Friendly reminder: backup, backup, backup.

You know you're out there, Mr. I-Just-Install-Plugins-At-Will guy. When you install something, anything, back up your db first!. It's rarely the hack's fault when your tables crash. This morning I installed one of Paul's mods, and my mysql service timed out in the middle of it. This isn't Paul's fault, or the hack - it's just bad luck.

Fortunately, an hour later and a couple of cups of coffee and my site's good to go because I am a total fanatic for backing up. If you have SSH access, it's one command. Make a shell script. Stick this in it:

# Site Backup
mysqldump --opt -Q -u username -ppassword dbname > /path/to/your/backups/db-`date --iso-8601`.sql

Run it, and it'll make a datestamped backup of your DB. Then install your product. If it's a clean install, just remove the file. The process is quick and painless, and will no doubt save you hours of frustrating table repairs, angry vb.org PM's to boofo for no reason*, and grey hairs.

So before you click that Import Product link, do yourself a favor and back your stuff up!.

*that's what I do, anyway

--------------- Added [DATE]1203860745[/DATE] at [TIME]1203860745[/TIME] ---------------

Also, don't post things in the wrong forum like I just did. You'll feel silly.

(Moved now )

[Lynne]

Very good advice! I must admit that I often forget to backup prior to adding a Mod. I always add the mod to my test site first, and if there are no problems, then I add it to my real site. (Which reminds me that I need to backup my test site!).

Also, another good thing is to remember to backup your files also. If you don't store attachments/avatars/etc in the database, then they are in the filesystem and won't get backed up when you backup your database!

This have to be the Tip of the Month...
(and we can repeat it monthly!)

[Boofo]

It might even rate a weekly shout around here.

Originally Posted by Lynne

Very good advice! I must admit that I often forget to backup prior to adding a Mod. I always add the mod to my test site first, and if there are no problems, then I add it to my real site. (Which reminds me that I need to backup my test site!).

Also, another good thing is to remember to backup your files also. If you don't store attachments/avatars/etc in the database, then they are in the filesystem and won't get backed up when you backup your database!

I actually use the db script in cron.daily, and toss this guy in cron.weekly to nab the filesystem.

# Filesystem backup
tar -czf /path/to/backups/sitename-`date --iso-8601`.tar.gz /path/to/httpdocs/

[Boofo]

Chris, can you PM exactly what you use for the file backups? I'm not sure I understand it fully.

@ Lynne - Thanks for the reminder on the file backups. Great idea!

[Lynne]

I wrote a script which I use to backup all my files. I run the attachment one once a week (7 GB of attachments) and the one for avatars, torrents, profile pics everynight. But, I also have all my files rsynced to an offsite server every night.

Originally Posted by Boofo

Chris, can you PM exactly what you use for the file backups? I'm not sure I understand it fully.

@ Lynne - Thanks for the reminder on the file backups. Great idea!

I actually wrote it all up once. Here's the filesystem howto:

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=105728

It's the same thing for the DB. In /etc/cron.daily I have a script called backup.sh, that contains this:

# Sevenstring.org Backup
mysqldump --opt -Q -u username -ppassword dbname > /path/to/your/backups/sevenstring-`date --iso-8601`.sql
Sleep 5
# Client 1 Backup
mysqldump --opt -Q -u username -ppassword dbname > /path/to/your/backups/client1-`date --iso-8601`.sql
sleep 5
# Client 2 Backup
mysqldump --opt -Q -u username -ppassword dbname > /path/to/your/backups/

And in /etc/cron.weekly, another file called weekly.sh that contains that, with the filesystem tacked on the end, like this:

#! /bin/bash
# Compressed Directory Tree Backup
tar -czvf /your/backup/folder/sitedata-`date --iso-8601`.tar.gz /path/to/your/siteroot/httpdocs/
# Sevenstring.org Backup
mysqldump --opt -Q -u username -ppassword dbname > /path/to/your/backups/sevenstring-`date --iso-8601`.sql
Sleep 5
# Client 1 Backup
mysqldump --opt -Q -u username -ppassword dbname > /path/to/your/backups/client1-`date --iso-8601`.sql
sleep 5
# Client 2 Backup
mysqldump --opt -Q -u username -ppassword dbname > /path/to/your/backups/

The format for the output file is just the linux date call, so this:

sitedata-`date --iso-8601`.tar.gz

Makes a file called sitedata-2008-02-24.tar.gz. In the same vein, the dtabase backups are named things like sevenstring-2008-02-24.sql, etc, etc, so that the filenames ARE the dates they are created. You can change 'sitedata' to whatever you want to call it.

Short version: Make textfile. Stick commands in, copy it to /etc/cron.daily (or weekly/monthly). So when I am about to install a plugin, I just run the script manually:

sh /etc/cron.weekly/backup.sh

And it does a backup stamped with today's date that I can restore from if and when I screw something up.

[Boofo]

Ok, now I'm more confused than I was before. LOL

[Dismounted]

They are bash commands you do from the command line. It needs SSH access into the server.