Database Backup and Restore

Introduction

AutoKB's database backup function allows you to output all of the MySQL database information to a text file so that the database can be restored if necessary. We generally recommend that you backup your MySQL database at least twice per week, and possibly more often if your knowledge base changes frequently.

Backing Up Your Database

To backup your database, locate and click on the Backup/Restore Database link in the Other Functions section of the control panel menu. AutoKB will then display a page where you can enter the filename you want to use for your backup file. Once you have entered the filename you want to use, click on the Backup button. The backup process may take a few minutes, so be sure to give it time to complete.

To download the backup file for safe keeping, FTP into your server and change into the data directory of your AutoKB installation. Locate the backup file named as you specified when you ran the backup function. You can download this files to your local computer for safe keeping.

While this takes care of backing up your MySQL database, there are other files that you may want to keep backup copies of. Any of the templates you have modified or any of the images that you have uploaded through the software will need to be manually backed up. You can backup your templates by downloading all of the files from the templates directory of your installation. To backup the images that you have uploaded through the software, download all of the files from the userimages directory of your installation. Make sure you download the images in binary mode.

Restoring Your Database

To retore your database, locate and click on the Backup/Restore Database link in the Other Functions section of the control panel menu. AutoKB will then display a page where you can enter the filename of your backup file. Make sure you have uploaded the backup file to the data directory of your AutoKB installation. Once you have entered the filename, click on the Restore button. AutoKB will begin importing the data from your file. This process may take a few minutes, so be sure to give it time to complete. After enough time has elapsed, you can continue using the software as usual.

If you had manually made copies of your templates and/or uploaded images you can restore those as well. Simply upload all of the templates to the templates directory of your installation and all of the images to the userimages directory of your installation. You will need to set the permissions to 666 on all of the template and image files that you upload. Once all of the files have been uploaded, login to the control panel and run the Recompile All Templates function.