Backup Plugin

The Backup Plugin for AVideo allows users to manage their site backups efficiently and securely. This plugin provides flexible options for backing up your site’s database, video files, or both. Below is a comprehensive guide explaining the features and configuration options available to users.

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Features

• Database Backup:

  • This option backs up your AVideo database, which includes user information, configurations, and other critical records needed for site operation.

• Video Files Backup:

  • This feature compresses and backs up the video files stored in your system.
  • Important: Compressing large folders can be CPU-intensive and may require substantial disk space. Ensure your server host has adequate CPU power and enough disk space for the backup operation, especially if your videos folder contains many gigabytes of data.

• Full Backup:

  • This option combines both database and video file backups into a single operation, providing a comprehensive backup solution for your site.

• FTP Sync:

  • If configured, the plugin can automatically sync backup files to an external FTP server. This ensures that your backups are stored remotely, providing additional data protection.
  • The FTP sync feature includes options for setting the FTP server, credentials, and target directory for storing backup files.

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Configuration Options

1. Backup Options:

   • Backup Database: Choose this option to back up only the database. This is useful for saving the core data of your site without video files.
   • Backup Files: Select this option to back up only video files. It will compress the video storage directory and create a backup file.
   • Backup All: This option backs up both the database and video files, ensuring a complete site backup.

2. FTP Sync Settings (if enabled):

   • FTP Server: The address of the FTP server where the backups will be sent.
   • FTP Username and Password: Credentials for accessing the FTP server.
   • FTP Directory: The directory on the FTP server where backups will be stored.

   Note: The plugin will test these credentials to ensure proper connectivity and file permissions. This includes checking if it can create, upload, and delete files and directories. The status of this test will be displayed to inform the user if the FTP settings are valid.

3. Scheduling Backups:

   • Backups can be scheduled using a cron job, which runs the backup process automatically at the specified intervals. For example, you can set up a cron job to run every day at 1 am, ensuring regular automated backups. The cron command example provided in the plugin configuration panel is:

     0 1 * * * php /path/to/AVideo/plugin/Backup/execBackup.json.php yourAuthKey
     

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Accessing the Backup Plugin

• Location: The plugin is accessed through the Plugins Manager, not the admin panel. Navigate to the Plugins Manager within your AVideo installation to find and configure the Backup Plugin.

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Important Considerations

• Disk Space:

  • Ensure your server host has enough disk space for backup operations. For video file backups, especially if the videos folder contains many gigabytes of data, adequate space is crucial for both storing and compressing the files.

• CPU Resources:

  • Compressing large folders can be CPU-intensive. Verify that your server host has sufficient CPU resources to handle large-scale compression efficiently. Inadequate CPU resources may slow down the backup process, especially for large video collections.

• FTP Connectivity:

  • The plugin provides an option to test FTP credentials to verify if the FTP server can be accessed and used correctly. This test checks if files can be created, uploaded, and deleted to ensure the FTP server's configuration is valid and permissions are correctly set.

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Example Usage

1. Backing Up the Database Only:

   • Select the "Backup Database" option.
   • Click "Create Backup Now" to start the backup process.
   • If FTP Sync is enabled, the backup file will be uploaded to the FTP server automatically.

2. Backing Up Video Files Only:

   • Select the "Backup Files" option.
   • Ensure the server has sufficient disk space and CPU resources.
   • Click "Create Backup Now" to start the compression and backup process.

3. Full Site Backup:

   • Choose the "Backup All" option to create a complete backup.
   • This will include both database and video files for a comprehensive backup solution.

4. Testing FTP Sync:

   • If FTP Sync is configured, click the "Test FTP Credentials" button.
   • The plugin will display the results, informing whether the FTP server can be accessed and if files and directories can be manipulated correctly.