Backing up WordPress – advice requested

  • Boz2006

    (@boz2006)


    15 years, 10 months ago

    I need advice on backing up my WordPress installation either using WP plugins or my CPanel routines or both. This assumes total loss of my host service and necessity to reinstate my site on another server. Any answers to the questions below would be much appreciated.

    I understand that I need to backup the files that make the web pages and the database that contains the posts and content.

    1) Can anyone recommend a WP backup plugin with support? So far, I have not found one which offers this support – just a defunct forum etc.

    2) Using CPanel, does a full back-up cover everything I need?

    3) Usng CPanel, what is a home directory backup?

    4) Using Cpanel I appear to have three databases: wordpresslc, wrdp1 and wrdp2. Do I have to backup all three?

    5) Are (3) and (4) included in (2)?

    6) What happens with images? Are they included in (2)?

    Many thanks – any answers would help a great deal. I can’t find the answers in the WP documentation anywhere.

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)
  • Eric Amundson

    (@sewmyheadon)

    15 years, 10 months ago

    If you haven’t seen it, you may want to check out:
    http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Backups

    1) Can anyone recommend a WP backup plugin with support? So far, I have not found one which offers this support – just a defunct forum etc.

    I use http://www.ilfilosofo.com/blog/wp-db-backup/ – this backs up database tables only. Also available under ‘Extend’ on this site.

    You’ll also want to backup your theme files any uploads and any customizations.

    2) Using CPanel, does a full back-up cover everything I need?

    Yes. A cPanel full backup should backup everything in your cPanel account, so it should get site files, databases, emails, forwarders, etc.

    3) Usng CPanel, what is a home directory backup?

    It’s everything in your home directory.

    Your website files are located in:

    /home/yourusername/public_html

    Your home directory is everything in:

    /home/yourusername/

    4) Using Cpanel I appear to have three databases: wordpresslc, wrdp1 and wrdp2. Do I have to backup all three?

    Only the ones you want to keep. 🙂 Just kidding. it Sounds like you may have installed WP multiple times? If you check the wp_config file for any active installations, it will show you which database your site depends on. Back it up. 🙂

    5) Are (3) and (4) included in (2)?

    Yup.

    6) What happens with images? Are they included in (2)?

    Yes. And 3.

    iridiax

    (@iridiax)

    15 years, 10 months ago

    Keep a backup of your database and customized files (themes, wp-config.php, images, etc.) on your own computer. Sometimes the online versions can be corrupted or lost. One wretched (and now former) web host of mine had all of their server and backup data erased, but luckily I had backups of my own and so was able to restore my sites.

    Eric Amundson

    (@sewmyheadon)

    15 years, 10 months ago

    Yeah, I agree with iridiax.

    I setup the wp-backup script to email a copy of the database to me once a week/day (whatever the site requires). Then I keep a copy of the theme and a periodic download of the uploads folder on my local machine, which is also backed up nightly.

    That should do it, I think.

    Thread Starter Boz2006

    (@boz2006)

    15 years, 10 months ago

    Thanks, guys, that’s appreciated and explains a lot.

    We have several sites, using several Cpanel installations, with several hosts (something I’m aiming to simplify). There are several solutions available, backing up to one’s local machine and/or ftp to remote hosts. Wouldn’t one of these make more sense, without having to split the operation for files/databases/email?

    I’ve downloaded a trail version of Site Backup CP (from the publisher, who offer support) which would appear to be the answer to backing-up multiple sites relatively easily, and can be automated with Windows Task Scheduler. Their documentation looks thorough.

    Has anyone tried this system or similar? BTW – I have no connection with them.

    Thread Starter Boz2006

    (@boz2006)

    15 years, 10 months ago

    And, an afterthought, this Site Backup CP is not just dealing with the WP installation, but whatever else one’s got on the website. i.e. backing up the whole lot without any hassle – or is that wishful thinking? Their main site is here: ‘http://www.tech-pro.net/site-backup-cp.html’

    pezastic

    (@pezastic)

    15 years, 9 months ago

    Doesn’t cPanel full backup do that?

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)
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