One of our clients had secured their own hosting account with HiyaCorp sometime ago. The client asked me to look into a database issue they were having and the database was corrupt. I contacted HiyaCorp support and asked them to restore the site from their last backup.

Imagine my surprise when I found out they did not do backups, yet clearly advertise NIGHTLY backups on all their reseller plans. I hosted with HiyaCorp sometime ago with one of my reseller accounts and they did backups then.

Luckily one of the things that I do for this client is make sure her sites are backed up, and I had a backup of the site.

Here's a chat conversation I had with their online support:

HiyaCorp Support: Welcome to HiyaCorp Live Chat. How may I help you?
Me: what has to be done to have you restore a site from your backup?
HiyaCorp Support: Please provide me your domain name
Me: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx***********
HiyaCorp Support: Please hold on while I check
HiyaCorp Support: We do not have backup
Me: how can you not have a backup?
Me: you backup the servers
HiyaCorp Support: no
Me: what do you mean no, you don't backup the servers
Me: you advertise backups - daily, weekly
HiyaCorp Support: the backup is not configured on our servers

Needless to say, we've recommended that this client cancel her hosting and either host with us, or move elsewhere to another company.

Having back-ups should be standard in shared hosting. If I were you I would move on to a host that offers a much more secured solution, one that actually cares about the integrity of your data.

It should be standard with all web hosting companies to run daily or perhaps hourly backups; depending. Personally I never relay on that and I don't think others should also. I always do backups of my websites to a pendrive or external harddrive. I put in alot of time and effort and it doesn't sit will with me to relay on a company for my backups.

You should always make your own backups, does the host mention anywhere in there terms of service about backups and how you can rely on them?

You should always make your own backups, does the host mention anywhere in there terms of service about backups and how you can rely on them?

I agree with you. Although the host should have the back-up as they claim to do them.

Hello All,
It is always wise for the customer to perform their own backups, even their host says they do. Most hosts perform a nightly or weekly backup however there is no actual standard. I normally have my servers set up with 2 hard disks and use the nightly cPanel Backup tool.

Even with backups there is no guarantee they are reliable. There is also no guarantee there was a snapshot at that instance before the problem came up. You also have the issue of if there is a backup far enough back that does not have the issue. Even with this users continue to never make a backup.

A script suggests that you do a backup before upgrading yet no one does it. Heck even something as simple as uploading a new file no one ever bothers to make sure to have the old one in case the new one does not work properly.

So in this case they could have just said the backup was corrupt. A lot use this as an excuse when the backups do not work. But there are cases when they've been doing backups and they end up having corrupt ones anyways.

All the more reason that customers should be backing up their own data as well...

Just as Tony pointed out, having one backup source can be unreliable. You need a backup for your backups and if you're really "good", a backup for your backups backups. Your primary source of backups failed you, your hosting provider, so you should have simply been able to restore from one of your own backups. Sure, you may not download a nightly database backup, but at least do it weekly, or MONTHLY at the very least. Having some sort of a database to restore to is probably better then not having one at all. ALWAYS MAKE YOUR OWN BACKUPS!

All the more reason that customers should be backing up their own data as well...

Just as Tony pointed out, having one backup source can be unreliable. You need a backup for your backups and if you're really "good", a backup for your backups backups. Your primary source of backups failed you, your hosting provider, so you should have simply been able to restore from one of your own backups. Sure, you may not download a nightly database backup, but at least do it weekly, or MONTHLY at the very least. Having some sort of a database to restore to is probably better then not having one at all. ALWAYS MAKE YOUR OWN BACKUPS!

Good Point,
Everyone needs to remember that web hosts perform server backups in case of a complete server failure. There are several hosts who will not restore a single account.
You should always maintain your own backups. Typically I have the following set up for my main personal account

Weekly cPanel Manual Backups
cPanel Backups after a major change
Nightly WHMCS Database Backups sent to an external location (Customer Database/Billing/etc)

Look at it on the bright side, at least they were honest and now you can take steps to ensure you don't have bigger problems in the future ;)

Look at it on the bright side, at least they were honest and now you can take steps to ensure you don't have bigger problems in the future ;)

Ekin,
You mean a future with a host that DOES do backups when they say they do, right?

