Where Does Teleport Store Data and Config?
Teleport data directory and teleport.yaml config paths on Linux for auth and proxy services.
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Teleport splits state two ways: a data directory with backend storage, session recordings and certificates, and a YAML config selecting which services run. Lose the data dir and the cluster forgets users, roles and recordings.
File-based backend suits single nodes while etcd backs fleets. Back up the data directory plus teleport.yaml together or restores mismatch versions and identities.
Where Teleport stores this, by platform
/var/lib/teleport
Default backend storage with auth data, session recordings under log, and node identity files. Config defaults to /etc/teleport.yaml. Never copy a data dir between nodes; identity files collide and both nodes break. Snapshot with services stopped or use backend-native backups.
Frequently asked questions
How do I back up a Teleport cluster?
Snapshot the backend per its type plus /var/lib/teleport contents and teleport.yaml. Single-node file backends copy cleanly only with services stopped.
Where are Teleport session recordings?
Under the log path inside the data directory above, playable from the web UI audit log. Streaming uploads to object storage skip local disk when configured.
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