Does Nextcloud have the potential for data loss? How to prevent it?

🏷️ General
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I have no support/technical question and have seen the support category. (Be aware that direct support questions will be deleted.)

on

Which general topic do you have

While checking the forum, I came across some information that NextCloud can lock down files, or you could lose them. If this happens, is there anything I can do to prevent data loss? I’m using Nextcloud to backup my files; losing data would be very bad, catastrophic.

I’m currently using a VPS plan to host NextCloud. What are the odds of this happening? What are some proactive approaches you take to avoid data loss?

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Please add references.

That is no good idea. Nextcloud is not a backup tool.

Doing regular backups with a strategy and using a backup tool.

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What are the odds of this happening?

Sadly, i think they are pretty high right now. A properly secured server is mandatory.

100% ACK.
Regular, off-site and off-line. And tested, of course.
GOOD LUCK!

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Can you advise on best practices? I’m using a VPS server currently

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Best practice: not just for nextcloud but applies to many other applications. Find a way that works for you to regularly backup your data.
No, I’m not being flippant. Let me elaborate.
It depends on the installation type, not the type of server i.e. VPS or not.
You will know that your files reside on one or more storage disks (spinners, SSDs, etc. does not matter).
You would normally have a choice to make: backup the disks as block devices or by filesystem.
By filesystem it is normally slower with the exception of ZFS-based which is very quick with its snapshot abilities.

So there is a bit of a relationship with the volume of data and number of files. If there aren’t a lot then a filesystem backup can be practical.

With all that said, VPS might have ready-made options I imagine but I don’t actually know. All my data is self hosted.

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What is behind this statement?

There is no risk of data loss during normal operation.

And the issue of data backup and recovery should be clarified before going live.

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Very sorry for the confusion, my statement is far too incomplete and too short. My bad.
I am NOT REFERRING TO NEXTCLOUD, but to running an imperfectly secured server (aka “data loss”) in these times of highly sophisticated, fully automated and unrelenting cyber-warfare and profit-based criminal attacks.
Nextcloud is fine, but when a malicious attacker has (full) access to the platform it runs on it is defenseless.

There’s more than enough tutorials on securing a server out there, so just a couple of hints:
-secured logins
-no unnecessary services / open ports
-no vulnerabilitities
-offsite and tested backups
-monitoring
-proactive, “forward” defense
-…