Backups

Overview

The Backups module provides comprehensive tools for creating, managing, and restoring system backups. Regular backups are essential for protecting your data from loss due to hardware failures, software errors, accidental deletions, or security incidents. This module automates the backup process and makes it easy to restore your system to a previous state when needed.

Backups can include your database (all content, users, and settings), uploaded files (media, documents), or both. The system tracks backup history, verifies backup integrity, and helps you manage storage space by automatically cleaning up old backups.

Accessing Backups

Navigation Path: Dashboard > Maintenance > Backups

Required Permission: backups.view

Key Features

• Multiple Backup Types: Create database-only, files-only, or full system backups
• Quick Actions: One-click backup creation for common scenarios
• Statistics Dashboard: Monitor total backups, success rate, storage usage, and last backup time
• Backup Verification: Verify backup integrity to ensure they can be restored
• Download Capability: Download backups for offsite storage
• Bulk Operations: Select and delete multiple backups at once
• Automatic Scheduling: Configure automatic backups to run on a schedule
• Retention Management: Automatically delete old backups to manage storage space
• Compression: Reduce backup file sizes with compression
• Google Drive Integration: Automatically upload backups to Google Drive for secure offsite storage (see Setup Guide)

Main Interface

Statistics Dashboard

The main backups page displays four key statistics cards:

• Total Backups: Number of backup files stored in the system
• Successful: Count of backups that completed without errors
• Total Size: Combined storage space used by all backups
• Last Backup: How long ago the most recent backup was created

These statistics help you monitor your backup health and ensure your data protection strategy is working.

Quick Actions Section

Three quick action buttons allow instant backup creation:

• Database Backup: Backs up only the database (fastest, smallest)
• Files Backup: Backs up only uploaded files and media
• Full Backup: Complete backup including both database and files (recommended)

Backups List

The main table displays all backup files with the following information:

• Checkbox: Select backups for bulk operations
• Name: Backup file name with timestamp
• Type: Badge indicating backup type (Full, Database, or Files)
• Size: File size in human-readable format
• Status: Success or Failed indicator
• Created: Date and time the backup was created
• Actions: Download, verify, view info, or delete buttons

Common Tasks

Task 1: Create a Quick Backup

To create a backup immediately:

1. Navigate to Dashboard > Maintenance > Backups
2. In the Quick Actions section, click one of the backup buttons:
   • Database Backup: For quick content backups
   • Files Backup: For media and file backups
   • Full Backup: For complete system backups (recommended)
3. Wait for the backup process to complete (usually 10-60 seconds)
4. A success message will appear when the backup is ready
5. The new backup will appear in the backups list

When to Use Each Type:

• Database: After content changes, before updates, daily automated backups
• Files: After uploading many media files, before file system changes
• Full: Before major updates, weekly/monthly comprehensive backups

Task 2: Download a Backup

To download a backup file for offsite storage:

1. Navigate to Dashboard > Maintenance > Backups
2. Find the backup you want to download in the list
3. Click the Download button (down arrow icon) in the Actions column
4. The backup file will download to your computer
5. Store the file in a secure location

Best Practices:

• Download critical backups before major changes
• Store backups offsite (different physical location)
• Keep at least one recent backup offline
• Verify downloaded files are not corrupted

Task 3: Verify a Backup

To check if a backup is valid and can be restored:

1. Navigate to Dashboard > Maintenance > Backups
2. Find the backup you want to verify
3. Click the Verify button (checkmark icon) in the Actions column
4. Wait for the verification process to complete
5. A success or error message will indicate if the backup is valid

When to Verify:

• After creating important backups
• Before relying on a backup for restoration
• Periodically to ensure backup integrity
• If you suspect storage corruption

Task 4: View Backup Information

To see detailed information about a backup:

1. Navigate to Dashboard > Maintenance > Backups
2. Find the backup in the list
3. Click the Info button (information icon) in the Actions column
4. A modal will display detailed backup information:
   • File name and path
   • Backup type and size
   • Creation date and time
   • Verification status
   • Contents included
5. Click Close to dismiss the modal

Task 5: Delete a Backup

To remove a backup file:

1. Navigate to Dashboard > Maintenance > Backups
2. Find the backup you want to delete
3. Click the Delete button (trash icon) in the Actions column
4. Confirm the deletion in the popup dialog
5. The backup will be permanently removed

Warning: Deleted backups cannot be recovered. Only delete backups you're certain you no longer need.

