# Backup File Structure

By default, all backups are created in a backup storage located on the Plesk-managed server: in `%plesk_dir%Backup\` folder, where %plesk_dir% is environment variable specifying directory where Plesk is installed (if installed to default locations, it is `C:\Program Files (x86)\Plesk\`)

The storage is structured as follows, starting with the content of storage root folder (we omit additional files and folders which are irrelevant for backing up and restoring Plesk data using `pleskbackup` and `pleskrestore` utilities).

| `<` `info` `>.xml` |  | Metadata files of full and server-level backups, one per backup, describe configuration and content.
--- | --- | --- | ---
| `<` `content` `>.<zip>` |  | Archives with content related to server configuration and Plesk settings.
|  | `clients\` | Directory containing the following backup data: customer accounts belonging to the server administrator objects related to those accounts Organization of the directory is the same as that of `<storage>\` `resellers\` `<reseller ID>\` `clients\`.
|  | `domains\` | Directory containing the following backup data: subscriptions belonging to the server administrator objects related to administrator’s subscriptions Organization of the directory is the same as that of `<storage>\` `resellers\` `<reseller ID>\` `clients\` `<client ID>\` `domains`.
|  | `<subscription name 1>.tld` | Directory containing data related to all sites hosted under a subscription.
|  | `<subscription name 2>.tld` | Directory containing data related to all sites hosted under a subscription.
|  | `resellers\` | Directory containing the following backup data: reseller accounts objects owned by the resellers
|  | `<` `reseller ID` `>\` | Directories containing backup data of particular resellers, one reseller per directory, and the objects owned by them. The reseller ID stands for the reseller username.
|  | `<` `info` `>.xml` | Metadata files of the reseller backups, one file per backup, describe configuration and content of the reseller and the objects they own.
|  | `<` `content` `>.<zip>` | Archives with the content.
|  | `domains\` | Directory containing the following backup data: subscriptions owned by the reseller objects owned by the subscriptions Organization of the directory is the same as that of `<storage>\` `resellers\` `<reseller ID>\` `clients\` `<client ID>\` `domains\`.
|  | `clients\` | Directory containing the following backup data: customer accounts owned by the reseller objects owned by the customers
|  | `<customer's username>\` | Directories containing backup data of particular customers, one customer per directory, and the objects owned by them.
|  | `<` `info` `>.xml` | Metadata files of the customer backups, one file per backup, describe configuration and content of the customer account and the objects it owns.
|  | `<` `content` `>.<zip>` | Archives with the customer content.
|  | `domains\` | Directory containing the following backup data: subscriptions owned by the customer objects owned by the subscriptions
|  | `<subscription name 1>.tld` | Directory containing data related to all sites hosted under a subscription.
|  | `<` `info` `>.xml` | Metadata files of the domain backups, one file per backup, describe configuration and content of the backed up subscription.
|  | <content> | ZIP archives containing data related to the hosted websites and mail accounts.

Files of each backup are placed in the storage folders according to the described structure.

If a partial backup is created, its files will be places according to the place the backup objects have in the hierarchy. For example, if backing up domain example.com owned by reseller JaneDoe, its files will be located in the `<storage root directory>\` `resellers\JaneDoe\domains\example.com\` folder. If backing up reseller JohnDoe who owns the subscription joe.info and has one customer Client1 who owns the subscription sample.org, the backup files will be located in the following folders:

1. `<storage root directory>\` `resellers\JohnDoe\`

2. `<storage root directory>\` `resellers\JohnDoe\domains\joe.info\`

3. `<storage root directory>\` `resellers\JohnDoe\clients\Client1\`

4. `<storage root directory>\` `resellers\JohnDoe\clients\Client1\domains\sample.org\`

To distinguish files belonging to different backups of the same object, specific prefix and suffix are added to the file names:

- the `backup` is added by default, and, if you like, you can change it to your own on a per-backup basis

- suffix designating the backup creation date is always added to each backup file, the date format is `<yymmddhhmm>`. For example, files of backup created on 6 April 2011, 8:58 PM will have suffix `1104062058`.

Plesk is capable of exporting backup as a single `.zip` file. Each archive has the same structure as the storage, the only difference is that there is only one `<info>` `.xml` file on each level.

In case a partial backup is exported, the resulting file structure is reduced from the top so that the highest level corresponds to the level of the highest backup object. For example, if a backup of a single customer (called, for example, SandyLee) is exported, the resulting file will have the following structure:

`zip {`

- `<sandy lee info>` `.xml`

- <content> `.zip`

- `domains\`

  - `subscription1\`

    - `...`

  - `subscription_N\`

  - `...`

    `}`