8 pointsGetting my WPMU DEV WingsI'm new here
socialtract
Member
—
10th June 2011
Hi -
We recently ran into a situation where we wanted to restore one site of many in a Multi-site configuration where the site in question lost all its sidebar widget configurations. Now we want to be proactive and install an automatic back up that allows complete restores for individual blogs on a Mult-Site.
We recently ran into a situation where we wanted to restore one site of many in a Multi-site configuration where the site in question lost all its sidebar widget configurations. Now we want to be proactive and install an automatic back up that allows complete restores for individual blogs on a Mult-Site.
I really couldn't advise on it but I can say that I've used BackupBuddy myself and while the developers don't claim multisite support, it backs up the entire database (as well as wp-content and other system files). So it ends up backing up the entire database even for multisite installs.
As far as I've seen it can't be used to backup single sites from within the multisite network, but it works nicely for a whole system backup. It can also be set to backup at customized intervals as well.
Hopefully, others around here have other ideas or things to add. :)
At the moment we do regular whm backups of all accounts on our servers, but its a pain if needed for only one site in a multisite installation, so a huge +1 from me for a feature to backup sites individually, especially something outside the root/public for main site admins.
I wonder though what the overheads would be for large installs.......
A big +1 from me in support of a plugin for allowing the individual site owner (from our main multisite) to backup their own site/blog themselves to their own harddisk or if they want to migrate to their own cPanel.
We'd also love for users to have this ability, however we'd need the ability to keep themes out of the backup. We offer premium themes for our multisite clients to use on the multisite, but we don't want those themes to be portable.
I set a +1 although I know this is almost impossible and totally unsecure to let site user to backup a part of the database, that suposses the database password is set anywhere....
In a superadmin zone perhaps...
If it is possible, would be great.
BUT this can be accomplished with multiDB and set sites as VIP and one database per site...
Its definitely possible, I would however worry about the load it could put on the server, it might be best to use a cron rather than wp-cron for larger sites.
I'd like to have this too but don't see it happen as I don't believe it would scale well.
how to backup a site (blog by blog) with a few thousand blogs?
Besides, I wouldn't offer a backup for someone who has lost his sidebar. doesn't sound like a huge problem :-)
anyway, that is my opinion, you might have a different user scenario where you need this...
@Ovidiu,
You make a valid point...
and I agree, it won't scale well with a 1000's of blogs, and as timothy said, would put a huge amount of strain on the server - my thoughts were towards my own private network of sites +/- 20 mapped sites. Which seems to becoming more popular. One install, multiple domain mapped sites.... but, it's one database, so an option to individually backup is overkill (got a laugh out of "lost his sidebar") ;)
But, I guess my current solution works well, and is a hell of a lot more secure.
Yeah, one of the main issues (and reasons for us avoiding such a plugin) is the scaling issues. It's the most likely reason behind BackupBuddy not claiming multisite capability.
Glad to see a lot of interest here though. Definitely means we'll take it under consideration.
@wpcdn I don't think the user should have the ability to backup, they can export all the content out from the core right now. What would be different?
@john, Does the export function export everything including widget content? We need to make it as easy as possible for users to restore if necessary.
And, even if the export function is a good backup method, we still want to offer automated backups for users. Is there an effective way to automate exports using the standard WP export function?
BackupBuddy for MultiSite was released in Beta this week so stay tuned, we will be testing and reporting back.
@bobrandklev, the description says, "BackupBuddy MS is a tool that allows you to migrate a self-hosted WordPress install into an existing WordPress Multisite installation." So is it suitable for routine backups of sites on a multisite network, or is it simply a tool for migrating from a single install to multisite?