Task 6: Bulk Delete Backups

To delete multiple backups at once:

1. Navigate to Dashboard > Maintenance > Backups
2. Check the boxes next to the backups you want to delete
3. The bulk actions bar will appear at the top
4. Click the Delete Selected button
5. Confirm the deletion in the popup dialog
6. All selected backups will be permanently removed

Use Cases:

• Cleaning up old backups to free disk space
• Removing failed backup attempts
• Deleting test backups

Task 7: Configure Backup Settings

To adjust backup configuration:

1. Navigate to Dashboard > Maintenance > Backups
2. Click the Settings button in the top-right corner
3. Configure the following options:
   • Maximum Backup Files: How many backups to keep (older ones auto-deleted)
   • Maximum Backup Size: Size limit for individual backups in MB
   • Enable Compression: Reduce file sizes (recommended)
   • Enable Verification: Automatically verify backups after creation
4. Click Save Settings to apply changes

Note: Settings changes take effect on the next page load. The server will not restart.

Task 8: Schedule Automatic Backups

To set up automatic backup generation:

1. Navigate to Dashboard > Maintenance > Backups
2. Click the Settings button
3. Scroll to the "Automatic Backups" section
4. Check Enable automatic backups
5. Configure the schedule:
   • Backup Frequency: Daily, Weekly, or Monthly
   • Backup Time: Time of day to run (24-hour format, e.g., 02:00)
   • Automatic Backup Type: Database, Files, or Full
6. Click Save Schedule to activate automatic backups

Best Practices:

• Schedule backups during low-traffic hours (e.g., 2:00 AM)
• Use daily database backups for frequently updated sites
• Use weekly full backups for comprehensive protection
• Ensure cron jobs are configured on your server

Settings and Options

Backup Configuration

Maximum Backup Files

• Type: Number (1-100)
• Default: 10
• Description: Maximum number of backup files to retain. When this limit is reached, the oldest backups are automatically deleted.
• Recommendation: Keep at least 7-14 backups for adequate history

Maximum Backup Size

• Type: Number (10-10240 MB)
• Default: 1024 MB (1 GB)
• Description: Maximum size for individual backup files in megabytes.
• Note: Backups exceeding this size will fail

Enable Compression

• Type: Checkbox
• Default: Enabled
• Description: Compress backup files to reduce storage space (typically 50-70% reduction)
• Recommendation: Keep enabled unless you have specific reasons not to

Enable Backup Verification

• Type: Checkbox
• Default: Enabled
• Description: Automatically verify backup integrity after creation
• Recommendation: Keep enabled to ensure backups are restorable

Automatic Backup Schedule

Enable Automatic Backups

• Type: Checkbox
• Default: Disabled
• Description: Automatically create backups on a schedule without manual intervention

Backup Frequency

• Type: Dropdown
• Options: Daily, Weekly, Monthly
• Default: Daily
• Description: How often automatic backups should run

Backup Time

• Type: Time (24-hour format)
• Default: 02:00
• Description: Time of day to run automatic backups
• Recommendation: Choose a low-traffic time (typically 2:00-4:00 AM)

Automatic Backup Type

• Type: Dropdown
• Options: Database, Files, Full
• Default: Database
• Description: Type of backup to create automatically
• Recommendation: Use "Database" for daily backups, "Full" for weekly backups

Permissions

The following permissions control access to backup management:

• backups.view: View the backups page and list
• backups.create: Create new backups
• backups.download: Download backup files
• backups.verify: Verify backup integrity
• backups.delete: Delete backup files
• backups.restore: Restore from backups (high-risk permission)
• backups.settings: Configure backup settings and schedules

Users need the appropriate permissions to perform each action. The restore permission should be limited to senior administrators due to its potential impact.

