Backup Forum (Including Attachments) For Dummies

[Cheese Head]

Searched SMF Community but couldn't find direct answers:

I'm currently using SMF 2.0 RC2 and from my Admin account I regularly backup my Forum's posts via Admin > Forum Maintenance > Database > Backup Database, then unselecting the option "Compress the file with gzip" as I've had problems in past and it works fine.

Q1) Interestingly while the forum has grown, last summer the backup file size shrunk from 45MB to current 4MB, maybe I did a routine maintenance that shrunk the file size?

Q2) My backup file name is XXXXXX_forum-complete_2010-11-27.sql which I assume is correct?

Q3) My real question is a dumb one, my forum has tonnes of attachments, mostly pictures, i) where are they located on the server, ii) how do I check the total size, and iii) how do I back them up to my PC, presumably using non-SMF software or just FTP via my MS-Expression Web software?

Q4) Anything else I should backup or am not doing?

Many thanks . . . John.

[Paul_Pauline]

Backup your database in your hosts control panel, don't rely on the SMF admin panel function.

When you have the backup, copy  it to your PC as well.

[Illori]

How do I backup my SMF forum?
How do I backup my database?

[kat]

If your site has CPanel, go to Files>Backups.

Right at the top, you'll see this:

Full Backup

A full backup includes all of the files in your home directory, your MySQL Databases, and your email forwarders and filters. You can backup your account to preserve your data or to move your account to another cPanel server.

Download or Generate a Full Web Site Backup

That backs-up EVERYTHING, in one fell swoop.

[TheDisturbedOne]

Attachments are usually in the ./attachments/ directory, unless you changed it.

[Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen]

Q1) Interestingly while the forum has grown, last summer the backup file size shrunk from 45MB to current 4MB, maybe I did a routine maintenance that shrunk the file size?

Around 50M is usually where the admin CP backup starts to fail, because of the size of the database and limitations to the PHP script running. This is where you are best off moving to your hosting control panel or a third party tool like MySQLDumper to make your backups.

Q2) My backup file name is XXXXXX_forum-complete_2010-11-27.sql which I assume is correct?

Yes. But the name doesn't really matter, in this case it just tells you what you decided to backup - so "complete" is everything.

Q3) My real question is a dumb one, my forum has tonnes of attachments, mostly pictures, i) where are they located on the server, ii) how do I check the total size, and iii) how do I back them up to my PC, presumably using non-SMF software or just FTP via my MS-Expression Web software?

Best way to backup them, would be via FTP (binary mode!) straight from /Attachments/ to your local PC.
You can see their overall quantity and size straight from the forums admin control panel, Admin -> Forum -> Attachments and avatars -> File Maintenance

Q4) Anything else I should backup or am not doing?

All you should need to backup in a default installation, to have everything you might need to restore, is a full database backup, copies of your attachments and avatars (avatars are IN attachments, unless you have moved them specifically.) and copies of installed mod packages and themes if you want.

[_Ziggy_]

I am using MySQLdumper for my databases.   

I am looking for a similar program to automatically backup attachements and other files to my local (home) ftp server.
I would like to have an easy to use, simple program, like MySQLDumper.

[Arantor]

You could just use FTP, then it's drag and drop (mostly)

Just be careful with FileZilla, as per the guide in 'Install and Upgrade Help' on this forum, make sure to use 'binary' mode.

[_Ziggy_]

Thanks for your very fast answer!

I use Filezilla, but I would like to do all the backups automatically.

[Arantor]

Well the only way I know how to do that is what I did on mine a long time ago (so much so that I've basically forgotten the exact details) but ultimately I got my VPS to run a cron job archiving the files late at night, then wrote a script to call WinSCP to download the backups, and added that to Scheduled Tasks on my local PC.

You might be worth asking your host if they have any auto backup facilities.

[_Ziggy_]

You might be worth asking your host if they have any auto backup facilities.

My host offers a paid auto backup facility, but the backup server is located in the same room as the VPS.
I think a backup server should be in another building.

I like the way MySQLDumper works with the Perl backup, that's why I am looking for a similar program.

I saw this: http://www.perlscriptsjavascripts.com/perl/eBackup_Automated/index.html but I don't know if it is any good for SMF.

[Arantor]

Well, it sounds like it should back all the files up, to be honest...