# Backup and recovery

#### User-level recovery (soft delete model)

When a user deletes data in Ellipsis Drive, the system applies a **soft delete** followed by a **delayed hard delete**.

This ensures that accidental deletions can be recovered within a safe recovery window.

Users can restore deleted data directly from their personal trash via the Ellipsis Drive interface.

If a user permanently empties the trash, data can still be restored via the system dashboard for a limited period.

After approximately **2 months**, data is permanently removed from the system.

***

#### System-level recovery

In cases of full deletion or system-level failure, data can be restored using system backups.

***

#### Ellipsis Drive-hosted Private Instance

In a hosted Private Instance, backup and recovery are fully managed by Ellipsis Drive.

Key characteristics:

* Daily backups are performed automatically
* Backups are retained for 4 months
* Backups are stored across two geographically separate locations
* Recovery typically takes 2–3 hours depending on dataset size and system state

***

#### Self-hosted Private Instance

If you operate your own Private Instance, you are responsible for all backup and recovery operations.

The following components must be included in your backup strategy:

* File storage node
* Central metadata storage
* Raster activation storage pool
* Vector activation storage pool

While raster and vector activation pools can technically be reconstructed from file storage, backups are strongly recommended to ensure faster recovery times and reduced operational risk.

***

#### Recovery procedure

To restore the system to a previous state:

1. Replace the disks of all relevant nodes with the backup versions
2. Restart all API instances
3. Clear or refresh cache layers to ensure consistency across services

***


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.ellipsis-drive.com/installation/system-architecture-and-configuration/backup-and-recovery.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.