Backup Verification Procedures

This SOP defines the required backup validation standards for SkyCloud systems.

Backup Philosophy

A backup is not considered valid until restoration capability has been verified.

Protected Systems

• Production Docker compose stacks
• Caddy configurations
• Application databases
• Nextcloud data
• Directus data
• Zammad helpdesk data
• ERP and billing systems

Backup Validation Requirements

• Verify scheduled backup completion
• Verify repository accessibility
• Review backup logs for errors
• Validate snapshot integrity
• Confirm backup storage availability
• Verify retention policy execution

Restore Testing Standards

• Periodic restore testing is mandatory
• Critical services should have documented recovery procedures
• Restore tests should validate application usability, not only file extraction

Critical Backup Rules

• No major infrastructure changes without validated backups
• No production migrations without rollback protection
• Production databases must be included in backup scope
• Backup failures must be investigated immediately

Backup Storage Expectations

• Backup repositories should not reside exclusively on production systems
• Critical data should have redundancy where possible
• Storage utilization should be monitored routinely

Related Articles

• Backup and Recovery Overview
• Disaster Recovery Overview
• Infrastructure Maintenance SOP

Document Change History

Document Governance

• Owner: SkyCloud Operations
• Review Frequency: Quarterly
• Last Major Revision: 2026-05-27
• Status: Active Operational Document