[vbcron] Automatic database backup [v1.3]

This script will allow you to automaticly back-up your vBulletin database (or any database you have access to).


Current Stable Version: 1.3.1

System Requirements-

vBulletin RC 2 or later
Unix/Linux server with MySQL Dump support
Ability to chmod folders to 777 (775 works on some servers)

[high]IMPORTANT NOTE TO ALL THAT USE THIS SCRIPT[/high]

This script invokes an outside process that runs in the backround on your server to backup and compress your database. It is important to remember that this is not an instant process, do not enter you ftp as soon as the script says it is done and try to download your backup. It will likely be incomplete and your server will probbly still be writting the file to disk.

I ussally give the process an hour or two before I mess with the file, larger databases will take more time of course.

Installing the script-

1. You will need to change the information here for it to work correctly on your server:

PHP Code:

// ######################## Begin edits ######################
define('DB_HOST', 'localhost'); // database host

define('DB_USER', 'db_user'); // database username

define('DB_PASSWORD', 'password'); // database password

define('DB_NAME', 'db_name'); // vbulletins database name

define('DUMP_PATH', '/path/to/dump/folder'); // path to where db backup will be stored

define('DUMP_MAKE_TAR', 1); // set this to 1 for the backup to be compressed in a .tar.gz file
// ####################### End Edits ########################## 


2. CHMOD the folder you specified in DUMP_PATH to 777

3. Upload the vbcron_db_backup_131.php file to the /vbroot/includes/cron directory

4. Enter you admin control panel, under Scheduled Tasks click [high]Add New Scheduled Task[/high]

Enter the information has follows:

Title: Automatic Database Back-up

Day of the Week:

This is the day of the week the task should run on. Set this to * to have it not apply, or for it to run every day (if Day of the Month is set to * below). Otherwise select a specific day. Note that this will override the day of the month option, unless this is set to *.

Day of the Month:
Set this to the specific day of the month the task should run. This is overridden by the Day of the Week setting above. Set this to * to have it not apply.

Hour:
This is the hour of the day the task should run. Set it to * to have it run every hour.

Minute:
This is the minute of the hour the task should run. Set it to * to have it run every minute (not really recommended!).

Log Actions:
If this is set to Yes, every time the scheduled task runs, a log will be made indicating that the task was run, and in certain cases, additional information will be provided (e.g. for the Birthday Email task, the usernames who were sent birthday wishes will be noted).

Filename:
Enter the path to vbcron_db_backup_131.php, ./includes/cron/vbcron_db_backup_131.php should work in most cases

What was added in 1.3.1

- Fixed all bugs reported in 1.3

What was added in 1.3

- Added ability for script to leave logs

Improvments to come:

- Email alert when db is begin backed up
- Close board when back-up is in process
- 'Lock down' db durring backup so no one can access it
- Table, by table back-up
- Clear session table before backup
- Make script more windows friendly
- Delete last .sql (or .tar.gz) file when doing current back-up
- [high]Ability to use hashed file names for back-ups[/high]
- [high]Save back-up to forgin server[/high]

To come: version 2.0

2.0 will introduce most, if not all the fetures listed above.

Public beta testing will begin in the next few days, expect a stable version in at least 2 weeks time.

[mOdEtWo]

This is a great hack, I'll install this one.

Also, good suggestion, Natch. I was on my way to request something like this. A sql file takes up lots of space when the forum is large (we have around 80,000 now), so making it a tar.gz is making the file compact and downloadable.

Yay! Best hack so far!



EDIT: A suggestion. What about the script being able to disable the boards and display a "We're doing database maintenance, come back in 10 minutes" type of message? Is this possible?

Also, I get a Fatal error: Call to undefined function: query() in /var/www/vb3/includes/functions.php on line 501 error message once the script is done. What does it mean?

[mharmon]

This worked great.. a few questions though -- Will it overwrite the old dump each day?
Also -- it also wrote an XXXXXXXX-error.txt file along with the dump but it's empty.

[Fi_InCogNiTo]

Worked great on RC4. Also worked with the tar.gz

Thanks =D

[mOdEtWo]

Originally Posted by mharmon

This worked great.. a few questions though -- Will it overwrite the old dump each day?
Also -- it also wrote an XXXXXXXX-error.txt file along with the dump but it's empty.

this file, and the sql file, is deleted once the tar.gz process is finished.

[Ryan Ashbrook]

Exactly what I was looking for! Thank you!

[Brad]

Hey guys, im busy today (I just got done dumping a ton of trash with a tractor! LOL) but if I get time I may update this one today, if not tomorrow.

Planned improvements:

Zip file type support
Delete last backup when doing current one
Close boards when backing up
Clear session table before backup
Options to NOT include stuff like the postcache in the backup

[ThePartyBorg]

Mmh, now this is helpfull, just question. Is it also possible to dumb the file on an other server. We don't really have to place to store backups on the webserver. So I collect them at my own server instead at the moment, would be a dream if all the handelings I need to do would be taken over by this script.

[Brad]

TPB:

I'll look into that for you, however the backup would then consume alot of bandwidth with the transfer to the new server

[anabolicedge]

after uploading to the server, how does it run? How often will it backup? More info please, and thanks!

[Natch]

Originally Posted by anabolicedge

after uploading to the server, how does it run? How often will it backup? More info please, and thanks!

You would need to set up a new "scheduled task" or cron job with the script as the action ... otherwise it's just a nice file that don't do much ...