How is my data backed up?

Your data is protected by multiple layers of backups and redundancy. Here's how we keep your information safe:

Database Backups

Your database is hosted on PlanetScale, which provides automatic backups and replication:

Automatic backups — PlanetScale automatically backs up your database regularly
Replicas — Your database is replicated across multiple servers for redundancy
Point-in-time recovery — You can restore your database to any point in time
Geographic redundancy — Data is stored across multiple data centers

Heroku backups — We also use Heroku's backup system to create additional database snapshots before major changes or deployments.

File Storage Backups

All uploaded files (artwork images, documents, etc.) are stored in Amazon S3, which provides:

99.999999999% durability — S3 is designed to withstand the loss of data in multiple facilities
Automatic replication — Files are automatically replicated across multiple data centers
Versioning — S3 can maintain multiple versions of files if configured
Geographic distribution — Files are stored across multiple AWS regions

What this means: Your files are protected against hardware failures, data corruption, and even regional disasters.

Backup Retention

Database backups — Retained according to PlanetScale's retention policy (typically 7-30 days depending on your plan)
Heroku backups — Manual backups are retained until manually deleted
File storage — Files in S3 are retained indefinitely unless explicitly deleted

What Gets Backed Up

Database (PlanetScale/Heroku): - All entry information - User accounts and profiles - Call settings and configurations - Voting data and jury scores - System settings and preferences

File Storage (S3): - Artwork images - Additional views and detail shots - Uploaded documents - Generated download packages

Recovery Options

If something goes wrong, we can:

Restore from PlanetScale backups — Restore your database to a previous point in time
Restore from Heroku backups — Use manual backups created before deployments
Recover files from S3 — Access previous versions of files if versioning is enabled

What This Means for You

Your data is safe because:

Multiple backup systems protect against different types of failures
Automatic backups happen without any action required from you
Geographic redundancy protects against regional disasters
Point-in-time recovery lets us restore to any moment before a problem occurred

You don't need to worry about:

Losing data due to hardware failures
Accidental deletions
Data corruption
Server crashes

We handle all backup management so you can focus on running your calls and exhibitions.

Questions?

If you have specific questions about backups, data recovery, or data retention, don't hesitate to reach out. We're committed to keeping your data safe and accessible.