There seems to be several threads on this topic including one at premium.wpmudev.org/forums/topic/backupbuddy#post-112907 where I just posted the following:
I've been using BackupBuddy on numerous stand-alone sites and one multisite. I have only tried to restore or migrate a standalone site and it works beautifully for that. It backs up my multisite easily but I have never tried to restore or migrate the multisite. I've just been hoping that it works as they claim it does. They did tell me that it works for multisite as a whole but not for individual sites. They now have a version to bring single sites into a multisite but not backed out of a multisite. Backing up or exporting individual sites separately can be done from within the word press control panel by the site user.
My question is whether BackupBuddy will work with Multi-DB?
I think this is a much bigger undertaking than most people realize. It would be a system killer on a large network. Plus, network usage would go through the roof.
I could see offering individual site backup at a significant premium. What does JetPack cost, something like $25 per month?
In order to not kill your network you'd have to backup to secondary storage. Plus, you'd need to offer at least a 30-day rolling backup capability to allow a site owner to go back to a version prior to a problem.
VaultPress (part of JetPack) costs $15/month per subsite of multisite. VaultPress will not back up the entire network. However, I am interested in backing up the entire network which BackupBuddy does. The only problem I have is that I am now using Multi-DB which BackupBuddy does not currently do.
Responses (27)
WPMU DEV Fanatic — 10th June 2011 #
Hi Scott,
I really couldn't advise on it but I can say that I've used BackupBuddy myself and while the developers don't claim multisite support, it backs up the entire database (as well as wp-content and other system files). So it ends up backing up the entire database even for multisite installs.
As far as I've seen it can't be used to backup single sites from within the multisite network, but it works nicely for a whole system backup. It can also be set to backup at customized intervals as well.
Hopefully, others around here have other ideas or things to add. :)
Cheers,
David
Member — 10th June 2011 #
+1 for WPMU to create a backup plugin, script something that supports s3, ftp or even dropbox
Member — 10th June 2011 #
Quick thanks to David and John -- your thoughts appreciated.
Yes... a WPMU Dev. back up plugin for each blog on a multi site would be great.
- Scott
Lifetime member! — 10th June 2011 #
+1
Support Chimp — 11th June 2011 #
At the moment we do regular whm backups of all accounts on our servers, but its a pain if needed for only one site in a multisite installation, so a huge +1 from me for a feature to backup sites individually, especially something outside the root/public for main site admins.
I wonder though what the overheads would be for large installs.......
Member — 11th June 2011 #
A big +1 from me in support of a plugin for allowing the individual site owner (from our main multisite) to backup their own site/blog themselves to their own harddisk or if they want to migrate to their own cPanel.
Lifetime member! — 11th June 2011 #
We'd also love for users to have this ability, however we'd need the ability to keep themes out of the backup. We offer premium themes for our multisite clients to use on the multisite, but we don't want those themes to be portable.
Lifetime member! — 11th June 2011 #
I set a +1 although I know this is almost impossible and totally unsecure to let site user to backup a part of the database, that suposses the database password is set anywhere....
In a superadmin zone perhaps...
If it is possible, would be great.
BUT this can be accomplished with multiDB and set sites as VIP and one database per site...
Member — 11th June 2011 #
another +1 if that is possible somehow :)
Member — 11th June 2011 #
+1 for both options... per site and entire network. with a history and notes tab to stay organized.
Support Chimp — 11th June 2011 #
Its definitely possible, I would however worry about the load it could put on the server, it might be best to use a cron rather than wp-cron for larger sites.
Member — 11th June 2011 #
@wpcdn I don't think the user should have the ability to backup, they can export all the content out from the core right now. What would be different?
I am more interested in a Admin/Network owner backup similar to either vaultpress or what some hosts do.
Member — 8th July 2011 #
+1
Lifetime Member — 8th July 2011 #
+1 for both options - per site and network (and to Amazon s3)
Jonathan
Member — 8th July 2011 #
I'd like to have this too but don't see it happen as I don't believe it would scale well.
how to backup a site (blog by blog) with a few thousand blogs?
Besides, I wouldn't offer a backup for someone who has lost his sidebar. doesn't sound like a huge problem :-)
anyway, that is my opinion, you might have a different user scenario where you need this...
