About the GitHub Enterprise Server Backup Service
The GitHub Enterprise Server Backup Service is a managed backup solution built directly into GitHub Enterprise Server. It offers a simplified alternative to the legacy GitHub Enterprise Server Backup Utilities.
With this service, you can:
- Configure scheduled backups from the Management Console.
- View backup status and history.
Compared to the legacy backup utilities, the GitHub Enterprise Server Backup Service:
- Can be configured through the Management Console.
- Doesn’t require a separate host for backup software.
- Stores backups on a dedicated storage volume directly accessible by your instance.
How does the backup service differ from a High Availability replica?
While both the backup service and a High Availability (HA) replica contribute to data protection, they serve different purposes and are recommended together for a robust deployment.
High Availability replica
An HA replica is a redundant, passive GitHub Enterprise Server instance that stays in sync with the primary instance via datastore replication. It minimizes service disruption during hardware failure or network outages.
However, it’s not a replacement for backups—because any data corruption or loss on the primary can be immediately replicated to the HA node.
GitHub Enterprise Server Backup Service
The backup service is a disaster recovery solution. It captures full, timestamped snapshots of instance data that can be used to restore an instance or spin up a new one—without needing an always-on replica.