XF 1.1 Backup internal_data

[Sim]

I have a backup script which dumps a copy of the XenForo database and also creates a zipped copy of the file system - enough that I can fully restore the site on any machine in the case of catastrophic data loss on the server.

Now that my site is getting a lot more use, the size of the attachment folder has blown out considerably to the point where a simple zip copy of the file system is far larger than it really needs to be.

(No I don't want to create incremental backups)

What I've done on other sites previously was to split the file system backup process into two parts - the attachments and then everything else. I use a form of rsync to backup the attachments and then do my standard zip copy of everything else.

Looking at the internal_data directory on XenForo, I note that here are additional directories contained there for page_cache, temp, templates, etc. I'm wondering whether any of these are necessary to back up, or will the system be able to recreate them after everything else is restored?

I figure there's no point backing up things which really don't need to be backed up.

 

[mrGTB]

I was looking at that before weeks ago, there is more than one folder gathering stuff over time that needs to be backed-up with the database to keep things in sync. The easy method I've found to avoid messing around with FTP and possibly missing something that needs backing up (forum file wise). Is to use cPanel and "File Manager", then ZIP the whole public_html directory and download it, then download a database back-up next.

 

[Sim]

The easy method I've found to avoid messing around with FTP and possibly missing something that needs backing up (forum file wise). Is to use cPanel and "File Manager", then ZIP the whole public_html directory and download it, then download a database back-up next.

That's exactly what I do on most sites.

However, I have several sites with > 1GB of attachments, which I don't want to be backing up via zip every time.

For those sites at the moment, I zip up everything excluding the internal_data/attachments directory, and instead I sync the attachment directory separately.

 

[mrGTB]

However, I have several sites with > 1GB of attachments, which I don't want to be backing up via zip every time.

LOL, yeah I see your point on that one. But, if you happen to use cPanel and it comes with File Manager. You can copy a whole directory and move it one level above public viewable access into another new folder you create kept as a backup that way. Very fast too.

The only downside is that it's stored on your server and not your computer.