Restores are an admin operation. All restore actions are performed from Server Mode and are sent to the agent via the /backup/restore endpoint. The restore process overwrites existing data — read this page before proceeding.
[!WARNING] A restore is destructive. Restoring files will overwrite the account's current home directory. Restoring databases will drop and reimport them. There is no undo. If you are not certain, download the current backup first before initiating a restore.
Finding the backup to restore
- Log in to Opterius Panel and switch to Server Mode.
- Navigate to Accounts → select the account → Backups.
- You will see a list of available backups for that account with date, type, size, and storage location.
- If the backup is not listed (e.g. it was archived externally), upload the
.tar.gzfile to the server first, then use the path directly.
Restore options
Full account restore
Restores all components from the backup: files, databases, email, and cron jobs.
- Select the backup from the list.
- Click Restore → choose Full Account.
- Confirm the warning. Enter your admin password to proceed.
- The restore job runs in the background. Progress is shown in the panel.
Use this when an account is corrupted, data was accidentally deleted, or you are recovering from a compromise.
Restore a specific component
If you only need to recover one part of an account without touching the rest:
| Restore type | What it overwrites |
|---|---|
| Files only | Home directory and webroot — databases and email untouched |
| Databases only | All account databases — files and email untouched |
| Email only | All Maildir contents — files and databases untouched |
Select the target component from the Restore dropdown. This is faster than a full restore and minimises disruption.
Restore to a different account
You can restore a backup into a different account on the same server. This is useful for:
- Duplicating an account (staging copy of a production site)
- Recovering into a clean account while leaving the original intact
- Select the backup.
- Click Restore → choose Restore to Different Account.
- Select the target account from the dropdown.
- Choose which components to import.
[!NOTE] Database passwords are reassigned to the target account's credentials during cross-account restores. Update any application config files after the restore completes.
Progress and what to verify after restore
The panel shows restore progress in real time. When status reaches Complete, verify the following:
- Website loads — visit the domain or test with a local
/etc/hostsoverride. - Database connections — if the site uses WordPress or a similar CMS, confirm the DB password in the config file matches the restored credentials.
- Email — send and receive a test message to confirm Maildir is intact and mail routing works.
- File permissions — the agent resets ownership to the account user after restore. If you see permission errors, check with
ls -la /home/username/. - Cron jobs — confirm with
crontab -l -u username.
Restoring from an external archive
If the backup was created externally (another Opterius server, a manual tar), upload the archive to the Opterius server:
scp alice_2026-04-08.tar.gz root@your-server:/var/backups/
Then in the panel, navigate to Accounts → [account] → Backups → Restore from Path, enter /var/backups/alice_2026-04-08.tar.gz, and proceed as normal.
Agent endpoint reference
The agent processes restore requests at:
POST /backup/restore
Body parameters: username, backup_path, components (array: files, databases, email, cron), optionally target_username for cross-account restores.