Confluence backs up your data regularly into a zipped XML file. By default, this backup is performed at 2.00 a.m. each day and the backup files are stored in the backups folder under the Confluence Home directory. The default naming convention for the backup files is 'backup-yyyy_MM_dd'. Confluence can write backups to both local and mapped network drives.

From the Backup Administration section of Confluence's administration console, you can:

  • Include or exclude attachments in backups.
  • Configure a different path to store backup files. (By default, this option is not available. See below for information about enabling the configuration option.)
  • Change the naming format used for the files.

(tick) You can also change the schedule of this backup using Confluence's scheduled jobs feature.

(info) You need to have System Administrator permissions in order to configure these options.

On this page:

Related pages:

(warning) The information on this page does not apply to Confluence Cloud.

Configuring Confluence Backups

To configure Confluence backups:

  1. Choose the cog icon , then choose General Configuration under Confluence Administration
  2. Click 'Backup Administration' in the 'Configuration' section.
  3. Click the 'Edit' button on the 'Backup Administration' screen.
  4. Now you can do the following:
    • To use a different naming prefix format — Enter the new format in the 'Backup File Prefix' input field.
    • To use a different date format — Enter the date format in the 'Backup File Date Pattern' input field using the syntax described in this document from Sun.
    • To exclude attachments from backups — Deselect 'Backup Attachments'. By default, this feature is 'On'.
    • To specify an alternate path to store backup files (if enabled) — Select 'Custom' and then enter the path. The directory must be on either a local drive or a mounted network drive.
      (info)Notes:
      • By default, this option is not available. See below for information about enabling the configuration option.
      • Please ensure the mapped drive is on a physical server, not a Virtual Machine image.
  5. 'Save' your changes.

(tick) You can disable Confluence backups through the scheduled jobs feature.

Screenshot above: Editing the Backup Configuration

Enabling Backup Path Configuration

By default, it is not possible to specify a backup path via the Confluence Administration Console. This feature is disabled by default for security reasons. Administrators can restore this functionality by updating the relevant configuration property as described below. However, we recommend that you turn the feature off in production environments. For production environments, please review our Production Backup Strategy.

To enable the configuration option:

  1. Edit the confluence.cfg.xml file found in the Confluence Home and other important directories.

  2. Set the value of property admin.ui.allow.daily.backup.custom.location to 'true' (without the quotation marks).

    confluence.cfg.xml
    <property name="admin.ui.allow.daily.backup.custom.location">true</property>
  3. Restart Confluence.

If the value of the above configuration property is 'true', it will be possible to specify a backup path via the Confluence Administration Console. If the value of this property is 'false' or the property is not present in the configuration file, the backup path is not configurable.

Notes

Time is derived from the Confluence server

The time zone is taken from the server on which Confluence is running.

To check the time according to the server, do the following:

  1. Choose the cog icon , then choose General Configuration under Confluence Administration
  2. Click 'System Information' in the left-hand panel and look at the 'System Time'.

Backup strategy for large Confluence sites

Consider using the production backup strategy if your Confluence site is large or you are encountering problems with your automated backup.

  • No labels