SFTP servers are a critical component of many organizations and contain essential files that can't afford to be lost. Due to this, there is a driver to regularly back up the data to cloud providers such as S3, Google Drive, SharePoint, etc., which not only provides peace of mind but also can make the data extremely accessible through native desktop sync agents and web access.
In this guide, we'll explain how to back up an SFTP server to cloud storage using Couchdrop, and how to automate regular SFTP server backups.
SFTP that works with your cloud storage
Couchdrop itself includes a cloud FTP server that provides you the ability to connect to over 30 storage platforms via SFTP. Beyond simple SFTP, it also comes with additional features such as file automation and workflows, secure file sharing, secure web upload portals, and more.
The platform can also connect to other SFTP servers and transfer data between those servers and cloud storage, as we'll show here. Couchdrop makes it easy to get your files where they need to be for further action and can eliminate much, if not all, manual intervention.
How to back up an SFTP server to cloud storage with Couchdrop
This guide will run you through backing up an SFTP server to cloud storage, using a directory in a Google Workspace Shared Drive as an example.
Follow these steps to back up your SFTP server to cloud storage:
Step 1 - Connect your SFTP server to Couchdrop
Step 2 - Integrate your cloud storage platform
Step 3 - Configure scheduled backup automation
Step 1 - Connect your SFTP server to Couchdrop
First, you need to add a connection to the server you want to back up.
To do this in Couchdrop, choose to connect to a new partner/provider and then select SFTP Server.
Give a name for the folder, which will be the name that will show up in your virtual file system within Couchdrop, such as Remote SFTP server.
Next, add your SFTP server details. If you need help on where to get these, see our guide on how to connect to an SFTP server.
If you intend to back up the entire SFTP server regularly, simply connect to the root instead of a subfolder. Check that Couchdrop connects successfully, then it's time to connect your cloud storage folder.
Step 2 - Integrate your cloud storage platform
Once you've added the SFTP server you want to back up, you'll next need to connect your cloud provider and the specific directory you want to back up the server to.
To add a new storage integration, choose to connect a storage platform and scroll down to your platform. In this case, we are configuring a Google Workspace connection, so we named the folder Google Workspace SFTP backup when making the connection.
Confirm that the connection is successful. When it is, you can freely transfer files between the SFTP server and the Google Workspace folder at will.
Step 3 - Configure scheduled backup automation
You can back up the server in multiple ways in Couchdrop, including manually moving files and folders.
But the best way to create regular backups is by creating an automation to schedule transfers between the server and the Google Workspace SFTP backup folder.
To do this, start by creating a new transfer automation. In this case, suppose that you want to do a daily backup of all files on the server. Use the simple scheduler to select daily and then a time (such as 11:59PM).
Choose the Remote SFTP Server folder configured in Step 1 (which is a connection to the remote SFTP server) as the location, and select to move all files and subfolders.
Then simply create a transfer/copy action and select the name of the folder in step 2, Google Workspace SFTP backup in this case.
And that's it! The automation will check the Remote SFTP Server folder every day and copy the files it finds into the Google Workspace SFTP backup folder.
To check if file transfers are working properly, Couchdrop provides a comprehensive audit log on all file transfers and system events. You can check here for errors or to ensure your backup is operating as you would expect. You can also set up email alerts to notify you when the automation is successful and/or fails.
Expanding SFTP to cloud storage backup automations
If you run the automation configured in this guide, Couchdrop will only copy new files into the Google folder. It will compare file names, modtimes, and sizes to determine if the file exists already, and only pull across files if they are new or have been updated.
Depending on your use case for backing up your SFTP server, there are a lot of additional functions you can add while backing up the files. Couchdrop supports multi-step automations, and file-based automations can include actions like encrypt/decrypt, compression/decompression, and much more, meaning you can tailor automations to suit your particular use case.
For instance, suppose you want to create multiple full SFTP server backups. To do this and make sure files are transferred every day, regardless of whether a copy exists in cloud storage already, you can append a timestamp to the files. By doing this, the files that are exported will retain their existing name and add a timestamp. This will make every file {EXISTING_NAME} -- {DD} - {MM} - {YYYY}, letting you easily see versions of files at any point and keep multiple copies.
Automations are a powerful tool and can automate both the transfers themselves and file processing, enabling you to automate any SFTP to cloud storage flow.