Backing up Vanilla in cpanel

sudden156

I've just started my Vanilla forum and am getting to grips with that, but I wonder whether anyone can walk me through what I need to do to back everything up with a local copy. I am supplied with cpanel by my host, but I am quite uncertain what to back-up and how to go about it. I tried searching for clear answers but couldn't find much that helped. I am not as yet very familiar with this aspect. Any help much appreciated.

peregrine

I don't know about cpanel - isn't each one customizable depending on host server.

, but you could use phpmyadmin to export (backup database) to a zip file and download the zip to your local pc.

there are tutorials on phpmyadmin.

but just choose the database and click export and choose zip option and save it to a folder on server and download to your pc.

whu606

@sudden156

There are only two aspects to a Vanilla installation:

The Vanilla files (in whichever folder you placed them, e.g. 'forum')

As @peregrine has said, the other is your mySQL database. If you get the hang of using phpMyAdmin, you can make sure your DB backup is absolutely current.

I'm with Bluehost. They have a free backup utility, although they do their best to get you to pay for the upgrade.

With Bluehost, the Site Backup is under File Management. If you click it (even though it says Pro) you get the choice to go with the free option.

With the free version, you can only download a copy of whatever the latest Host backup was.

whu606

@sudden156

That is the way I think of it.

You can always start with a clean install of Vanilla, and rebuild it to your preferences, but if you lose your DB you have lost your forum content.

peregrine

I don't know about cpanel - isn't each one customizable depending on host server.

, but you could use phpmyadmin to export (backup database) to a zip file and download the zip to your local pc.

there are tutorials on phpmyadmin.

but just choose the database and click export and choose zip option and save it to a folder on server and download to your pc.

whu606

@sudden156

There are only two aspects to a Vanilla installation:

The Vanilla files (in whichever folder you placed them, e.g. 'forum')

As @peregrine has said, the other is your mySQL database. If you get the hang of using phpMyAdmin, you can make sure your DB backup is absolutely current.

I'm with Bluehost. They have a free backup utility, although they do their best to get you to pay for the upgrade.

With Bluehost, the Site Backup is under File Management. If you click it (even though it says Pro) you get the choice to go with the free option.

With the free version, you can only download a copy of whatever the latest Host backup was.

sudden156

Many thanks @peregrine and @whu606. The phpMyAdmin sounds very useful, I'll investigate that. I have now heard back from my host who has provided a useful guide.

They say they allow both a partial and a full back-up via cPanel, though the full one has to be restored on their side by a technician, but also have a paid service like Bluehost.

I gather the actual posts are stored in the database, the rest being the Vanilla package and whatever changes I've made to css and php.

Presumably then if I have a local copy of the database only then the site could be reconstructed from that alone if the worst came to the worst? So it seems I should do a periodic full back-up and a more frequent download of the database.

whu606

@sudden156

That is the way I think of it.

You can always start with a clean install of Vanilla, and rebuild it to your preferences, but if you lose your DB you have lost your forum content.

sudden156

Not sure about this ticking answers thing. Seems to place answers in the wrong order for context. I think I'd prefer old-fashioned chronological order.

whu606

I think the idea is that if there were a lot of posts, putting the 'answer' just below the question would help others who had the same question later on.

sudden156

I guess, except it's not so useful when several answers are useful for different aspects. I think it would make more sense to tick or highlight the answers but leave them in order. It's certainly a quite nagging plugin.

hgtonight

Remember to back up your /uploads folder. All images uploaded for your Vanilla install (such as avatars, header images, and uploads via most plugins) are stored there.

sudden156

Ah, good point about the uploads folder. Thanks.

peregrine

http://vanillaforums.org/discussion/21192/which-files-should-i-back-up

as well as any locale - definition changes you made

e.g. conf/locale.php as well as other directories that had defintion or css changes.

and

conf/config.php

peregrine

this could be moved into tutorials @underdog

sudden156

I've been following the advice given about since I asked the question. Very helpful.

If I may, there is one other aspect about exporting the database with phpmyadmin. I've just been using the 'Quick' option. I'm wondering whether the 'custom' options make much difference. I assume I am exporting the database in a form fine for reconstructing the site, and am reticent to touch any of the 'custom' options for exporting as my knowledge of databases isn't as yet sufficient to be sure what I am doing. Can someone confirm that the 'Quick' database export from phpmyadmin is all that is needed? Thanks again for all the great help this forum provides.

peregrine

if you exported and imported successfully using quick option with no problems - i would stick with it!

I don't have a quick option (maybe someone else has), can you post a screenshot.

I just login to phpmyadmin click Export, select a database and export using defaults.

if you want you can rename files, or use zipped or gzipped format.

or if i just want to back up just one table, i select the table and click export.

sudden156

I presume the quick option are the defaults without the clutter of the customisable options being displayed. Exports fine, of course I haven't tried importing as yet as there has been no need.

peregrine

@sudden156 said:
I presume the quick option are the defaults without the clutter of the customisable options being displayed. Exports fine, of course I haven't tried importing as yet as there has been no need.

if you are able to make a test installation - i highly recommend you test the import when you get a chance.

Tip and anecdote:
I knew someone many years ago who backed up religiously and spent many hours (in the old days). Then after several years of backing up and storing data and keeping all daily backups and weekly backups and monthly backups. It turned out all of them were bad, because they were doing something wrong. So, it is always best if possible with a spare or duplicate installation, to see if what you think you have really will work in the real world if the need arises and the emergency occurs.

sudden156

Ah, thanks for the tip @peregrine I have had a bit of a fear about that. So perhaps make another folder on the server and install Vanilla again in that and import my database? Or is it better to make a local installation on my PC (not that I know how that's done, I installed directly to server with the first installation).

peregrine

@sudden156 said:
Or is it better to make a local installation on my PC (not that I know how that's done

you can search for ubuntu for a linux install of web server and sql etc.

http://vanillaforums.org/discussion/20231/how-to-become-somewhat-adept-at-modifying-vanilla-to-meet-your-needs-for-free

If you set up a web server on your local pc, you avoid the risk on you main server, and you will learn a lot.

sudden156 said:
So perhaps make another folder on the server and install Vanilla again in that and import my database

On the other hand, if you can install multiple databases on your main server and you are careful to give the database a DIfferent name you could do that.

there are many discussions on how to make a duplicate forum.

if you search you find multiple techinques e.g.

http://vanillaforums.org/discussion/24793/yet-another-vanilla-upgrade-and-duplication-tutorial

http://vanillaforums.org/discussion/23877/1-step-vanilla-dev-sites

http://vanillaforums.org/discussion/21303/how-to-duplicate-your-forum-or-move-it-to-another-directory

sudden156

Cheers. I will start looking into all this ASAP. Fully deserved awesome/insightful. Do you get a prize if you get enough?

peregrine

Do you get a prize if you get enough?

you can never get enough. I believe the the prize is a free trip to Montreal to visit the wizards of OZ and a t-shirt perhaps some day.

sudden156

They (whoever 'they' are) should have an inscribed mug or something.