Redundant Backup and Read Source Switching

Redundant backup stores an extra copy of an already uploaded file.

Both the primary file and the backup file can be used as read sources. Visitors normally see no difference. The only difference is which storage channel serves the file.

What Redundant Backup Can Do

Feature	Description
Store an extra copy	Back up files to another upload channel to reduce the risk of a single channel failure.
Switch read source	After backup succeeds, switch file reads between the primary channel and backup channel.
Single-file backup	Back up one file from its file details page.
Batch backup	Select multiple files in the admin page and back them up together.
Global redundant backup	Back up files by folder from Other Settings.

Redundant Backup Entry

Open:

System Settings -> Other Settings -> Redundant Backup

This entry is best for adding backups to a folder or to all files in bulk.

The backup channel can be selected manually, or you can choose automatic switching and let ImgBed find a suitable backup channel.

Backup From File Details

Open a file details page in the admin panel and click backup.

This is best for backing up one important file on demand.

After backup succeeds, the file details page shows available read sources.

Batch Backup by Selection

In the admin panel, select multiple files and run batch backup.

This is best for processing a group of files.

Selection backup, file details backup, and redundant backup under Other Settings all use the same backup system. They are just different entry points.

Switching Read Source After Backup

After backup completes, the file details page lets you switch read source:

Read Source	Description
Primary channel	Reads from the original upload channel.
Backup channel	Reads from the backup channel.

Visitors do not need to know whether the file is served from the primary or backup channel.

Whichever read source you choose becomes the preferred source for later file access.

When Backup Is Skipped

The following cases are skipped during backup. They are not errors.

Case	Why It Is Skipped
Already backed up	A file that already has a backup is not backed up again.
Primary and backup channels are the same	A backup must be stored in another channel to be meaningful.
No usable backup channel	No suitable alternative channel is available.

In short: backups must go to another channel, and already backed-up files do not consume extra space again.

Primary Channel vs Backup Channel

Name	Meaning
Primary channel	The channel used when the file was first uploaded.
Backup channel	The channel that stores the redundant copy.
Primary read source	The file is currently read from the primary channel.
Backup read source	The file is currently read from the backup channel.

Primary and backup read sources have the same user-facing behavior.

As long as the backup file is available, images, videos, and download links continue to work after switching to the backup read source.

What Happens When a File Is Deleted

When a file is deleted, ImgBed deletes both the primary file and the backup file.