Administrative and Maintenance Tools - vBulletin Cron Based Database Backup

As of 23 Nov 2017 this modification has been withdrawn.

This is a cut down version based on a backup system written by Trigunflame for vb 3.0. It is a simple vBulletin cron trigged php system that does a dump of your database - either as one complete file, or as one file per table. Especially useful now that IB removed the old ACP backup option in vBulletin 4. Files can be (G)Zipped to save space.

All the options are located in the ACP in vBulletin Options >> vBulletin Automatic Backup

To install, download and unzip the files, and follow the instructions in the text file.


History:

v4.0.1 : 28-Dec-2009 : Initial release for vb 4.0.0 Gold.
v4.0.2 : 29-Dec-2009 : Added ability to block process larger tables.
v4.0.3 : 27-Jun-2010 : Added Gzip option.

v4.1.0 : 04-Dec-2010 : Updated for vBulletin 4.1.0.

v4.1.7.0 : 16-Oct-2011 : Updated for vBulletin 4.1.7.

v4.2.0.0 : 24-May-2012 : Updated for vBulletin 4.2.0.
v4.2.0.1 : 17-Mar-2013 : Removed vboptions from backup call..
v4.2.0.2 : 25-Nov-2013 : Fix php 5.3 deprecated warnings, added mysqldump backup.

[Paul M]

This mod has no reliance on that file.

[washingtonboise]

After reading a few pages of posts, I recommend setting the default installation path to ././backups and adding instructions to create that directory and CHMOD it 777.

That will ease things up a bit for those who are less technically inclined.

Excellent mod. One suggestion: Allow a config option for deleting old files that are 'X backups old'. This would allow for limitation of disk space usage.

[upperme]

I am new to vBulletin, so please forgive my ignorance, but I am learning. Are you saying we should not ADD a Scheduled Task? If that is the case, then where should I adjust the cron timing to initiate the backups?

Originally Posted by Paul M

You dont change anything in the Scheduled Task settings, otherwise you will break it.

[strudinox]

Just FYI, make sure that open_basedir is disabled or it will not work.

[3loomShia]

I already have the old version of this installed. Now, I just had to overwrite the old ones.
Worked fine for me. Thanks heaps, Paul. This mod is a savior.

[Arkham]

Thanks, Paul!! I couldn't SSH into the server today (my dev install which I haven't used for ages), so this mod came in handy! After I figured out where to run it manually, worked like a charm.

One thing though... The first time I ran it I had it set to backup individual tables, but I then set it to single-file backup. I'm looking in the directory and don't see a single-file that I can identify as the complete backup.

Am I missing something? (I re-ran it manually, so is there a chance that since nothing was really changed since the piece-meal backup, it didn't bother running again?)

Thx.

[Paul M]

It will always do a backup if you run it.

Not sure I understand the rest of the question, are you saying you couldnt see the created file ?

Where were you looking ?

[Arkham]

Originally Posted by Paul M

It will always do a backup if you run it.

Not sure I understand the rest of the question, are you saying you couldnt see the created file ?

Where were you looking ?

I was looking in the same backup folder that I found the individual backup files (before I configured it to backup to a single file). I don't see the new single-file backup, only the multiple smaller files from my first backup job.

Apart from the configurable prefix, what should the single-file backup be named? <prefix>-date.sql?

[Paul M]

Im not sure you are looking in the correct place - single files will go in the root of the configured backup folder - multiple file backups create an extra folder that single file backups dont.

[Arkham]

Originally Posted by Paul M

Im not sure you are looking in the correct place - single files will go in the root of the configured backup folder - multiple file backups create an extra folder that single file backups dont.

Ah, maybe I configured it incorrectly. All the single files went into the /backups directory specified in on the admincp config page. I'll double check when I get back in there.

Thx!