A full backup is really everything?

[WarRockShop]

Hi!
I'm scared of hackers, but also that I may delete something important so I'll start doing weekly full backups through the Control Panel -> Files -> BackUp Wizrd -> Backup -> Full BackUp.

But I would like to know if, for example, I delete everything in my server then use the backup option and restore with the backup I made, EVERYTHING will be exactlly back like it was?

It's as easy as that?

Thanks!

[Watty]

Yeppers - that's why it's always wise to perform backups.

[hollland]

Hi!

I'm scared of hackers, but also that I may delete something important so I'll start doing weekly full backups through the Control Panel -> Files -> BackUp Wizrd -> Backup -> Full BackUp.

But I would like to know if, for example, I delete everything in my server then use the backup option and restore with the backup I made, EVERYTHING will be exactlly back like it was?

It's as easy as that?

Thanks!

You can make also a backup from the admin panel. ADMIN-SQL Management-SQL Back Up. It works as well when you will need it.

And yes, if you will need to restore a backup, your forum will be brought back to the state that it was the moment the backup was made.

However, I would advice you, if I may of course, to test your backups on weekly basis. i.e. to restore them to your test forum. In this way you will know for sure if they work or not. I do it like this as well, I restore on my test forum, every backup that I make at my live forum. So in case I would really need to do that at my live forum, I wouldn''t be in for a surprise

[WarRockShop]

Thanks a lot for the tips and confirmation!!

[hollland]

Thanks a lot for the tips and confirmation!!

You are welcome :)

[Will Munny]

if, for example, I delete everything in my server then use the backup option and restore with the backup I made, EVERYTHING will be exactlly back like it was?

I'm not so sure this question has been fully understood. I am concerned the OP be be asking if EVERYTHING on his SERVER is being backed up using this method, which of course it is not. You are only backing up your forum and database.

[hollland]

I'm not so sure this question has been fully understood. I am concerned the OP be be asking if EVERYTHING on his [b]SERVER[/b] is being backed up using this method, which of course it is not. You are only backing up your forum and database.

When the original poster said:

if, for example, I delete everything in my server then use the backup option and restore with the backup I made, EVERYTHING will be exactlly back like it was?

I presumed that with ''everything'' he meant the ipb forum files, hence my answer above

[bfarber]

The Cpanel full backup will backup your database and your home directory as I recall (which includes stat information, mail, and your website files).

Testing it once in a while is good, but note that some hosts charge you to restore a cpanel backup.

I do NOT recommend using the IPB ACP backup as your sole backup method. It can be good for database backups on small sites. But it's likely to timeout before finishing on larger sites - and unless you went through it making sure it was complete you might not realize this until it's too late. If you can do cpanel backups, they're a much better idea.

[Will Munny]

Once a week (although recently once every 2 months due to unreliable and slow connection) I back up simply by logging onto my server with a secure interface, such as WinSCP (freeware) and simply dragging everything from the server root over to the desktop on my local machine. It takes ages and I leave it running overnight. If there is a timeout, WinSCP supports resuming and so it's not a problem. Re: the database, just use Putty to create a dump file of your database to the server root and copy it in the backup with everything else...

No extra fees and you've got a backup at home you can copy as many times as you like. If you have to upload it though, it's a ba*^&$$%^

[bfarber]

Once a week (although recently once every 2 months due to unreliable and slow connection) I back up simply by logging onto my server with a secure interface, such as WinSCP (freeware) and simply dragging everything from the server root over to the desktop on my local machine. It takes ages and I leave it running overnight. If there is a timeout, WinSCP supports resuming and so it's not a problem. Re: the database, just use Putty to create a dump file of your database to the server root and copy it in the backup with everything else...

[jasmine85]

Hi!

I'm scared of hackers, but also that I may delete something important so I'll start doing weekly full backups through the Control Panel -> Files -> BackUp Wizrd -> Backup -> Full BackUp.

I've backed up mysql database now, thanks for the advice but I can't see "Files -> BackUp Wizrd -> Backup -> Full BackUp". Can anyone tell me where I might find "files".

What other measures should I take on a regular basis to ensure security. There are lots of different things in the admin section and I don't understand them all.

Thanks

[wickedfpoop]

Normally in cPanel, you can just go to Backups, or Backup, and grab a nightly, weekly or monthly from there. If you're not hosted with us, you may want to speak with whoever you're hosting with if you want to backup every file, along with the database, associated with your account.

[Solomon]

I use the method described in: http://resources.invisionpower.com/index.p...mp;article=5961

This method shows you how to back-up ipb and automatize the process using the CRON Jobs in CPanel. To begin with, it did not work for me, but after tweaking and tailoring it to my needs, it now makes a complete backup of everything everyday at the given time and sends me a very small e-mail that it has done so. It is set to delete backups older than 14 days. Right now I am working on it to send the backups it makes to an external drive where I store most of stuff. That in turn is set up with Acronis and that makes regular back-ups of all drives on my system at preset intervals..

