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Creating a Backup Plan

1. Open the Add Plan Panel​

From the main Backup Plans page:

  • Click the "+ New" button in the page header
  • A side panel titled "Add New Plan" will slide in from the right

2. Step 1: Basic Configuration​

Configure the fundamental settings for your backup plan:

Plan Name (Required)

  • Enter a descriptive name for your backup plan
  • Example: "Documents Daily Backup" or "Server Config Backup"
  • This name will appear in the plans list

Source Type (Required)

  • Select "Device" for standard file/folder backups
  • Other options (Database, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365) are for future features

Backup Method (Required)

  • Select "Periodic Backup" for standard incremental backups
  • This creates snapshots at scheduled intervals using Restic
  • The "Real-time Sync" option is for a different backup strategy (covered in a separate guide)

Click "Next: Configure Source/Destination" to proceed.

3. Step 2: Source and Destination​

Select Source Device

  • Choose which device to backup from the dropdown
  • "Main" refers to the Pluton server itself
  • Remote devices appear if you have Pluton agents installed

Select Folders to Backup (Required)

  • Click "+ Add Folder" to select folders/files to include
  • You can add multiple folders from different locations
  • Click the folder icon next to each entry to browse and select paths
  • Use the trash icon to remove entries

Exclude Patterns (Optional)

  • Click "+ Add Exclude Pattern" to exclude specific files or folders
  • Use patterns like:
    • *.tmp - Exclude all temporary files
    • node_modules/ - Exclude node_modules folders
    • /path/to/specific/file.txt - Exclude a specific file
  • Exclusions help reduce backup size and time

Backup Destination (Required)

  • Click "Select Storage" to choose where backups will be stored
  • Select from your configured storage destinations
  • Optionally specify a subfolder path within the storage
    • Example: /backups/documents or /server-backups/
    • Leave empty to use the root of the storage

Important Notes:

  • You must select at least one folder to backup
  • The source device cannot be changed after plan creation
  • The storage destination cannot be changed after plan creation

Click "Next: Setup Schedule" to proceed.

4. Step 3: Schedule Configuration​

Backup Interval (Required)

Choose how often backups should run:

  • Hourly - Runs every hour at minute 0
    • Best for: Critical data that changes frequently
  • Daily - Runs once per day at a specific time
    • Select time (e.g., "02:00 AM")
    • Best for: Most personal and business use cases
  • Weekly - Runs once per week on specific days
    • Select day(s) of the week (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, etc.)
    • Select time
    • Best for: Less critical data or slower-changing content
  • Monthly - Runs once per month on a specific day
    • Select day of month (1-31)
    • Select time
    • Best for: Archival backups or rarely-changing data
  • Custom - Every N Minutes
    • Specify interval in minutes (minimum 15 minutes)
    • Best for: Very frequent backups of critical data
  • Custom - Every N Hours
    • Specify interval in hours and starting minute
    • Best for: Flexible scheduling needs
  • Custom - Specific Days
    • Select multiple days of the week
    • Specify time
    • Best for: Backup on specific workdays only

Snapshots to Keep

  • Specify how many snapshots to retain (default: 5)
  • Older snapshots are automatically cleaned up (pruned)
  • Higher numbers = more backup history but more storage used
  • Lower numbers = less storage used but shorter history
  • Example: 7 for weekly backups = 7 weeks of history

Click "Next: Advanced Settings" to proceed.

5. Step 4: Advanced Settings​

Security Options

  • Encryption

    • Toggle ON to encrypt all backup data with AES-256
    • Recommended for cloud storage and sensitive data
    • Uses a master encryption key configured in Pluton
    • Cannot be changed after plan creation

  • Compression

    • Toggle ON to compress backup data
    • Reduces storage space and transfer time
    • Recommended for most use cases
    • Minimal performance impact

Tags (Optional)

  • Add tags to organize your backup plans
  • Click in the tags field and type a tag name, press Enter
  • Use tags to group related plans
  • Filter plans by tags in the main view

Retry Settings

  • Retry Attempts - Number of times to retry failed backups (default: 5)
  • Retry Delay - Seconds to wait between retry attempts (default: 60)
  • Helps handle temporary network or system issues

Performance Settings (Advanced)

  • Click "Show Performance Settings" to expand
  • Adjust CPU usage, concurrency, and buffer sizes
  • Most users can leave these at defaults

Retention Policy (Advanced)

  • Click "Show Retention Policy" to expand
  • Configure more granular snapshot retention
  • Keep daily, weekly, and monthly snapshots separately
  • Example: Keep 7 daily, 4 weekly, 12 monthly snapshots

Notification Settings (Advanced)

  • Configure email notifications for backup events
  • Set up webhook integrations
  • Choose when to notify: on success, failure, or both

Scripts (Advanced - PRO)

  • Run custom scripts before/after backups
  • Automate additional tasks around backups
  • Requires PRO version

6. Create the Plan​

  • Review all settings carefully
  • Click "Create Plan" at the bottom of the panel
  • Pluton will:
    1. Initialize the Restic repository in your chosen storage
    2. Create the backup schedule
    3. Start the first backup immediately
    4. Navigate you to the plan details page

What Happens After Creation:

  • The initial backup starts automatically
  • You'll see real-time progress in the plan details page
  • Subsequent backups will run on your configured schedule
  • The plan appears in your main Backup Plans list