~* Backing Up Forum & Database *~

Hello folks ..I started using IPB forums .. and i have a few queries i would like to ask .. Assume i have installed the forums with the database and its working now .. I have 50 users that have signed up .. now sumthing just comes up like reg problem ( happend recently with me and my previous installations got deleted ) well in that case the forum tables and catagories i have made plus the users that have signed up .. all these things i would like to back up .. Its like sumthing similar to a Norton Ghost Image .. lol .. i want to back up everything every month .. so that incase sumthing happens .. i cant just upload the folders and add the sql database needed and thats all .. gets back to the state it was b4 i backed up .. Could sumone please explain the steps to create a backup of an entire forum site and how to patch it back up to a clean server again .. Hope i could explain my self .. Thankx in advanceDhanesh ..

So you went with IPB? I read on your other posts where you were asking which one was better - IPB or vB. I guess you made your decision.OK, I used this for a short while before, but I think I can remember enough to walk you through the backup procedure. Login to your IPB Forum. Then click on the Admin CP link (usually on top). Login with your forum password there. Now on the left pane, look for something called Backup or Database Backup. Click on that. I think, by default, it should back up the whole forum there. If not, make sure to check the appropriate boxes. Then just hit the button to download the full backup. This is the file you want to use in case you run into problems in the forum.To restore a backup, I think it's in the same setting. Just go back to the same place and look for the link to restore the database. That should do it. Everything should be back to the way it was when you did the backup.

Wooooooooooooohooo ... a reply at last .. err sorry got carried away ..I had this window open since the time i posted it cause i really needed help in this .. ok newayz gettin back ... i kinda got what u told me to do .. and yes thankx a million for the help .. really appriciate it .. but i have a doubt here .. i mean u said it will back up the forums rite ? as in the tables and topics and user posts ? I also wanted to back up the user database i.e the users that are signed up with me .. ok leme put it in another way .. I needed to back up the user posts .. topics .. the tables and catagories i made and the signed up users database.umm .. its like suppose a file goes missing or an error comes up in maybe 3 mths time .. i would delete the entire contents of the root folder and put a fresh forum in ... ( i duno m paranoid about perfection .. lol ) .. ok if not a fresh forum .. i would atleast like to see a exact image of my old forum while i last backed up .. while i restore .. So again .. i neeed to know how to backup user database .. posts .. topics .. tables and sections that i create .. WeaponX .. u mentioned the file saved by IPB its self .. what all does it store ? .. do i really need to back up MySQL tru cpanel > phpmyadmin ? and if yes .. how do i do that with the right settings ..Thankx in advanceDhanesh .

No problem, glad I could help I'm almost 100% positive that by downloading that file in the Backup Database setting, you will get the image backup of the whole forum (including the tables, topics, memberlist, etc.). I do this in another forum that I'm an admin in and was told that by backing up everything using the forum backup method, it will save all those data. I would think that it will do the same for a big and popular forum like IPB.When you went into the Backup Database setting, didn't it say what it's backing up? I'm sure it will say it saved the database tables and others there. Like I said, I thnk by default everything is checked for you there already.If you are still concerned over this, then just login to your cPanel (for your webhost) and go into the Backup setting. Look for your forum database. Click on it and download it. Save that file in a folder on your desktop called IPB Backup 080705 (just create a new folder and give it a name and a date so it's descriptive). Next logout and use a FTP manager to login to your webhost's FTP server. Navigate to your main forum folder, but don't double click on it to look at the contents. I want you to click on that folder and download it to your computer (IPB Backup 080705 folder). Save it to that same folder you downloaded the database backup to. Now save that folder to a save place (CD, USB thumb drive, etc.).That should do it. You have both things (forum backup method and cPanel method) just in case something goes wrong.

Woooopie .. thanks a million m8 .. if this forum has a kiss smiley i guess i would have used it .. tho m a guy and it would have looked odd .. LOL.. but damn ! .. ur a techie .. i spend almost 6-7 hrs on google and every site i could look tru .. i saw every post related to user back ups and stuff .. and all they kept saying was to back up the sql database n stuff .. jeez .. Newayz .. thankx again .. and god bless .. u really put me away from my misery lol ..Cheerz n have a nice day m8

I am not sure what version IPB is on this host but you should till have in the ACP (Admin Control Panel) the below selection to backup your database whenever you want.

or something along those lines.

I would suggest that you not only save this file to hard drive but also to a removable media (floppy, cd or dvd) and use one that is rewritable and update it every so often.

 

Your IPB is highly database intensive, all categories, forums, posts, comments and all the rest reside in your database which is constantly updated by your software, unless you have a very active site you should just update your backup one a week, but if you really get foing then you need to update daily or even hourly in the case of hundreds of thousands of hits and posts.

Hey thankx hudini .. I found the backup of IPB ... i made 2-3 users my self .. made a catagory .. and stuff .. now i backed it up .. now how do i restore it ? .. there is no restore option in IPB .. so do i have to restore tru MySQL ???ThankxDhanesh

ooook .. i backed up the sql from the IPB forums Admincp as well as from the cpanel of the webhost ... i deleted the forums .. and reinstalled it again .. i went to cpanel .. deleted the sql db there and uploaded the one i saved from the forum admincp .. it showed me an error .. well i tried again .. but same error .. so i uploaded the backup made from the website host cpanel .. and it uploaded it perfectly ... The boards were back with what i did b4 i backed up .. and is fine .. is this all i need to do for a so called back up .. and restore .. or is there more in this for the working of the forum to go smooth .. pzl advice .. Thankx again to all who have helped :DDhanesh

Hi again, usually you can backup and restore just from IPB itself. Most forums will allow you to do this without any problems. Check again in IPB to make sure you don't have that option anywhere. Or if you want, create a test admin account for me (or let me use yours) and I'll check it out. I only played with IPB for a short while, so nothing is sticking much :DBut yes, you should be ok with cPanel backup also if you said everything checks out ok. Forum backup and restore should be easier though (if they have the restore option). If not, have you tried using the forum backup file on cPanel? Try backing up the mySQL database in IPB. Then delete and reinstall just to test it out by uploading/importing the MySQL database (you just saved) into cPanel->Backup->Restore Database.

Try backing up the mySQL database in IPB.  Then delete and reinstall just to test it out by uploading/importing the MySQL database (you just saved) into cPanel->Backup->Restore Database.

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yeap .. i actually did that .. i backed up from the forum admin as well as from cpanel backup .. and the cpanel back up was more effective .. Well u said that i should restore to cPanel->Backup->Restore Database .. umm .. i installed the forums and deleted the SQL db it created .. all the tables and uploaded the forum back up i backedup from cpanel backup .. ( confusing ) .. lol .. and that worked .. is it a reliable to go to cPanel->Backup->Restore Database ? ..

 

Thankx for the reply

Dhanesh

yeap .. i actually did that .. i backed up from the forum admin as well as from cpanel backup .. and the cpanel back up was more effective .. Well u said that i should restore to cPanel->Backup->Restore Database .. umm .. i installed the forums and deleted the SQL db it created .. all the tables and uploaded the forum back up i backedup from cpanel backup .. ( confusing  ) .. lol .. and that worked .. is it a reliable to go to cPanel->Backup->Restore Database ? ..

 

Thankx for the reply

Dhanesh

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yes, it is realiable, but I would backup ipb's table only so the backup would be smaller, also it will be easier to restore. anyways, do whatever you think it's better