Backup & Restore¶
User Guide¶
Create backups of your archive database and restore from previous backups when needed.
Overview¶
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ BACKUP & RESTORE │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ BACKUP RESTORE │
│ │ │ │
│ ▼ ▼ │
│ Save current ◄─────────────► Return to │
│ database state previous state │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
When to Use¶
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ CREATE BACKUPS BEFORE: │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 📥 Large imports - Bulk data loading │
│ 🔄 System updates - Software upgrades │
│ 🗑️ Bulk deletions - Removing many records │
│ ⚙️ Configuration changes - System settings │
│ 📋 Major edits - Large-scale modifications │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
How to Access¶
Main Menu
│
▼
Admin
│
▼
AHG Settings
│
▼
Backup & Restore ────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
├──▶ Create Backup (save current state) │
│ │
├──▶ View Backups (list all backups) │
│ │
├──▶ Restore (return to backup) │
│ │
└──▶ Download (save to computer) │
Creating a Backup¶
Step 1: Open Backup Tool¶
Go to Admin → AHG Settings → Backup & Restore
Step 2: Click Create Backup¶
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ CREATE NEW BACKUP │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ Description: [Pre-import backup January 2026 ] │
│ │
│ Include: [✓] Database │
│ [✓] Uploads folder │
│ [ ] Search index │
│ │
│ [Create Backup] │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Step 3: Wait for Completion¶
Creating backup...
│
├── Exporting database tables... ✓
├── Compressing uploads... ✓
└── Generating checksum... ✓
✅ Backup complete: backup_2026-01-10_143215.sql.gz
Viewing Existing Backups¶
Your backups are listed with details:
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ AVAILABLE BACKUPS │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Date │ Description │ Size │ Actions│
├──────────────────┼──────────────────────────┼────────┼────────┤
│ 10 Jan 2026 │ Pre-import backup │ 245 MB │ ⬇️ 🔄 🗑️│
│ 05 Jan 2026 │ Weekly backup │ 240 MB │ ⬇️ 🔄 🗑️│
│ 01 Jan 2026 │ Monthly backup │ 235 MB │ ⬇️ 🔄 🗑️│
│ 25 Dec 2025 │ Before update │ 230 MB │ ⬇️ 🔄 🗑️│
└──────────────────┴──────────────────────────┴────────┴────────┘
⬇️ Download 🔄 Restore 🗑️ Delete
Restoring from Backup¶
⚠️ Warning¶
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ⚠️ RESTORE WILL REPLACE ALL CURRENT DATA │
│ │
│ Any changes made after the backup date will be LOST. │
│ Consider creating a backup of current state first. │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Steps to Restore¶
- Select the backup you want to restore
- Click the Restore button (🔄)
- Confirm you want to proceed
- Wait for restoration to complete
Downloading Backups¶
To save a backup to your computer:
- Find the backup in the list
- Click the Download button (⬇️)
- Save the file to a secure location
Store downloaded backups in a separate location for disaster recovery
Best Practices¶
┌────────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────┐
│ ✓ DO │ ✗ DON'T │
├────────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│ Backup before major changes │ Skip backups │
│ Use descriptive names │ Use generic names │
│ Download copies offsite │ Keep all backups on server│
│ Test restores periodically │ Assume backups work │
│ Delete old backups │ Keep unlimited backups │
│ Schedule regular backups │ Only backup manually │
└────────────────────────────────┴────────────────────────────┘
Troubleshooting¶
Problem Solution
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Backup takes too long → Large databases are normal
Run during quiet periods
Backup fails → Check disk space
Contact administrator
Restore seems stuck → Large restores take time
Do not interrupt
Missing recent data → You restored an old backup
Data after backup is gone
Need Help?¶
Contact your system administrator if you experience issues.
Part of the AtoM AHG Framework