var/backups/automated/logs/cron.log 2>&1
0 3 * * * root /usr/local/sbin/raff-backup-check.sh >> /var/backups/automated/logs/backup-check.log 2>&1
active

Step 9 — Verify the complete backup workflow

Run the full workflow once more and verify that archives, logs, the rsync mirror, the health check, the restore test, and the cron schedule all work.

Bash

sudo /usr/local/sbin/raff-backup.sh
sudo /usr/local/sbin/raff-backup-check.sh

LATEST_ARCHIVE="$(sudo find /var/backups/automated/archives -type f -name 'sample-app-*.tar.gz' | sort | tail -n 1)"

sudo rm -rf /var/backups/automated/restore-test
sudo mkdir -p /var/backups/automated/restore-test
sudo tar -xzf "$LATEST_ARCHIVE" -C /var/backups/automated/restore-test

echo "Latest archive:"
echo "$LATEST_ARCHIVE"

echo "Restored file:"
sudo cat /var/backups/automated/restore-test/sample-app/app.txt

echo "Rsync mirror:"
sudo cat /var/backups/automated/rsync-mirror/sample-app/app.txt

echo "Cron schedule:"
sudo grep raff-backup /etc/cron.d/raff-backup

Expected output includes:

Bash

Backup check passed: /var/backups/automated/archives/sample-app-YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS.tar.gz
Latest archive:
/var/backups/automated/archives/sample-app-YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS.tar.gz
Restored file:
Raff backup tutorial test file
Rsync mirror:
Raff backup tutorial test file
Cron schedule:
15 2 * * * root /usr/local/sbin/raff-backup.sh >> /var/backups/automated/logs/cron.log 2>&1
0 3 * * * root /usr/local/sbin/raff-backup-check.sh >> /var/backups/automated/logs/backup-check.log 2>&1

The backup workflow is complete when the script creates a compressed archive, the rsync mirror contains the latest files, the health check passes, the restore test returns the original file content, and the cron schedule is installed.

Cleanup (Optional)

Use this section only if you want to remove the backup workflow and test data from the Raff VM.

⚠️ Warning: The following commands permanently delete the backup scripts, cron schedule, backup archives, logs, restore-test data, rsync mirror, and sample application files. Copy any backup archive you need before proceeding.

Bash

sudo rm -f /etc/cron.d/raff-backup
sudo rm -f /usr/local/sbin/raff-backup.sh
sudo rm -f /usr/local/sbin/raff-backup-check.sh
sudo rm -rf /var/backups/automated
sudo rm -rf /srv/sample-app

Verify cleanup completed:

Bash

if [ ! -e /etc/cron.d/raff-backup ] \
  && [ ! -e /usr/local/sbin/raff-backup.sh ] \
  && [ ! -d /var/backups/automated ] \
  && [ ! -d /srv/sample-app ]; then
  echo "Cleanup complete"
fi

Expected output:

Bash

Cleanup complete

Troubleshooting

The cron job does not run

Cause: The cron service is inactive, the cron file has incorrect permissions, or the schedule has not reached its next run time.

Fix:

Bash

sudo systemctl status cron
sudo ls -l /etc/cron.d/raff-backup
sudo cat /etc/cron.d/raff-backup

Expected checks:

Bash

cron.service is active
/etc/cron.d/raff-backup is owned by root
/etc/cron.d/raff-backup has 644 permissions

Restart cron after fixing the file:

Bash

sudo systemctl restart cron
sudo systemctl is-active cron

Expected output:

Bash

active

The backup script fails with permission denied

Cause: The script is not executable by root, or the backup directories have incorrect ownership.

Fix:

Bash

sudo chown root:root /usr/local/sbin/raff-backup.sh
sudo chmod 750 /usr/local/sbin/raff-backup.sh
sudo chown -R root:root /var/backups/automated
sudo chmod -R 750 /var/backups/automated
sudo /usr/local/sbin/raff-backup.sh

Expected output includes:

Bash

backup complete: /var/backups/automated/archives/sample-app-YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS.tar.gz

The restore test fails

Cause: The archive path is empty, the archive is corrupted, or the archive was deleted by retention cleanup.

Fix:

Bash

sudo ls -lh /var/backups/automated/archives/
sudo /usr/local/sbin/raff-backup.sh

LATEST_ARCHIVE="$(sudo find /var/backups/automated/archives -type f -name 'sample-app-*.tar.gz' | sort | tail -n 1)"
sudo tar -tzf "$LATEST_ARCHIVE" | head

Expected output includes:

Bash

sample-app/
sample-app/app.txt
sample-app/config/

The rsync mirror is missing files

Cause: The source directory was changed or deleted before the latest backup run.

Fix:

Bash

sudo find /srv/sample-app -type f -maxdepth 3 -print
sudo /usr/local/sbin/raff-backup.sh
sudo find /var/backups/automated/rsync-mirror/sample-app -type f -maxdepth 3 -print

Expected output includes:

Bash

/var/backups/automated/rsync-mirror/sample-app/app.txt
/var/backups/automated/rsync-mirror/sample-app/config/settings.env

Conclusion

You now have an automated backup workflow running on a Raff Ubuntu 24.04 VM with compressed archives, an rsync mirror, retention cleanup, a scheduled cron job, a health check, and a verified restore test. If you haven’t deployed your Raff VM yet, you can spin one up in 60 seconds at rafftechnologies.com.

Next: Secure Ubuntu 24.04 Server
Related: Install PostgreSQL on Ubuntu 24.04
Guide: Cloud Server Backup Strategies

Automate Server Backups with Cron and Rsync on Ubuntu 24.04

Prerequisites

Step 1 — Install backup utilities

Step 2 — Create test application data

Step 3 — Create backup directories

Step 4 — Write the backup script

Step 5 — Run the first backup

Step 6 — Add a backup health check

Step 7 — Verify a restore test

Step 8 — Schedule backups with cron

Step 9 — Verify the complete backup workflow

Cleanup (Optional)

Troubleshooting

The cron job does not run

The backup script fails with permission denied

The restore test fails

The rsync mirror is missing files

Conclusion

Put it into practice

Frequently asked questions