Backup, Restore & Migration

Back up your node identity, restore from scratch, and migrate between hosts with zero collateral risk.

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Backup, Restore & Migration

Maintaining backups and knowing how to migrate a node between hosts is essential for any node operator. This guide covers what to back up, how to restore, and the process for moving a node to new hardware.

What to Back Up

Item	Location	Critical?
Flux private key	flux.conf (fluxnodePrivKey)	Yes — required for node identity
Collateral TX hash	flux.conf (fluxnodeTxhash)	Yes — links node to collateral
Collateral output index	flux.conf (fluxnodeoutputindex)	Yes — identifies the specific UTXO
Wallet backup	ZelCore / SSP Wallet seed phrase	Critical — only way to recover funds
FluxOS config	~/zelflux/config/	Nice to have — can be reconfigured
Docker volumes	/var/lib/docker/volumes/	Optional — only if running persistent apps

Your wallet seed phrase and Flux private key are the most critical items. Store them securely offline — never in cloud storage, email, or screenshots. If you lose the seed phrase, you lose access to your collateral permanently.

Backup Procedure (Legacy Nodes)

Extract Node Identity

# Extract critical config values
cat ~/.flux/flux.conf | grep -E "fluxnodePrivKey|fluxnodeTxhash|fluxnodeoutputindex"

# Save to a secure location (USB drive, encrypted file)
# NEVER store these on the node itself as the only copy

Restoring a Node

1
Fresh OS install
Install Ubuntu (legacy) or ArcaneOS on the target machine.
2
Run installer
Use Multitoolbox Option 2 (legacy) or the ArcaneOS setup wizard.
3
Enter saved credentials
Provide your backed-up Flux private key, TX hash, and output index when prompted.
4
Wait for sync
The daemon will sync the blockchain (use Multitoolbox Option 5 to speed this up).
5
Verify status
Check that the node appears as confirmed on the network.

Migrating Between Hosts

When moving a node to a different server or hosting provider:

•IP change: The node will get a new IP address. This is handled automatically — the network will recognize the node by its collateral, not its IP.
•Downtime: Plan for 30–60 minutes of downtime during migration. Do this during your maintenance window (300+ blocks remaining).
•Collateral safety: Your collateral remains locked on-chain. Do NOT send or move it during migration.
•Confirmation wait: After migration, the node must be re-confirmed. This happens within 1–2 confirmation cycles (1–2 hours).

Application Data Backup

FluxOS provides built-in backup and restore capabilities for hosted applications via the API:

App Backup API

# Get volume data info for an app component
curl -s http://NODE_IP:16127/backup/getvolumedataofcomponent/APP_NAME/COMPONENT | jq

# List local backups
curl -s http://NODE_IP:16127/backup/getlocalbackuplist/ | jq

# Trigger backup via POST (requires auth)
curl -s -X POST http://NODE_IP:16127/apps/appendbackuptask \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"appname": "myapp", "component": "main"}'

Backup, Restore & Migration