---
title: "POST /v1/projects/{projectsId}/locations/{locationsId}/backupVaults/{backupVaultsId}/dataSources/{dataSourcesId}:initiateBackup"
method: POST
path: "/v1/projects/{projectsId}/locations/{locationsId}/backupVaults/{backupVaultsId}/dataSources/{dataSourcesId}:initiateBackup"
tags: ["projects"]
---

# POST /v1/projects/{projectsId}/locations/{locationsId}/backupVaults/{backupVaultsId}/dataSources/{dataSourcesId}:initiateBackup

`POST /v1/projects/{projectsId}/locations/{locationsId}/backupVaults/{backupVaultsId}/dataSources/{dataSourcesId}:initiateBackup`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://backupdr.googleapis.com`
- URL: `https://backupdr.googleapis.com/v1/projects/{projectsId}/locations/{locationsId}/backupVaults/{backupVaultsId}/dataSources/{dataSourcesId}:initiateBackup`
- Auth: one of:
  - OAuth 2 and OAuth 2
    - Implicit: `https://accounts.google.com/o/oauth2/auth`
    - Scopes: `https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloud-backupdr`
    - Authorization code: `https://accounts.google.com/o/oauth2/auth`
    - Token URL: `https://accounts.google.com/o/oauth2/token` scopes: `https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloud-backupdr`
  - OAuth 2 and OAuth 2
    - Implicit: `https://accounts.google.com/o/oauth2/auth`
    - Scopes: `https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloud-platform`
    - Authorization code: `https://accounts.google.com/o/oauth2/auth`
    - Token URL: `https://accounts.google.com/o/oauth2/token` scopes: `https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloud-platform`

Internal only. Initiates a backup.

## Path parameters

- `projectsId` string, required
- `locationsId` string, required
- `backupVaultsId` string, required
- `dataSourcesId` string, required

## Request body

- InitiateBackupRequest: request message for InitiateBackup.
  - `backupId` string: Required. Resource ID of the Backup resource.
  - `requestId` string: Optional. An optional request ID to identify requests. Specify a unique request ID so that if you must retry your request, the server will know to ignore the request if it has already been completed. The server will guarantee that for at least 60 minutes since the first request. For example, consider a situation where you make an initial request and the request times out. If you make the request again with the same request ID, the server can check if original operation with the same request ID was received, and if so, will ignore the second request. This prevents clients from accidentally creating duplicate commitments. The request ID must be a valid UUID with the exception that zero UUID is not supported (00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000).

## Response `200`

Successful response

- InitiateBackupResponse: Response message for InitiateBackup.
  - `backup` string: The name of the backup that was created.
  - `baseBackupGenerationId` integer: The generation id of the base backup. It is needed for the incremental backups.
  - `newBackupGenerationId` integer: The generation id of the new backup.

## Changes

- **2026-11-05** `da857420b4f6`: 4 info
  - the security scope `https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloud-backupdr` was added to the endpoint's security scheme `Oauth2`
  - the security scope `https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloud-backupdr` was added to the endpoint's security scheme `Oauth2c`
  - the security scope `https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloud-platform` was removed from the endpoint's security scheme `Oauth2`
  - the security scope `https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloud-platform` was removed from the endpoint's security scheme `Oauth2c`
- **2026-10-29** `3244196e66b0`: 4 info
  - the security scope `https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloud-backupdr` was added to the endpoint's security scheme `Oauth2`
  - the security scope `https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloud-backupdr` was added to the endpoint's security scheme `Oauth2c`
  - the security scope `https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloud-platform` was removed from the endpoint's security scheme `Oauth2`
  - the security scope `https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloud-platform` was removed from the endpoint's security scheme `Oauth2c`

[Operation history](https://skmtc.dev/google/apis/backupdr/changes/v1/projects/:projectsId/locations/:locationsId/backupVaults/:backupVaultsId/dataSources/:dataSourcesId:initiateBackup/post.md)

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/google/apis/backupdr.md) - [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/google/apis/backupdr/llms.txt) - [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/google/apis/backupdr/revisions/da857420b4f6?raw)