Tips and Best Practices

Backup Strategy

• Follow the 3-2-1 rule: 3 copies, 2 different media types, 1 offsite
• Create backups before any major changes or updates
• Test backup restoration regularly (at least quarterly)
• Keep multiple backup versions to protect against gradual corruption

Backup Frequency

• High-traffic sites: Daily database backups, weekly full backups
• Medium-traffic sites: 2-3 database backups per week, monthly full backups
• Low-traffic sites: Weekly database backups, monthly full backups
• Before updates: Always create a full backup

Storage Management

• Monitor disk space usage regularly
• Set appropriate retention limits based on available storage
• Download and archive important backups offsite
• Delete test or failed backups promptly

Security

• Limit backup access to trusted administrators only
• Store downloaded backups in secure, encrypted locations
• Never share backup files publicly or via unsecured channels
• Consider encrypting backups for sensitive data

Automation

• Enable automatic backups for consistent protection
• Schedule backups during low-traffic periods
• Verify automatic backups are running successfully
• Set up monitoring alerts for backup failures

Restoration Planning

• Document your restoration procedure
• Test restoration in a staging environment first
• Always create a backup before restoring
• Verify data integrity after restoration

Troubleshooting

Problem: Backup Creation Fails

Possible Causes:

• Insufficient disk space
• Database connection issues
• File permission problems
• Backup size exceeds limit

Solutions:

1. Check available disk space on the server
2. Verify database connection is working
3. Ensure web server has write permissions to backup directory
4. Increase maximum backup size in settings if needed
5. Check server logs for specific error messages
6. Try creating a database-only backup to isolate the issue

Problem: Backup File is Too Large

Possible Causes:

• Large media library
• Extensive database content
• Compression is disabled

Solutions:

1. Enable compression in backup settings
2. Increase maximum backup size limit
3. Create separate database and files backups instead of full backups
4. Clean up unnecessary media files
5. Archive old content to reduce database size

Problem: Automatic Backups Not Running

Possible Causes:

• Cron jobs not configured
• Schedule settings incorrect
• Server time zone mismatch
• Insufficient permissions

Solutions:

1. Verify cron jobs are configured on your server
2. Check backup schedule settings are correct
3. Ensure server time zone matches your expected schedule
4. Verify the web server user has necessary permissions
5. Check server logs for cron execution errors
6. Test manual backup creation to rule out permission issues

Problem: Cannot Download Backup

Possible Causes:

• Backup file doesn't exist
• File permissions prevent access
• Browser download restrictions
• File size too large for browser

Solutions:

1. Verify backup file exists in the backups list
2. Check file permissions on the server
3. Try a different browser
4. For very large files, use server-side file transfer (FTP/SFTP)
5. Check that backup path is accessible

Problem: Backup Verification Fails

Possible Causes:

• Corrupted backup file
• Incomplete backup
• Storage medium errors
• Compression issues

Solutions:

1. Delete the failed backup and create a new one
2. Check disk health and available space
3. Disable compression and try again
4. Verify database integrity before backing up
5. Test with a smaller backup (database-only)

Problem: Restoration Fails

Possible Causes:

• Corrupted backup file
• Incompatible backup version
• Insufficient permissions
• Database connection issues

Solutions:

1. Verify backup file integrity first
2. Ensure backup is from a compatible system version
3. Check database connection and credentials
4. Verify sufficient disk space for restoration
5. Try restoring in a test environment first
6. Contact support if issue persists

Problem: Running Out of Disk Space

Possible Causes:

• Too many backups retained
• Backups not being deleted automatically
• Large backup files
• Other files consuming space

Solutions:

1. Reduce maximum backup files setting
2. Manually delete old backups
3. Enable compression to reduce file sizes
4. Download and delete old backups to free space
5. Monitor disk usage regularly
6. Consider external backup storage

Related Modules

• Audit Logs: Track who creates, downloads, and deletes backups
• Settings: Configure system settings that affect backups
• Security Settings: Manage backup access and security
• Permissions: Control who can manage backups