[wp-forums] Backup Week

[Lorelle VanFossen]

Welcome to WordPress Backup Week.  Here are some resources and info you 
may need.

Skippy and Ringmaster have been working overtime to get a plugin ready 
that offers "almost" one-click backups of your database. It's a 
drop-install to the plugins folder and the link appears on the MANAGE 
panel. The user can go with the defaults which will backup the essential 
database and download the file after the backup is complete. OR the user 
can choose to save to the server for later retreival, download 
immediately, or have it emailed. The choices also include adding other 
tables to the backup.

PLEASE remind people that some of these tables may be huge and while 
their post data might be 2-4 megabytes (for good sized site), adding 
stats or comment spam to their backup could increase their backup file 
size to 18 or 32 megabytes (or more). We might need a post on what 
tables are most important to "save". This applies to backups done 
without the plugin as well.

Post about it: 
http://asymptomatic.net/wp/2005/07/22/1775/wp-database-backup-v15/
Plugin posted: http://redalt.com/downloads/
Support post posted:  http://wordpress.org/support/topic/39484

WordPress Backup Sob Stories: http://wordpress.org/support/topic/39496

WordPress Backup Week info: http://wordpress.org/support/topic/39484

Information from hackers about backup issues: 
http://comox.textdrive.com/pipermail/wp-hackers/2005-July/002056.html

WordPress Codex Documents:

<a href="http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Backups">Codex: WordPress 
Backups<./a>
<a href="http://codex.wordpress.org/Backing_Up_Your_Database">Backing Up 
Your Database</a>
<a 
href="http://codex.wordpress.org/Restoring_Your_Database_From_Backup">Restoring 
Your Database From Backup</a>
<a 
href="http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Backups#Backing_Up_Your_WordPress_Site">Backing 
Up Your WordPress Site and Files</a>
<a href="http://codex.wordpress.org/phpMyAdmin">Using phpMyAdmin</a>

Accessing Control Panels

<a href="http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Backups#cPanel">cPanel</a>
<a 
href="http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Backups#Direct_Admin">Direct 
Admin</a>
<a href="http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Backups#Ensim">Ensim</a>
<a href="http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Backups#Plesk">Plesk</a>
<a href="http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Backups#vDeck">vDeck</a>

Topics worth covering during the week:

* Which tables must be saved, which are optional
* How often to backup
* Cron-job backups
* What files should be backed up on the site
* Relying on host server backups
* Recovering with a host server backup file (what do they provide you with?)
* Backing up during Theme or Admin modifications
* Protecting backups
* Restoring backups
* Backing up podcasts, video, music, images, and other media files
* Backup plugin or manual - can I do both to be sure?
* How to test if a backup is good (looking for starting and ending codes 
and specific content?)

This is just the tip of what can be discussed this week to promote 
backups.  We need to help people think about backups and protecting 
their information. How many times have you read a plea for help from 
someone who didn't backup frequently while working on a theme or hacking 
the code? I've even seen someone ask if WordPress had a "restore point". 
Let's help them understand how important this is and that it doesn't 
have to be a burden. It can be just about automatic, put into their 
schedule, and part of their routine.

Thanks and don't forget to backup your own site!! ;-)