Backup failed — what to check

When a backup fails, go to Backup History and click on the failed run to see the full error log. The log shows exactly which step failed and the error message.

SSH connection failures

• 'Connection refused' — SSH is not running on that port, or a firewall is blocking it
• 'Authentication failed' — wrong password or SSH key, or key not in authorized_keys
• 'Host key verification failed' — the server's host key changed (possible MITM or re-provisioned server)
• 'Connection timed out' — wrong IP address, or network issue

Database backup failures

• pg_dump: 'command not found' — PostgreSQL client tools not installed on the server
• pg_dump: 'permission denied' — SSH user doesn't have access to the database
• mysqldump: 'Access denied' — wrong database credentials
• mysqldump: 'Unknown database' — database name typo in the job config

Storage upload failures

• 'Access Denied' — IAM/API key doesn't have PutObject permission on the bucket
• 'NoSuchBucket' — bucket name typo or wrong region
• 'RequestTimeTooSkewed' — your server's clock is out of sync (run ntpdate or chronyc)
• Endpoint errors — wrong endpoint URL for non-AWS providers (R2, B2, Spaces)

Re-running a failed job

Fix the underlying issue, then either wait for the next scheduled run or trigger a manual run from the Backup Jobs page. A fresh backup run will be created — failed runs are never re-attempted automatically.