Lifetime Member — 8th July 2011 #
@Ovidiu,
You make a valid point...
and I agree, it won't scale well with a 1000's of blogs, and as timothy said, would put a huge amount of strain on the server - my thoughts were towards my own private network of sites +/- 20 mapped sites. Which seems to becoming more popular. One install, multiple domain mapped sites.... but, it's one database, so an option to individually backup is overkill (got a laugh out of "lost his sidebar") ;)
But, I guess my current solution works well, and is a hell of a lot more secure.
---
For those interested here is something similar to what I use and it works pretty well for the most part.
http://www.problogdesign.com/how-to/automatic-amazon-s3-backups-on-ubuntu-debian/
Sales & Support Lead — 8th July 2011 #
Yeah, one of the main issues (and reasons for us avoiding such a plugin) is the scaling issues. It's the most likely reason behind BackupBuddy not claiming multisite capability.
Glad to see a lot of interest here though. Definitely means we'll take it under consideration.
Member — 17th July 2011 #
Definitely a +1. I have found that http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/automatic-wordpress-backup/ works the best for single installs.
Member — 17th July 2011 #
BackupBuddy for MultiSite was released in Beta this week so stay tuned, we will be testing and reporting back.
Lifetime member! — 17th July 2011 #
@john, Does the export function export everything including widget content? We need to make it as easy as possible for users to restore if necessary.
And, even if the export function is a good backup method, we still want to offer automated backups for users. Is there an effective way to automate exports using the standard WP export function?
@bobrandklev, the description says, "BackupBuddy MS is a tool that allows you to migrate a self-hosted WordPress install into an existing WordPress Multisite installation." So is it suitable for routine backups of sites on a multisite network, or is it simply a tool for migrating from a single install to multisite?
Member — 18th July 2011 #
@wpcdn Yes you are correct and my apologies for jumping to assume when they said for "MS" it was a solution we are looking for... maybe soon :-)
Here's the page I should have read closer: http://pluginbuddy.com/backupbuddy-ms-released-as-a-beta/
Member — 18th July 2011 #
i do a cpanel backup manually, (the directory and the the database) for each cpanel account.
+1 for an automated backup multisite solution.
i usually only have one multisite per cpanel, and hostgator does weekly backups of the whole cpanel.
Member — 2nd December 2011 #
There seems to be several threads on this topic including one at premium.wpmudev.org/forums/topic/backupbuddy#post-112907 where I just posted the following:
I've been using BackupBuddy on numerous stand-alone sites and one multisite. I have only tried to restore or migrate a standalone site and it works beautifully for that. It backs up my multisite easily but I have never tried to restore or migrate the multisite. I've just been hoping that it works as they claim it does. They did tell me that it works for multisite as a whole but not for individual sites. They now have a version to bring single sites into a multisite but not backed out of a multisite. Backing up or exporting individual sites separately can be done from within the word press control panel by the site user.
My question is whether BackupBuddy will work with Multi-DB?
Member par excellence — 26th February 2012 #
+1 on the idea :)
Member — 26th February 2012 #
BackupBuddy said it will work with Multi-DB soon.
Member — 27th February 2012 #
I think this is a much bigger undertaking than most people realize. It would be a system killer on a large network. Plus, network usage would go through the roof.
I could see offering individual site backup at a significant premium. What does JetPack cost, something like $25 per month?
In order to not kill your network you'd have to backup to secondary storage. Plus, you'd need to offer at least a 30-day rolling backup capability to allow a site owner to go back to a version prior to a problem.
David
Member — 27th February 2012 #
VaultPress (part of JetPack) costs $15/month per subsite of multisite. VaultPress will not back up the entire network. However, I am interested in backing up the entire network which BackupBuddy does. The only problem I have is that I am now using Multi-DB which BackupBuddy does not currently do.
Become a member