---
title: Back Up a Device
slug: manufacturing-connect-edge-v2/back-up-a-device
docTags: 
createdAt: 2022-10-07T14:45:34.000Z
---

You can backup your Litmus Edge with its configurations by navigating to **System **>** Device Management > Backup/Restore**.

:::hint{type="warning"}
**Important**: If you create a backup on an instance of Manufacturing Connect Edge running on a virtual machine, you can't use the same backup to restore an instance of Manufacturing Connect Edge running on a physical device. 
:::

There are two ways to back up a device: Manually and Cloud. 

# Back Up a Device Manually

You can back up a device manually and save a copy of the device to your local drive. 

## Before You Begin

Review the following resources before manually backing up a device. 

- [Prepare for Backup](docId\:LomHPnRj8mFgcSftjeXS8) 
- [Backup File Contents and File Management](docId\:ESlhEu0mSFXdYaUbIYWyd) 

## How To Back Up a Device Manually

**To manually back up a device:**

1. In Manufacturing Connect Edge, navigate to **System ***> ***Device Management**.
2. Click the **Backup/Restore** tab. 
   The *Backup/Restore* pane appears. 
3. From the *Backup/Restore Configuration* section, click **Backup**.
   A backup.dat file is save to the Downloads folder.
   ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/SSUUxKZUk9bFTEPNn_6Zo/Zc0H26B8AkaLFg1Z0JcFS_backup-button.png)
4. Move the **backup.dat **file to a designated folder on your local drive.
5. Rename the **backup.dat **file according to your naming convention.

## Recommended Alternative: Use Manufacturing Connect to Backup Device

As instructed above, backing up a Manufacturing Connect Edge device is a *manual *process. Manufacturing Connect offers an *automatic *backing up feature for your Manufacturing Connect Edge devices. This option automatically creates a new backup every time a Manufacturing Connect Edge device’s configuration setting changes. This includes setting changes such as saving a flow, adding a new user, or adding a new Analytics processor.

See [Backup](docId\:LJHONGR2p8GW07H5Av854) from the Manufacturing Connect documentation to learn more. 

# Back Up a Device to the Cloud

Backup to the Cloud facilitates backups to Manufacturing Connect. Backups allow you to save a Manufacturing Connect Edge device configuration to the cloud and later restore the configuration for the same device.

You can save the current device configuration to the cloud. This enables you to store full license and configuration information within a backup JSON file. You can later restore the full license and configuration to the same Manufacturing Connect Edge device.

- Use this option to save a Manufacturing Connect Edge device configuration so that you can later revert to a previous configuration.
- Use this option to store a local backup of the Manufacturing Connect Edge device configuration.

## Before You Begin

Before completing the steps below, make sure you do the following:

- Obtain a license for backup and restore.
- Activate the device with Manufacturing Connect. See [Activate an Edge Device](docId:-6SYk85fEjmaOHxWYbJw1) for more information.

## How To Back Up a Device to the Cloud

:::hint{type="warning"}
**Important:** When you configure a device backup to the Cloud, you have the option of selecting the backup time interval. This selection determines the frequency at which the backup mechanism checks the device configuration for changes. If no changes are made, no backup file will be sent.
:::

**To save a device configuration to the cloud:**

1. In Manufacturing Connect Edge, navigate to **System ***> ***Device Management**.
2. Click the **Backup/Restore** tab. 
   The *Backup/Restore *pane appears. 
3. From the *Restore/Backup to the Cloud* section, click **Configure **and select an option from the drop-down list: None, 1 Day, 1 Hour, 10 minutes, custom interval in minutes.
   ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/SSUUxKZUk9bFTEPNn_6Zo/EIywUk-cL9Ahr5Jzbv-_W_configure-backup.png)
4. After you have made your selection or entered an interval in minutes into the **Interval **field, click **Set Custom**.
5. From the* Restore/Backup to the Cloud* section, click **Save**.
   The backup configuration is saved to the cloud according to your selections. The backup files appear as files in the *Restore/Backup to the Cloud* section for the interval you have selected.