Backups
I follow your discussion about making ElkArte safer and at this point the question about backups came to mind.
Do you think every forum owner makes regularly backups? I don't think so. So why can't ElkArte offer a simple, easy to use solution for this problem? It would be great: Be the owner of a forum and know that you don't need anything else - your ElkArte installation will have everything you need. Regular backups too.
I know there's a way to make a database backup in the admin panel. But you have to start it yourself, and with SMF in the past the backup can often be incomplete. Is this bug fixed with ElkArte?
What do you think about this idea? Is there a way? Or do we have to inform others about other ways of regluar backups, such as MySQLDumper? Is there a way to make regular ftp backups too? Or is this not neccessary and you think a forum owner should know about these things and find a solution on it's own?
Re: Backups
Reply #1 –
I like the idea. It should be possible, enter the older backups are deleted automatically from the server. The period for this should be configured individually. Or, depending on the size of the space.
Re: Backups
Reply #2 –
Currently, we have a backup after addon's installation with no database but overall we do let the forum owner do a full backup on their own. Tedious, I think, but this actually gives a good value to a forum software. I vote for it.
Or an addon pending this feature to be considered?
Re: Backups
Reply #3 –
The problem with backups is the usual: the backup should reside on a "secure" part of the server (usually a directory not accessible from the web), but most people will not set up the forum like that (or may not even have the option to set it up like that) and may leave these sensitive data in a web-accessible directory, meaning anyone could download and steal them.
The other option could be to send these via some secure connection to another server (but probably that means installing something like I did for my backups uploaded to google drive and so, again, we are ruling out people on shared hostings).
Backups are a touchy argument...
Re: Re: Backup, what do you use?
Reply #8 –
Well If I can request a feature or addon is auto backup to DropBox/Google Drive. I use this kind of backup (UpDraft Plus) in my WordPress blog, autosync every 4 hours (files and databases). It's been a lifesaver several times when my shared hosting provider being iffy.
Re: Re: Backup, what do you use?
Reply #9 –
That would be real great!
Re: Backups
Reply #12 –
upload to dropbox/google drive can be a solution when the filesize is big and not suitable for email. I ran wordpress backup plugin everyday for a site that almost 1GB in size including files and database. from a shared hosting.
Re: Backups
Reply #13 –
Well, if we can use and send email from our forum using gmail, I think we should be able to send a large enough database file attachment to our own email. Do check on gmail limits for this which is 25MB but I think, you can overcome that with google drive trick.
Re: Backups
Reply #14 –
Feature creep! It's a forum. There are excellent backup tools around. If we get in to that game, we lose focus and development of the forum grinds to a halt.