Let go grab a snappy Snapshot of your database!
Start by reading Installing plugins section in our comprehensive WordPress and WordPress Multisite Manual if you are new to WordPress.
This plugin is Network Activated when installed on WordPress Multisite.
We need to first configure the folder where we want these backups done! Pop over to the admin area:
Admin –> Snapshots –> Settings
You can customise the name of the folder here, and anything you change it to….. Well we’ll move the files already backed up over for you, how cool is that!!
We will then want to set how many records are backed up per request, this is titled Database Segment Size.
The Segment Size can be defined as the number of rows to backup per table per request. The Segment Size controls the backup processing when you create a new snapshot. During the backup processing Snapshot will make a request to the server to backup each table. You can see this in the progress meters when you create a new snapshot. In most situations this backup process will attempt to backup the table in one step. But on some server configurations the timeout is set very low or the table size is very large and prevents the backup process from finishing. To control this the Snapshot backup process will breakup the requests into smaller ‘chunks of work’ requested to the server.
For example you have a table with 80,000 records. This would take more than the normal 3 minutes or less most servers allow for processing it attempted in a single request. By setting the segment size to 1000 the Snapshot process will breakup the table into 80 small parts. These 1000 records per request should complete within the allow server timeout period.
We can then set a new memory limit, keep in mind if your database is growing in size then you will need more PHP memory to process that. If there isn’t enough then PHP will time out with memory errors.
Thats it for the settings, all done.
Starting A Snapshot
Head over to Snapshot menu in the admin area and click on “Add New”.
In here we will want to give our Snapshot a name, it doesn’t overly matter what you call it because its all relative to you. you can add some notes as well as a reminder of what your performing the Snapshot.
Next we will want to decide what tables to take a Snapshot of. The first set of options there are for the default WordPress core tables, you know the ones for users, usermeta and so on.
The next set of options are for the extra tables added by themes and plugins. Remember non of these or the default WordPress ones are required, its all option and you can choose which ones you need!
Once you are happy with all your choices here, then all that is left to do is click on that “Create Snapshot” button….. So lets do it!
Now don’t be alarmed if this takes awhile, or if the backup does not appear instantly. These things take time you know. ;-)
Go grab yourself a brew whilst you wait if you wish. :-)
Once it done it will let you know with a notice:
Where Are My Snapshots? Can I Restore Them?
You will notice in the Snapshot menu there is an option for “All Snapshots” click on that and you will get a list of all the Snapshots located in the folder you configured earlier. It really is that easy!
As you notice on the page you can delete or restore a backup, heck you can even download direct from the admin panel.
You can even view which core tables you backed up through a clever drop down menu:
Ohhh… And which non-core tables as well:
Anything Else?
Sure thing, what about an easy way to see when Snapshots were taken and deleted…. Yup we have that too!
Just click on the “Activity Log” option from the Snapshots menu:
And there you have it, your Activity Log in all its glory!
How awesome is all that aye!!
If your stuck, need some help or have a suggestion then get involved with the community through our forums:
http://premium.wpmudev.org/forums
See you there!
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