FTP

Store backups on a remote FTP server. Supports plain FTP and explicit FTPS (FTP over TLS).

Configuration

Credential Profile required

FTP requires a Credential Profile of type USERNAME_PASSWORD. Create one in Settings → Vault → Credentials before saving the destination.

Field	Description	Default	Required
Name	Friendly name for this destination	-	✅
Host	Hostname or IP of the FTP server	-	✅
Port	FTP port	21	❌
Primary Credential	USERNAME_PASSWORD credential profile (username + password)	-	❌
TLS	Enable explicit FTPS (FTP over TLS)	false	❌
Path Prefix	Remote directory for backups	-	❌

Setup Guide

1. Create a USERNAME_PASSWORD credential profile in Settings → Vault → Credentials (guide)
2. Ensure an FTP server is running on the target host
3. Create a dedicated user with write access to the backup directory
4. Go to Destinations → Add Destination → FTP
5. Enter Host and select the credential profile in the Primary Credential picker
6. Enable TLS if your server supports FTPS (recommended)
7. (Optional) Set a Path Prefix to specify the remote directory
8. Click Test to verify the connection

Security

Plain FTP transfers credentials and data unencrypted. Always enable TLS when possible, or consider SFTP as a more secure alternative.

How It Works

• When TLS is enabled, DBackup uses explicit FTPS (AUTH TLS) - the connection upgrades from plain to encrypted
• DBackup creates subdirectories per job within the Path Prefix automatically
• All credentials are stored AES-256-GCM encrypted in the database

Troubleshooting

Connection Refused

connect ECONNREFUSED

Solution: Verify the host and port. Ensure the FTP service is running and the firewall allows the FTP port and passive port range.

Login Failed

530 Login authentication failed

Solution: Verify username and password. Check the FTP server logs for more detail.

TLS Handshake Error

SSL routines / handshake failure

Solution: Ensure the server supports explicit FTPS (AUTH TLS). Implicit FTPS (port 990) is not supported - use explicit mode on port 21.

Passive Mode Issues

ETIMEDOUT after PASV

Solution: Ensure the server's passive port range is open in the firewall. In Docker, the FTP data ports also need to be forwarded.

Next Steps

• Enable Encryption
• Configure Retention
• Storage Explorer