Backup Policy

Owner: Anchor MSP Operations Lead Last reviewed: 2026-04-04

Purpose

Define how production data is backed up, how often, and how backup health is monitored.

Scope

All data stores in all systems under Anchor managed production.

Policy

1. All production data is backed up using Restic orchestration. No exceptions.
2. Backup frequency by data classification:
   • Databases: Daily.
   • Configuration files: On change.
   • Media and uploads: Daily.
3. Retention schedule:
   • 7 daily snapshots retained.
   • 4 weekly snapshots retained.
   • 6 monthly snapshots retained.
4. Backups are stored off-host. Backup storage location and encryption are managed by Anchor. Development teams do not have direct access to backup storage.
5. Backup success and failure are tracked via Prometheus metrics. Every Restic job reports completion status.
6. A failed backup generates a High severity alert (see Alert Severity Matrix).
7. Backup configuration for each system is documented in that system's runbook.
8. The first backup for a new system is run manually during onboarding and verified before handoff acceptance is complete.

Exceptions

Systems with no persistent data (stateless services) may be exempt from backups. The exemption must be documented in the system's runbook with justification.