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+# Per-service backup record — template
+
+Copy this file to `roles/<service>/BACKUP.md` when building a **stateful** service
+role (ADR-022). It is the per-service **backup record**: what state the service holds,
+how it is captured consistently, and how it is restored. The structured parts are
+**rendered from the role's `backup__*` data** (the single source of truth that also
+drives `/check-backup`) — keep the data authoritative and regenerate this file rather
+than hand-editing the tables. The prose "Restore notes" tail is hand-written.
+
+A **stateless** service (holds no persistent data) does not get a `BACKUP.md`; it sets
+`backup__state: false` with a reason in its role defaults instead.
+
+Delete this preamble in the copy and start from the heading below.
+
+---
+
+# Backup — <service>
+
+## State captured
+
+Rendered from `backup__*`:
+
+| What | Source | How captured |
+|---|---|---|
+| data dir(s) | `<backup__paths[*]>` | file-level, pulled read-only |
+| database | `<backup__dumps[*].cmd>` → `<backup__dumps[*].dest>` | logical dump (default; ADR-022 Decision 7) |
+
+- **Quiesce:** `<backup__quiesce>` — `true` means the service is stopped → backed up →
+  restarted (escape hatch for data that cannot be dumped live; ADR-022 Decision 7 B).
+- **RPO:** ~24 h (nightly; ADR-022 Decision 2).
+
+## Restore procedure
+
+1. Re-provision the host (Terraform) and redeploy this role (Ansible) — Model A.
+2. `restic restore` the latest snapshot for `<backup__service>` into `<backup__paths>`.
+3. Replay each `<backup__dumps[*].dest>` into its database.
+4. Confirm with this role's `VERIFY.md` checks (ADR-008/017).
+
+## Restore notes
+
+Prose the data can't capture — ordering gotchas, "restore the DB before the data dir",
+known-tricky migrations.
+
+- <none yet>