How to back up your forum (and know the backup works)

What a forum backup must include

A forum lives in two places, and a backup that misses either is not a backup:

• The database: every post, member, private message, permission and setting. This is the irreplaceable part.
• The files: the forum software, your theme and add-ons, the configuration file, and uploads (avatars and attachments).

The configuration file (phpBB’s config.php, MyBB’s inc/config.php, SMF’s Settings.php) links the two, and contains the database password. Treat backups as private.

Who backs up what

Traxio takes daily offsite backups of the hosting servers. They exist to recover from problems on Traxio’s side, and they can help in an emergency. But they aren’t a substitute for your own: keeping backups of your forum is your responsibility, and Traxio accepts no liability for lost data. Your own backups are also quicker to use and can be restored to exactly the point you choose. The knowledgebase explains what Traxio’s backups cover.

Three ways to back up on Traxio

1. A full DirectAdmin backup (simplest)

DirectAdmin can create a complete backup of your account: files, databases and email, in one archive. Create it from the backup section of DirectAdmin, wait for the confirmation, then download the archive to your own computer. Step by step: creating a full backup.

2. Softaculous backups (forum only)

Softaculous can back up a single installation: that forum’s files and its database. It’s convenient before an update, and it can also run on a schedule if you enabled automated backups when installing. Keep only a few, as they count towards your storage, and download the ones you want to keep.

3. A database export with phpMyAdmin (quick and small)

For a quick snapshot of just the posts and members, open phpMyAdmin from DirectAdmin, select your forum’s database and use Export (the quick SQL export is fine). Pair it with a copy of your uploads folder for a complete picture. This is also what you’ll use to move to another host.

A routine that actually happens

• Before every change: an update, a new add-on or theme, or a big permissions rework.
• On a schedule: put a recurring reminder in your calendar. Monthly for a small forum; weekly once it’s busy.
• Download it. A backup that only exists on the same server doesn’t protect you from losing access to that server.
• Keep several generations: this month, last month and one from a few months ago. Problems such as a slow-acting spam infection sometimes go unnoticed for weeks.
• Keep one copy somewhere else as well: an external drive or a cloud storage account you control.

Test a restore once

A backup you’ve never restored is a hope, not a plan. Once, while the forum is small, practise: create a subdomain such as test.yourforum.com, restore the files there, import the database into a second database, and check the forum loads. (A second database is a £0.99 one-off add-on; you can delete the test afterwards.) You’ll learn the process when nothing is at stake.

Backups at the end of the trial

If you let the free trial lapse, the account is suspended seven days after the invoice date and removed after fourteen. If there’s any chance you’ll want the forum later, download a full backup before then. With it, you can restore the forum on Traxio or any other host.