The first truly simple backup tool is worth installing.
Backing up your Wordpress files is something we all know we need to do. But, much like backing up our computers, few of us do it as often as we should.
I’ve tried a few backup plugins in the past, but they all had shortcomings. Some only backed up the files, others only the database. Over the holidays I installed a new plugin — Automatic Wordpress Backup — and it seems to do exactly what I need: backup everything, automatically, to a secure environment.
The plugin integrates with Amazon S3, backing up your Wordpress files on a regular schedule that you control. If you don’t have an S3 account, signing up takes about a minute. It’s also cheap; most bloggers can backup their blog for only a few bucks a month on S3.
One quick note; the plugin automatically adds a backlink from your site when you install it. I’m not a fan when plugins do this automatically, but you can turn it off. Still, it’s worth helping out the plugin authors by spreading the word or donating.
WP DB Manager plugin works great and can do a chron, and doesn’t have to use S3. In addition, it does just the DB, which at times is the key thing, not full site. If you run a lot of sites this is the one to have: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-dbmanager/
best is to use mysqldump in timely manner 🙂
That’s a plugin I had considered installing. Thanks for the note about the backlink… that’s the nice thing about open source. Anybody can, and probably will create a new version of the plugin that doesn’t do the backlink.
Thanks for the review Andrew.
About the backlink: Without the backlink, we wouldn’t be able to fund the future development of the plugin. We have to pay our bills like everyone else. Without the ad’s on Google’s search results page, you wouldn’t get all the awesome things Gmail, Google Maps, Android, Google Analytics, etc.
Dave, it’s okay if you want to remove the backlink. That’s why we made it easy to do. Just know you’re not contributing to the further development of the plugin or helping us justify the prompt support we’re providing on the website.
One of the features we’re working on is a full restore function that will make it painless to go from a backup file to a fully restored website. The good folks who have elected to keep the backlink and/or are writing about the plugin (like Andrew) are making it possible to justify the continued investment.
Anyway, glad it’s being put to good use. Cheers to prosperity in 2010!!
Yeah, I agree with you Dave as well as with you Melvin. I have been in both shoes and I know how one feels.