> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.cloudback.it/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.cloudback.it/linear/first-backup-walkthrough.md).

# First Backup Walkthrough

After connecting your Linear workspace to Cloudback, this guide walks you through triggering your first backup and understanding the results.

## Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure:

* Your Linear workspace is [connected to Cloudback](/linear/installation-guide.md)
* A [subscription is assigned](https://github.com/cloudback/docs-internal/blob/docs/account-and-billing-management/subscription-management.md) to the workspace
* The workspace appears in the **Linear** dashboard

## Triggering Your First Backup

While Cloudback will automatically back up your workspace on the configured schedule (daily by default), you can trigger a backup immediately:

1. Navigate to the **Linear** section in the left sidebar
2. Select the checkbox next to your workspace
3. Click the **Trigger** button in the toolbar

Alternatively, you can trigger a backup from the workspace details page:

1. Click on your workspace name to open the **Workspace Details** page
2. Click the **Backup now** button in the top-right corner

The backup process begins immediately. You'll see a progress indicator in the dashboard.

## Monitoring Backup Progress

While the backup is running:

* The **Backup** column in the dashboard shows **In Progress** with a blue indicator
* On the Workspace Details page, a running status badge replaces the **Backup now** button

## Viewing Backup Results

Once the backup completes:

1. The **Backup** column shows **Succeeded** (green) or **Failed** (red)
2. The **Last Run** column shows how long ago the backup completed (e.g., "2 minutes ago")

### Workspace Details Page

Click on your workspace to view detailed results:

**Overview Tab:**

* **Settings** section shows your current schedule, storage, and retention policy
* **Statistics** section shows backup time and size charts over the selected period
* **Last Backup** section shows the most recent backup details including:
  * Status, start time, elapsed time, archive size
  * Deduplication status
  * Storage location
  * **Collected metadata** - a detailed breakdown showing counts for:
    * Teams, Projects, Issues, Comments
    * Cycles, Documents, Labels, Project Labels
    * Custom Views, Initiatives, Templates (issue/project/document)
    * Project Updates, Initiative Updates
    * Project Milestones, Users, Attachments
    * Embedded Files (successful + failed)
    * External Users

**Backups Tab:**

* Lists all backup archives with status, time, size, and storage
* Click the **Information** icon to view details for any backup
* Use the **Download** button to download the archive
* Use the **Restore** button to start a restore operation

**Restores Tab:**

* Shows any restore operations (empty after your first backup)

## Downloading Your First Backup

To download and inspect the backup archive:

1. On the **Workspace Details** page, click the **Backups** tab
2. Click the **Download** icon on your first backup
3. The archive is a password-protected ZIP file (AES-256). The password-protection can be disabled in settings if desired.
4. The password is emailed automatically (if password-protection is enabled).

To extract the archive, use a tool that supports AES-256 encryption (e.g., [7-Zip](https://www.7-zip.org/)). Windows built-in ZIP handler does not support AES encryption.

The archive contains JSON files organized in directories. See [Linear Backup Contents](/linear/backup-contents.md) for the full structure.

## Understanding the Dashboard Columns

The Linear dashboard shows the following columns for your workspace:

| Column        | Description                                           |
| ------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| **Select**    | Checkbox for bulk operations                          |
| **Workspace** | Linear workspace name (clickable to open details)     |
| **Name**      | Subject name within the workspace                     |
| **Type**      | Type of backup subject                                |
| **Status**    | Scheduled, Not scheduled, or Restore only             |
| **Schedule**  | Backup schedule name (e.g., "Daily at 9 pm")          |
| **Storage**   | Storage location (e.g., "Cloudback US")               |
| **Retention** | Retention policy (e.g., "Last 30 days")               |
| **Backup**    | Last backup status (Succeeded / Failed / In Progress) |
| **Last Run**  | Time since last backup                                |

## Next Steps

* **Customize settings**: Change backup schedule, storage, or retention from the Workspace Details page
* **Set up notifications**: Configure instant notifications for backup success/failure via Slack, Discord, or Microsoft Teams
* **Enable deduplication**: Reduce storage usage by enabling data deduplication on your storage
* **Explore restore**: Learn how to [restore data from a backup](/linear/restore.md)

## Learn More

* [Linear Backup Contents](/linear/backup-contents.md) - What's included in each backup
* [Automated Daily Backups](https://github.com/cloudback/docs-internal/blob/docs/managing-backups/automated-daily-backups.md) - Schedule configuration
* [Instant Notifications](https://github.com/cloudback/docs-internal/blob/docs/managing-backups/instant-notifications.md) - Set up backup alerts
* [Download Backups](https://github.com/cloudback/docs-internal/blob/docs/data-restoration/download-backups.md) - Download and extract archives


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