Backups are not optional. If you are hosting business-critical applications on a VPS, your backup plan must be based on how disks are actually covered—not assumptions.
We recently raised a few questions with the OVHcloud support team to understand what is covered under Premium Automated Backup and Snapshot Backup. Their response highlights a key point that many teams miss: system disk partitions are covered, but additional attached disks are not.
1) Premium Automated Backup: System Disk (C:) Is Covered
OVHcloud confirmed that Premium Automated Backup covers the system disk, which includes all partitions created on that system disk.
Example: If your VPS has a 200 GB system disk and you split it into multiple partitions such as:
- C: Operating System
- D: Applications
- E: Databases
- F: Files / Logs
All of these partitions will be included in the automated backup because they belong to the same system disk.
Key takeaway: Splitting the system disk into multiple partitions does not reduce backup coverage.
2) Premium Automated Backup: Additional Attached Disk (100 GB) Is NOT Covered
This is the most important part: Premium Automated Backup does not include additional attached disks.
So if you attach an extra disk (for example, a 100 GB additional disk) and store any of the following on it:
- Uploaded media and documents
- Database files or backups
- Application assets
- Logs and archives
…that data will not be included in the Premium Automated Backup. You must back it up separately using your own method (scripts, external storage, object storage, etc.).
Risk note: If the VPS fails and you restore using OVH backups, your attached-disk data may be missing unless you have a separate backup plan.
3) Snapshot Backup: System Disk Only (Additional Disk Not Included)
Snapshots are often assumed to be “full VPS backups”, but OVHcloud clarified that snapshots:
- Include the system disk and its partitions at the time the snapshot is taken
- Do not automatically include additional attached disks (such as the 100 GB disk)
So snapshots help for OS + application rollback scenarios, but they should not be treated as a complete backup for extra storage volumes.
Backup Coverage Summary
| Backup Type | System Disk | System Disk Partitions | Additional Attached Disk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium Automated Backup | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Snapshot Backup | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
Recommended Best Practices for OVHcloud VPS Backups
Option A: Keep Critical Data on the System Disk
If your storage requirement is small to medium, keeping critical data on the system disk ensures it is included in automated backups and snapshots.
Option B (Recommended for Production): Attach Disk + Separate Backup Plan
If you store important files or databases on an additional disk, implement a separate backup strategy, such as:
- Scheduled backups to object storage (S3-compatible / Azure Blob)
- Backup to another server or external storage
- Database-level backups (SQL dumps, transaction logs)
- Versioned backups + retention policy
A strong approach is to use both:
- Automated Backup / Snapshot for the system disk
- Independent backups for the attached disk
Final Conclusion
System disk = covered. Attached disk = your responsibility.
Before going live, confirm where your critical data is stored and design your backup plan around disk-level coverage. This single step can prevent major downtime and irreversible data loss.
How Nextwebi Can Help
At Nextwebi, we help businesses design secure and scalable cloud infrastructure, implement automated backup and disaster recovery strategies, and ensure production systems are protected end-to-end.
If you want us to review your VPS setup and backup plan, reach out to our team.
