Backups

VeloDB Cloud lets you back up databases and restore data from any retained backup set. Use backups to recover from accidental data changes, data corruption, or other cases where you need to return a database to a previous recovery point.

How backups work

VeloDB Cloud provides two backup modes:

• Import/Export Backups: The legacy backup mode. Import/Export Backups are supported in VeloDB Cloud 4.0 and later. This mode backs up data to object storage and uses a selected cluster to run backup and restore tasks.
• Snapshot Backups: The new snapshot-based backup mode. Snapshot Backups are supported only in VeloDB Cloud 26.1 and later. This feature is in private preview. To use it, contact VeloDB Support to join the allowlist. After the feature is enabled for your account, you can switch to the snapshot-based backup experience in the upper-right corner of the Backups page.

Choose a backup mode

The following table summarizes how the two backup modes differ and the typical scenarios for each mode.

Backup type	Implementation	Granularity	Main use cases	Backup and restore duration
Import/Export Backups	Based on VeloDB Cloud import and export capabilities.	Database level.	Logical backup, migration, and partial recovery.	Depends on the data volume of the selected database and the warehouse resources used for import and export. Larger datasets take longer to back up and restore.
Snapshot Backups	Based on the underlying snapshot capability.	Warehouse level.	Full warehouse recovery, disaster recovery preparation, and recovery points before high-risk operations.	Snapshot-based backup is generally faster than Import/Export Backups and can complete in minutes.

Create an Import/Export backup plan

Import/Export Backups are logical backups. VeloDB Cloud exports the selected database data to VeloDB-managed storage and imports the data back during restore. Use this mode when you need the legacy object-storage-based backup mode, when your warehouse version is earlier than 26.1, or when Snapshot Backups are not enabled for your account.

Import/Export Backups are suitable when:

• You want to back up a specific business database instead of the entire warehouse.
• You need to migrate a database to another warehouse.
• You need a database-level recovery point.
• You want a relatively fine-grained periodic backup strategy.

Import/Export Backups are not suitable when:

• You need to restore an entire warehouse quickly.
• You need to preserve warehouse-level configurations.
• You need to restore users, permissions, connection information, warehouse parameters, or other system-level objects.
• You need to restore dependencies across multiple databases.
• You need a very low RTO for disaster recovery.

On the Backups page, click Create Backup Plan. A warehouse can run either a periodic plan or a one-time plan. Creating or updating a plan overwrites the previous Import/Export backup plan for the warehouse.

Periodic backup

Use a periodic plan when you need backups to run automatically on a regular schedule. For a periodic Import/Export backup plan, choose whether to enable the plan, the backup cycle, start time, backup objects, retention days, and the cluster used to perform the backup. Save the plan to apply it.

One-time backup

Use a one-time plan when you need a backup before a specific operation, such as a schema change, data reload, or other planned maintenance. For a one-time Import/Export backup plan, pick the start time, backup objects, retention days, and the cluster used to perform the backup. Save the plan to apply it.

Import/Export backup settings

Parameter	Description
Backup Every	For periodic backups, choose any combination from Monday to Sunday. Select at least one day and at most seven days.
Start Time	The time at which each backup run starts.
Backup Objects	For the Internal Catalog, VeloDB Cloud backs up the full database. For an External Catalog, VeloDB Cloud backs up DDL only, not data.
Backup Retention Days	The number of days to retain each backup set. Backup sets older than this value are cleaned up automatically.
Backup Cluster	The cluster used to perform the backup. Backups consume compute resources. When the warehouse has multiple clusters, pick the cluster that should run the backup task.

Create a Snapshot backup plan

Snapshot Backups are warehouse-level backups. VeloDB Cloud creates a consistent snapshot of the entire warehouse at a point in time and restores from that snapshot when recovery is needed.

Snapshot Backups are a private preview feature available only in VeloDB Cloud 26.1 and later. Before you create a Snapshot backup plan, contact VeloDB Support to enable the feature for your account.

After Snapshot Backups are enabled, open the Backups page and switch to the new snapshot-based backup experience from the upper-right corner. Click Create Backup Plan to create a periodic or one-time Snapshot backup plan.

Compared with Import/Export Backups, Snapshot Backups are warehouse-level backups. You do not need to select backup objects or choose a cluster resource for the backup task.

Snapshot Backups are suitable when:

• You need recovery protection for the entire warehouse after warehouse-level failure or widespread data damage.
• You need a recovery point before a version upgrade or large-scale change.
• A user operation may affect multiple databases.
• You need to restore the whole warehouse.
• You want platform-managed warehouse-level recovery points.

Snapshot Backups are not suitable when:

• You only want to export part of the data.
• You need to exchange data with another system.
• You need to retain many historical versions for a long time at low cost.

Periodic Snapshot backup

Use a periodic Snapshot backup plan when you need warehouse-level backups to run automatically on a regular schedule. In the Create Backup Plan panel, select Periodic Backup, enable the plan, choose the days on which the backup should run, set the start time, and set the retention period.

One-time Snapshot backup

Use a one-time Snapshot backup plan when you need a recovery point before a specific operation. In the Create Backup Plan panel, select One-time Backup, set the start time, and set the retention period.

Snapshot backup settings

Parameter	Description
Backup Type	Choose Periodic Backup or One-time Backup.
Enable	For periodic backups, turn the backup plan on or off.
Backup Every	For periodic backups, choose any combination from Monday to Sunday. Select at least one day and at most seven days.
Start Time	The time at which each backup run starts. The UI displays the time zone used by the plan.
Retention (Days)	The number of days to retain each backup set. Backup sets older than this value are deleted automatically.

View backup tasks

VeloDB Cloud runs backup tasks automatically according to the saved plan. The Backup Tasks list shows each run's status, retention days, data size, start time, and completion time.

Click View Details in the action column to see execution details for a backup task.

Restore from a backup

In the Backup Tasks list, click Restore in the action column of the backup set you want to restore.

For Import/Export Backups, choose the restore target based on how you want to use the recovered database. You can restore to the current warehouse or to an existing warehouse.

For Snapshot Backups, choose whether to restore to the current warehouse or restore to a newly created warehouse. Restoring to a newly created warehouse lets you verify the recovered data before switching application connections.

Restore tasks appear in the Restore Tasks list with task status, data size, start time, and completion time.

Click View Details in the action column to see execution details for a restore task.

Limitations

Import/Export Backups

• Import/Export Backups cover the selected database, not the full warehouse.
• Restore speed depends on data volume, file count, import throughput, and target warehouse resources.
• Restoring to an existing database may overwrite data or cause conflicts. Confirm the restore target before starting the task.

Snapshot Backups

• Snapshot Backups use warehouse-level granularity and cannot restore only a single database.
• Restoring to the current warehouse may affect the production warehouse. Restore to a newly created warehouse when you need to validate the recovered data before switching traffic.
• Snapshot Backups are intended for warehouse-level recovery points and should not be treated as the only long-term archive strategy.

Operational notes

• Choose a backup cycle and retention period that match your recovery point objective. Your effective recovery point is the most recent completed backup.
• For Import/Export Backups, schedule periodic backups for a time when the selected backup cluster has enough spare capacity.
• For Snapshot Backups, confirm that your warehouse runs VeloDB Cloud 26.1 or later and that your account has been allowlisted for the private preview.
• Review backup task status after creating or changing a plan to confirm that backups complete successfully.
• Test restore with production-scale data before you rely on a backup plan for critical workloads. Restore time grows with data volume and cluster capacity.