Restore a cPanel Account from a JetBackup Snapshot Using CLI

This guide explains how to restore a cPanel account from a JetBackup snapshot located on a remote backup server when the standard JetBackup GUI restore is not available.

This method is typically used during:

• Server migrations

• Disaster recovery

• Restoring from a dedicated backup server

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure the following requirements are met:

• Root SSH access to the destination server

• JetBackup 5 installed on the destination server

• Access to the backup server containing the snapshot

• The full path to the snapshot directory (for example: snap.3)

Step 1: Prepare and Transfer the Backup Package

JetBackup CLI restores accounts using a compressed backup package (.tar.gz) with a specific directory structure.

1. On the Backup Server

Navigate to the snapshot directory and package the contents.

cd /path/to/snap.3/
mkdir backup
cp -av * backup/
tar -czvf jetbackup5-restore.tar.gz backup/

This will generate:

jetbackup5-restore.tar.gz

2. Transfer the Package to the New Server

Use SCP to copy the package from the backup server.

scp root@BACKUP_IP:/path/to/snap.3/jetbackup5-restore.tar.gz /home/

Replace:

• BACKUP_IP with the IP address of your backup server

• /path/to/snap.3/ with the actual snapshot path

After completion, the file will be located at:

/home/jetbackup5-restore.tar.gz

Step 2: Execute the JetBackup CLI Restore

1. Start the Restore Process

Run the JetBackup restore command:

jetbackup5 --restorepkg /home/jetbackup5-restore.tar.gz

JetBackup will create a restore job in the queue and display a log file path.

Example:

Log File:
/usr/local/jetapps/var/log/jetbackup5/queue/2_cli/123456789.log

2. Monitor the Restore Progress

Use the tail command to watch the restore process in real time:

tail -f /usr/local/jetapps/var/log/jetbackup5/queue/2_cli/123456789.log

Once completed, the log will indicate the restore has finished successfully.

Step 3: Cleanup

After confirming the website and services are working properly, remove the backup package to free disk space.

rm -f /home/jetbackup5-restore.tar.gz