---
name: vpc-backup_service_vpc_apply_policy
title: Applying backup policies to resources
description: Apply backup policies by adding user tags to new or existing volumes, virtual server instances, or shares. When these tags match a backup policy tag, a backup is created.
last-updated: 2026-07-14
---

> ## Documentation Index
> The table of contents for this documentation set is at https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?format=markdown
> The index for all IBM Cloud docs is at: https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use these files to discover more information as needed.

# Applying backup policies to resources
{: #backup-use-policies}

Apply backup policies by adding user tags to new or existing volumes, virtual server instances, or shares. When these tags match a backup policy tag, a backup is created.
{: shortdesc}

Up to 100 tags can be attached or detached in the same operation. Maintaining a limited quantity of tags can simplify monitoring their usage and your backups.

1. [Create a backup policy and plan](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-create-backup-policy-and-plan&format=markdown), and specify the tags for the target resources.
1. Find the resources that you want to back up.
1. Apply backup policy tags to your target [volumes](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-managing-block-storage&interface=ui&format=markdown#add-user-tags-volumes-ui), or [virtual server instances](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-creating-virtual-servers&interface=ui&format=markdown#creating-virtual-servers-ui), or [file shares](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-file-storage-managing&interface=ui&format=markdown#fs-add-user-tags) in the console.{: ui}
  
   Backup schedules for file shares can be set up only on the source side of a replication pair. Scheduling snapshots of a replica share is not supported. When you fail over operations to the replica share, the source and replica shares switch roles. After a failover, remove backup policies from what was previously the source share and apply them to the current source share. Update the tags on the affected shares.
   {: important}
   
1. Apply backup policy tags to your target [volumes](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-managing-block-storage&interface=cli&format=markdown#add-user-tags-volumes-cli), or [virtual server instances](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-creating-virtual-servers&interface=cli&format=markdown#creating-virtual-servers-cli), or [file shares](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-file-storage-managing&interface=cli&format=markdown#fs-add-user-tags) from the CLI.{: cli}
  
   Backup schedules for file shares can be set up only on the source side of a replication pair. Scheduling snapshots of a replica share is not supported. When you fail over operations to the replica share, the source and replica shares switch roles. After a failover, remove backup policies from what was previously the source share and apply them to the current source share. Update the tags on the affected shares.
   {: important}
   
1. Apply backup policy tags to your target [volumes](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-managing-block-storage&interface=api&format=markdown#add-user-tags-volumes-api), or [virtual server instances](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-creating-virtual-servers&interface=api&format=markdown#create-instance-api), or [file shares](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-file-storage-managing&interface=api&format=markdown#fs-add-user-tags) with the API.{: api}
  
   Backup schedules for file shares can be set up only on the source side of a replication pair. Scheduling snapshots of a replica share is not supported. When you fail over operations to the replica share, the source and replica shares switch roles. After a failover, remove backup policies from what was previously the source share and apply them to the current source share. Update the tags on the affected shares.
   {: important}

1. Apply backup policy tags to your target [volumes](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-managing-block-storage&interface=terraform&format=markdown#block-storage-add-tags-terraform), or [virtual server instances](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-creating-virtual-servers&interface=terraform&format=markdown#create-instance-terraform), or [file shares](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-file-storage-managing&interface=terraform&format=markdown#file-storage-manage-terraform) with Terraform.{: terraform}
   
   Backup schedules for file shares can be set up only on the source side of a replication pair. Scheduling snapshots of a replica share is not supported. When you fail over operations to the replica share, the source and replica shares switch roles. After a failover, remove backup policies from what was previously the source share and apply them to the current source share. Update the tags on the affected shares.
   {: important}
   
1. Verify that your selected resource is associated with a backup policy. For more information, see [View a list of resources that have a backup policy](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-backup-view-policies&interface=ui&format=markdown#backup-view-vol-backup-policies).

   If you add resources to be backed up later, and you have a resource-specific authorization, review and adjust your authorization to include the new resources. New backups can fail if the scope of the resource-specific authorization does not cover the newly tagged resources. For more information about service-to-service authorizations, see [Establishing service-to-service authorizations](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-backup-s2s-auth&format=markdown).
   {: attention}

## Next steps
{: #backup-next-steps-use}

* [Manage your backup policies and plans](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-backup-service-manage&format=markdown).
* [Create extra backup policies](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-create-backup-policy-and-plan&format=markdown).
* [Restore a volume from a backup snapshot](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-baas-vpc-restore&format=markdown).