# Elastic search backup

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-search-backup/297718>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [February 21, 2022, 7:29am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-search-backup/297718 "2022-02-21T07:29:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Arpita11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b77776/32.png) [@Arpita11](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Arpita11)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2022, 7:29am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-search-backup/297718/1 "2022-02-21T07:29:17Z")

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Elasticsearch for my project is hosted on AWS EC2 machine. AMI backups are taken for EC2.  
If the Elasticsearch server goes down, can I restore it from AMI backup and get it working?

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**Author:** ![Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/christian_dahlqvist/32/4617_2.png) [@Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Christian_Dahlqvist)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2022, 7:35am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-search-backup/297718/2 "2022-02-21T07:35:22Z")

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No, you should use the [snapshot and restore](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/7.17/snapshot-restore.html#other-backup-methods) functionality within Elasticsearch in order to be sure you can restore your data.

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**Author:** ![Arpita11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b77776/32.png) [@Arpita11](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Arpita11)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2022, 9:18am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-search-backup/297718/3 "2022-02-21T09:18:10Z")

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Thank you for the response. On snapshot and restore page, it is mentioned taking a snapshot is the only reliable and supported way to back up a cluster.

On few links it is also mentioned AMI backups should work.

For a cluster with one node, can you please confirm if AMI backups will work or snapshot and restore is the only reliable approach.

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**Author:** ![leandrojmp](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/leandrojmp/32/107231_2.png) [@leandrojmp](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/leandrojmp)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2022, 12:58pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-search-backup/297718/4 "2022-02-21T12:58:35Z")

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The only reliable way for making snapshots of Elasticsearch data is using the Snapshot and Restore APIs, this is clear in the [documentation](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/snapshot-restore.html#other-backup-methods).

However, if you have just a single-node cluster an AMI backup may work, but it is not recommended as it is not reliable, if you go this way just know that it may not work at all and you can lose your data.

Since you are running on AWS it is way easier to use a s3 repository for your snapshots.

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**Author:** ![warkolm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/warkolm/32/39224_2.png) [@warkolm](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/warkolm)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2022, 11:18pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-search-backup/297718/5 "2022-02-21T23:18:27Z")

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> [@Arpita11](#):
>
> On few links it is also mentioned AMI backups should work.

Which links?

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2022, 11:19pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-search-backup/297718/6 "2022-03-21T23:19:27Z")

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