---
title: Fleet-Wide Backups
description: Snapshot compose files across all nodes for disaster recovery and auditing.
---

<Note>
  Fleet-Wide Backups require a Sencho Pro license. The feature is available to Pro admins in the Fleet View.
</Note>

Create point-in-time snapshots of every `compose.yaml` and `.env` file across your entire fleet - local and remote nodes alike. Snapshots are stored centrally in Sencho's database and can be browsed, previewed, and restored at any time.

## Creating a snapshot

1. Navigate to **Fleet View** and select the **Snapshots** tab
2. Click **Create Snapshot**
3. Optionally enter a description (e.g. "Before v2 migration")
4. Click **Create** - Sencho captures files from every reachable node

During creation, Sencho connects to each node in parallel:
- **Local nodes** - reads files directly from the compose directory
- **Remote nodes** - fetches files via the Distributed API proxy using the node's API token

If a remote node is offline or unreachable, it is **skipped gracefully**. The snapshot is still created with data from all reachable nodes, and skipped nodes are recorded with the reason for the failure.

## Browsing snapshots

The snapshot list shows:
- **Date** - when the snapshot was taken
- **Description** - your optional label
- **Scope** - how many nodes and stacks were captured
- **Warnings** - an indicator if any nodes were skipped

Click **View** to open the detail view, which presents a collapsible tree:

```
Node A (local)
  ├── traefik/
  │   ├── compose.yaml
  │   └── .env
  └── postgres/
      └── compose.yaml
Node B (remote)
  └── grafana/
      ├── compose.yaml
      └── .env
```

Expand any file to preview its contents inline.

## Restoring from a snapshot

Admins can restore individual stacks from any snapshot:

1. Open a snapshot's detail view
2. Find the stack you want to restore
3. Click **Restore**
4. Optionally check **Redeploy stack after restore** to immediately apply the restored configuration
5. Confirm the action

Sencho writes the snapshot's files back to the target node:
- **Local nodes** - files are written directly, and the current files are backed up first (creating a rollback point via the atomic deployment system)
- **Remote nodes** - files are pushed via the Distributed API proxy

<Warning>
  Restoring overwrites the current compose and environment files on the target node. If atomic deployments are enabled, the current files are backed up before restoration.
</Warning>

## Deleting snapshots

Admins can delete snapshots from the list view. Deleting a snapshot permanently removes all captured file data from the database. This action cannot be undone.

## Access control

| Action | Admin | Viewer |
|--------|-------|--------|
| View snapshot list | Yes | Yes |
| Browse snapshot contents | Yes | Yes |
| Create snapshot | Yes | No |
| Restore from snapshot | Yes | No |
| Delete snapshot | Yes | No |

## Storage

Snapshots are stored in Sencho's SQLite database. Compose files are typically small (under 10 KB each), so even hundreds of snapshots consume minimal disk space. For very large fleets, consider periodically deleting old snapshots to keep the database lean.
