How To Backup Your Website
caymanhostData loss can be an absolute nightmare for anyone who owns valuable computer files, no matter whether you are a webmaster or email user, sudden loss of all your files can occur in a variety of ways. Sometimes it’s down to you, the user, other times outside influences such as hackers and virus or malware applications can see your data literally vanishing into thin air.
Making regular backups of files really is essential and this chore should certainly be a matter of routine for all webmasters.
A backup refers to a copy of existing files on a separate storage device to preserve data in case the original has been damaged or deleted. Don’t rely on your hosting company to backup your data, they may well do so but you must have a duplicate of all your files stored safely in another place, independent of your host. No matter how reliable your hosting company has always been, they can suffer server failures just like anyone else, so, for your own peace of mind backup everything and store it either on your own PC’s hard drive, or an external drive, preferably both if you can.
Never underestimate the importance of having a backup. There is no excuse nowadays as the task really is a simple one and there are a variety of options.
1. Back Up With cPanel
Every time you log in to your hosting account, you are usually greeted by your control panel, the place that contains all the tools you need to manage your website. C-Panel is one of the most commonly used control panels for Linux based hosting and if you are a cPanel user, backups could not be easier.
To perform a full backup using cPanel, you just have to find and click the Backup icon on the main interface. (sample below)
This offers you options to generate various backups including your databases. Backup everything, including those vital database files. It’s simple. Then download the generated files to your PC, or other storage medium.
I have made a very quick video showing how to back up with cPanel where you will see how, with just a few clicks, I backup a main home directory, two MySQL databases and an email database, and save the files to the desktop on my pc. Where you store your backups is your choice of course and I recommend at least two separate locations.
Additional Resources: Mohamed Bhimji has also provided an ebook in PDF format covering the full process. You can download a free copy below.
2. Backing Up Using Online Storage
Your server is already an online storage medium of course, but if you want more security for your files, you could get another. You may already have another hosting plan where you could store data or you could just sign up to a free online storage service instead. Some of these may not offer enough space for larger backups however.
3. Backing Up Databases Using phpMyAdmin
Databases are the most common repository of important records. If you are running MySQL, but don’t have cPanel, you can back up your databases using phpMyAdmin, a common database management tool. It is very simple - log in to your phpMyAdmin account and click the Export option which will take you to a list of your databases. Select them all and save - you will be prompted to provide a name for the backup file and the desired location. Click OK and your backup database(s) will be created.
Wherever you decide to backup and save your data remember to do it on a regular basis - the more often you update your website or blog the more frequently you should backup. I prefer to store backups in two separate locations which gives double the security and peace of mind.
If you haven’t backed up in a while, make time to do it today.
Technorati Tags: CPanel Backups , Website Backups , Database backup , Backup tools , Backup methods , Making a backup of your website , Blog backups
No Rating| 2.5 |
Filed under: Blogging, Site Issues, Web Hosting Articles
Thanks for outlining the importance of backing up websites. I am learning how to back up my new wordpress blog and am seeking specific steps on how to do it. Your article was straightforward and simple but it did not specifically say what boxes to click throughout the mySQL process. I have cpanel and mySQL. There is an icon that says backups but there are no specific instructions on how to do it. I use Hostgator and it is not intuitive. It doesn't show how to backup a database. Do you happen to know? Stephen
Hi Stephen If you have Cpanel and can see the backup icon shown in the above screenshot all you need to do is click on it and you should see several options similar to:- Home Directory Download a MySQL Database Backup Download Email Domain Forwarder or Filter Backup under the MySQL database backup you should see something like "wrdp1" which is your Wordpress Database. If you click on that it will offer you the option to save your backup to a location of your choosing on your hard drive or other media. Click on 'save file as' and it will download the backup in compressed file format to your computer. You should really do these backups on a daily basis and I would backup everything including your home directory and any other databases you are running. I hope this helps you out. Maurice (TheCaymanHost)
great info on backing up a website, and good effort on creating the video tutorial, this is definitely going to help lots of new webmaster saving their valuable data. It is definitely a good practice to have periodic backups of your own.
Good post. I am agree with you. No matter how reliable your hosting company you must make a backup. The video is so helpful. Thanks
I'm glad you found the rather hurriedly compiled video useful and apologize for the lack of sound! Thanks for taking time to leave your thoughts.