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The website is back on-line after a partial database restore. There are about 600 recent posts that could not be recovered.

In this case, you will see: (content missing) in the message body.

Feel free to fix them if you can, or delete them if you want.


My apologies. I messed up a SQL statement and damaged the message content, and then learned about our non-existent backup strategy. Ooops! I am sorry if you lost anything that could not be recovered.

Next up is to work on a backup strategy, to help minimize the risk of this happening again.

Thanks Rick! Where is this site hosted? Many times, hosts do nightly backups as part of the basic service. Might be worth a shot.

Oh, that reminds me, I need to update Tapatalk on my own damn forum! 

They don't do nightly backups. What I restored was the best available.

We need to start a backup plan. I'm open to suggestions.

I'm not familiar with our hosting agreement, aren't we limited in that regard? There have to be some reasonable options.

I think there are some things we can do if we complete the server move that was already started.

we might also consider some online back up to the cloud options.

That's a bear.  Thanks for getting it back online. 

If the site is hosted on a virtual private server and runs off mysql, you could easily write a batch file or bash script that is scheduled to run daily.  This would issue a mysqldump command to dump to a directory on another machine (or external disk, depending on hosting environment).  Alternately, if the database is sufficiently small, someone's home machine could make the connection and run the dump to the home machine (or just dump new records, though a restore becomes more complex). 

I've seen this used on a small database before to backup across a local network.  Depending on the database size/type and environment, this could be an easy and free option.

Why can't you see who made a particular post within this "CORP" subforum?  When you're reading an individual thread, you can't see the poster's name on the left side.  At least I can't.

This post made by Nate Woolever

Oh yeah I was noticing that... Its the template. I'll switch it to the more normal one.

Oh yeah I was noticing that... Its the template. I'll switch it to the more normal one.

should be better now.

That's a bear.  Thanks for getting it back online. 

If the site is hosted on a virtual private server and runs off mysql, you could easily write a batch file or bash script that is scheduled to run daily.  This would issue a mysqldump command to dump to a directory on another machine (or external disk, depending on hosting environment).  Alternately, if the database is sufficiently small, someone's home machine could make the connection and run the dump to the home machine (or just dump new records, though a restore becomes more complex). 

I've seen this used on a small database before to backup across a local network.  Depending on the database size/type and environment, this could be an easy and free option.

Something like this is good. I would like it to be fully automated. If someone has to do something manually, then that is the likely point of failure.

Ideally, we should be backup up to SOME OTHER LOCATION than our host. That way we have some spread of risk.

Fully automated is fine as long as the automation is checked occasionally. Something like a status email sent when the backup succeeds/fails.

what size database are we talking about here for backup?

what size database are we talking about here for backup?

current DB size for SMF is 4.1mb zipped.
not sure for WP.

then there are the system files and attachments... not sure on how much those are.

That's a bear.  Thanks for getting it back online. 

If the site is hosted on a virtual private server and runs off mysql, you could easily write a batch file or bash script that is scheduled to run daily.  This would issue a mysqldump command to dump to a directory on another machine (or external disk, depending on hosting environment).  Alternately, if the database is sufficiently small, someone's home machine could make the connection and run the dump to the home machine (or just dump new records, though a restore becomes more complex). 

I've seen this used on a small database before to backup across a local network.  Depending on the database size/type and environment, this could be an easy and free option.

yes, dump it to a home machine, which automatically backs up specific files to a cloud service.   http://www.carbonite.com/en/v2/online-backup/pricing-plans/home  $59/yr unlimited storage.  but, what's the backup for that home pc?

Any host worth their salt has built-in backup service available. Many times the service is automatic, or at the very least an option in the package. Not sure why you guys want to dick around with someone's home machine...