Ekin,You mean a future with a host that DOES do backups when they say they do, right?


Yep :)

Now some completely pointless text for the 10 character limit...

The funny thing is on their site is the following text


HiyaCorp Warehousing Service is a professionally managed service that allows you to continuously back up business data, archives it in our secure data center and makes it immediately available for recovery 24 hours a day. Our backup servers are 100% fail safe and so is your data. We have 100% Uptime and all backups are themselves backed up onto a RAID system setup ensuring that your data is always live and accessable.


There are also several BOLO's on WHT

http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?t=512634
http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?t=545920

That's some pretty dishonest marketing if that's the case. They are a member here, right? May be they can respond.

Also, how can a server be 100% failsafe?

I know we all wish that a server can be failsafe, but it is not a realistic option

I think all hosts should do at least weekly backups. If it's corrupt, so be it.

What's worse than not doing backups, is doing backups and then charging the customer a ridiculous amount for the retrieval and restoration of a backup. Back when I used GoDaddy they tried to stick me with a $500 dollar retrieval and restoration fee, I flipped out.

I think all hosts should do at least weekly backups. If it's corrupt, so be it.

What's worse than not doing backups, is doing backups and then charging the customer a ridiculous amount for the retrieval and restoration of a backup. Back when I used GoDaddy they tried to stick me with a $500 dollar retrieval and restoration fee, I flipped out.

I presume your data wasn't worth much to you then? TANSTAAFL.

Regardless of if your host makes backups or not, you should always maintain your own backups as well.

Regardless of if your host makes backups or not, you should always maintain your own backups as well.

So true. It amazes me how many folks claim to be loose hundreds to thousands of dollars a day when a host goes offline for whatever reason...permanent or otherwise, and they are "held hostage" because they can't get their data.

I don't care who claims to do backups, if I have to go to the hosting company to restore something, *I have failed my customers* much more then my hosting company has failed me.

I could not seriously tell a client that I, myself, don't have backups, but I am just SO MIFFED that darned hosting company didn't have any either...the gall of them!! Don't they know how important my clients data is??

Now, not true if you have bought a specific backup service, but the only service I would purchase myself is the space...as for the physical method of placing that data there, I'm going to control that, and also of checking integrity...down to me.

Depending on some hosts backups is OK for your personal ventures. If clients are paying you, control it yourself. Dependable backups are only such if you can check them directly each and every day.

If a host advertises backups, they should be done. Corrupted they may be, but they should be there. Anything else would entitle the customer to a partial refund of all payments done to date, and that at the very least. The false claim should be promptly removed as well.

IMHO, if "backups" is a feature of a hosting package, the host should explain if the customer can rely on it to correct his own mistakes or not, if yes at what cost, etc.

I presume your data wasn't worth much to you then? TANSTAAFL.

I actually sued them for it, it was really important data. It ended up costing me thousands in the long run, but I made my point and didn't give into the ridiculous fee they wanted to charge.

Daily backups are important and all hosts should do that. It is also important that the enduser keep back ups of their site. Well I think that wise anyway

Client's open ticket regarding backups has gone unanswered for 5 days. Backups are being done by my own staff for this client - but HiyaCorp does need to explain wtf is going on.

Still no answer from HiyaCorp on this clients' open support ticket on backups not being configured while clearly advertised.

It is "forwarded to an admin" and then the support representative asks if the hosting plan includes backups - Looking at HiyaCorps offerings here on WHT and on their site, clearly indicates they do backups.

You guys that are preaching "download your backup nightly, blah, blah". Thanks. I think that's pretty obvious.

The issue here isn't about managing your own backups. It's about a company who is BLATANTLY lying to it's customers. Imagine the amount of people using the HiyaCorp service right now that have a false feeling of security when it comes to their data.

Hopefully they respond. Pathetic really.

You should always do your own backups unless you have a legally binding SLA backup contract with your host. It's negligent to do anything else.

You should always do your own backups unless you have a legally binding SLA backup contract with your host. It's negligent to do anything else.