Works like a swiss watch!

[jasmine85]

I use the method described in:

http://resources.invisionpower.com/index.p...mp;article=5961

This method shows you how to back-up ipb and automatize the process using the CRON Jobs in CPanel. To begin with, it did not work for me, but after tweaking and tailoring it to my needs, it now makes a complete [b]backup of everything everyday[/b] at the given time and sends me a very small e-mail that it has done so. It is set to delete backups older than 14 days. Right now I am working on it to send the backups it makes to an external drive where I store most of stuff. That in turn is set up with Acronis and that makes regular back-ups of all drives on my system at preset intervals..

Works like a swiss watch!

Thanks Guys, obviously I need to do a bit more homework since I don't even know what CRON jobs or CHMODing are and as for tweaking and tailoring, definitely don't think I'm up for that!

Can't see a back up facility in my ACP at all. I'm not using IPS Hosting so perhaps I'd better contact my own host and see what they recommend.

How often should I be doing things such as running the "IPB Unauthorized File Checker" and "IPB Executables Deep Scan"?

[Axel Wers]

It can be good for database backups on small sites.

What does it mean "small" database? 10 MB gzip? 50 MB gzip? 100 MB gzip? etc. I remember somebody wrote that 600 MB database is not big so I don't know :D
I used to ACP SQL backup when my database had around 5 MB.

[Solomon]

Thanks Guys, obviously I need to do a bit more homework since I don't even know what CRON jobs or CHMODing are and as for tweaking and tailoring, definitely don't think I'm up for that!

Can't see a back up facility in my ACP at all. I'm not using IPS Hosting so perhaps I'd better contact my own host and see what they recommend.

How often should I be doing things such as running the "IPB Unauthorized File Checker" and "IPB Executables Deep Scan"?

If you have CPanel installed, then you definitely would be having the "Backup" and "Cron Jobs" available. Refer to screenshot below. As explained in the tutorial copy the code to Editor and replace the file names with your own file names. Then upload the file ( you can use CPanel to do this as this is a very small file) to the server. Simply do as the tutorial says. You wont spoil anything at all if it doesn't work or an error occurs which will come to with the email. It will show what action/s failed and then you know what you did wrong and can fix it. In the beginning it was also a book with seals to me, but remember Robert Bruce - King of England, who said, " Try and try again, till you succeed!"

In addition to that you can have a look at these tutorials which will show you how to use CPanel: http://www.2serveu.net/support/cpanel-tutorial.htm

[jasmine85]

If you have CPanel installed, then you definitely would be having the "Backup" and "Cron Jobs" available. Refer to screenshot below. As explained in the tutorial copy the code to Editor and replace the file names with your own file names. Then upload the file ( you can use CPanel to do this as this is a very small file) to the server. Simply do as the tutorial says. You wont spoil anything at all if it doesn't work or an error occurs which will come to with the email. It will show what action/s failed and then you know what you did wrong and can fix it. In the beginning it was also a book with seals to me, but remember Robert Bruce - King of England, who said, " Try and try again, till you succeed!"

In addition to that you can have a look at these tutorials which will show you how to use CPanel:

http://www.2serveu.net/support/cpanel-tutorial.htm

Thanks Solomon, I can see why I got confused, the thread went from talking about Control Panel to CPanel. I thought I had one, but alas no (If only I'd paid more attention in my English Lit classes, I'dve been able to quote Shakespeare!). Off to my hosts I think to find out how I can back up. Nice chocolate cake by the way!

[bfarber]

What does it mean "small" database? 10 MB gzip? 50 MB gzip? 100 MB gzip? etc. I remember somebody wrote that 600 MB database is not big so I don't know :D

I used to ACP SQL backup when my database had around 5 MB.

Small is a very relative term. ;)

If you have 1000 members and 1000 posts you can probably get away with backing your db up via the ACP.

If you have 50,000 members and 1,000,000 posts, you probably won't be able to use the ACP backup utility.

In between, your mileage may vary, just as every host is different.

[doglover]

:blush: Maybe someone can explain this to me in Dutch?

[hollland]

I have almost 1000 members and 28,131 posts and I test on weekly basis the backup made from the acp of my ipb forum and so far it has worked ok, without a hitch. That of course it is not the only way that I backup my site but I wanted to mention that I am happy with ipb for that. At my old forum (Smf), I couldn''t make a decent backup from the acp when it passed the 2 mb.

@doglover, welke deel begreep u niet?

(Translation: I asked him in dutch which part he/she didn''t understand?) I hope that was not against the rules.

[hollland]

How often should I be doing things such as running the "IPB Unauthorized File Checker" and "IPB Executables Deep Scan"?

Usually you will see an warning in read letters at the acp-admin letting you know that is high time to perform one of the security checks, like running the IPB Unauthorized File Checker or the IPB Executables Deep Scan etc