I think that goes to show just how "corrupt" the feature of hosting company provided backups really is. We provide backup services to our VOIP customers and I can honestly tell you they should NEVER be expected to make their own backups. If that was an expectation of them then I'm not doing my job correctly.

Either be reliable with your backups or don't offer them. Simple as that.

Gosh, this market needs some regulation...

Couldn't agree more. Some sort of licensing / audit system would make a big difference.

You should always do your own backups unless you have a legally binding SLA backup contract with your host. It's negligent to do anything else.


The offer to sell the promised services stated is a legally binding contract when accepted and paid for by the customer isn't it?

The fact that a host choses not to will often go un-noticed until disaster. Then, there's not much that the client can do or will do. It's a risk that many hosts are obviously taking.

I always do backups of my websites to a pendrive or external harddrive. I put in alot of time and effort and it doesn't sit will with me to relay on a company for my backups.

It's not a matter of doing your own backups or not. A provider has advertised a product offering that includes backups. The provider is NOT doing backups. It's false advertising and makes me wonder how they would even be able to recover from any type of failure.

It's been almost 2 weeks and not one response from the "admin" ... it's not good enough.

This client that is hosted there has started the migration process to switch hosts.

You guys that are preaching "download your backup nightly, blah, blah". Thanks. I think that's pretty obvious

I agree it's pretty obvious that you should always do your own backup! /duck!

agree the point to this post is false advertisement, especially since the account in question did have a backup and did not loose data.

If they don't have backups they are going to learn an expensive lesson one day. Hard drives have a finite life and many will fail at some point. And not even RAID can save you sometimes. Just yesterday we received errors from a RAID controller on one of our older RAID 1 servers (new servers have RAID 10). Seemed to be a routine hard drive dying which requires a routine take server down and replace drive and rebuild array jobby. But when it was replaced RAID didn't recognise any drives. The original was placed back in and started to make a nasty clicking sound. Controller was replaced. Nothing. The array was just dead with no salvagable data. Not supposed to happen yet it does. Luckily an OS reload and quick bare metal restore from a backup server meant all was well. Clients had some downtime but at least they had all their data. Everyone was thrilled.

Backups should be treasured. They are holy. :)

Backups should be treasured. They are holy.

At HN technology is mixed with a tint of religion. Who would have guessed? :P

Hosting is my religion. :D

One of our clients had secured their own hosting account with HiyaCorp sometime ago. The client asked me to look into a database issue they were having and ...

One of our clients had secured their own hosting account with HiyaCorp sometime ago. The client asked me to look into a database issue they were having and ...

and...

Did I just miss something?

Hosting is my religion. :D

LOL!

Well, that's a great thing!

:-)


Ticket is still open after more than 2 weeks, no response other than "it's forwarded to our senior admin"

Maybe HiyaCorp should join your religion! :)

LOL!

Well, that's a great thing!

:-)


Ticket is still open after more than 2 weeks, no response other than "it's forwarded to our senior admin"

Maybe HiyaCorp should join your religion! :)

"In the beginning God created Intel and AMD. Both were great server processors until Intel took a byte of the Apple...."

Well, the ticket is still unanswered, but the client has switched.

It's now a mute point. I'm guessing the "admin" that is dealing with this issue has gone on a semi-permanent vacation.

LOL!

Well, that's a great thing!

:-)


Ticket is still open after more than 2 weeks, no response other than "it's forwarded to our senior admin"

Maybe HiyaCorp should join your religion! :)

Probably out sourced support for low level issues and escalated to whomever owns or runs it if it's a difficult problem. The problem being whomever that is has gone mia. The company is just running on the outsourced team who was paid up.

My guess anyways.

With the ticket being unanswered for over a month shows that there is something definitely wrong. Even if the "senior admin" responded to say the online chat support was incorrect and we do backups. We'll restore the necessary files ... but it's the LACK OF RESPONSE that should be just as alarming.

I definitely give HiyaCorp a thumbs down on this one.

That's awfully wrong of a company to lie like that. They promised backups, and should have something to backup that claim. I would suggest having the client move to another provider that does have experience with doing backups.