new BU utilities - SUCKS

[dotCOM_host]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Backup problems

About useless formats: since 8.0 things changed. It's still MIME-based, but now MIME-parts are just tar archives. And I sure such an experienced Unix admin have a couple of tools in toolbox which may unpack MIME message.

Oh, I don't have a problem converting MIME or UUENCODEd content back into proper binary format. I just find it extremely archaic to go in that direction in the first place. Why even encode all files in MIME format when you can archive all files so you can get direct access to them in one step? MIME/UUENCODE were invented way back when for transmitting binary files via email - which to this day relays on plain text as the transfer medium between servers. Plesk surely doesn't email backup files to anyone, so why use MIME? Why not use tar or similar tools to create binary copies of web sites?

Anyway, you seem to like the way backups are done in Plesk. I tend to disagree. After being in the hosting business for many years and having experience with several other popular web control panels out there, I find Plesk backups severly lacking in usability and flexibility. Heck - in v8.0 they even removed the option to store backups on remote servers using FTP - a feature which was there before. Why?? What good are local backups if the server crashes and you can't get to the data in the first place? Backups should NEVER be stored on the same physical server as the web sites themselves. Sure, you can add yet another script to the server to copy all local backups to a remote server every night, but why? This feature not only should be there "out of the box", but in fact it was there, and it was removed in the 8.0 release. Again - why?? One stop forward (gzip backup files), two steps back (remove remote storage of backup files). <sigh>

 

[dm__@]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Backup problems

Originally posted by dotCOM_host
Why even encode all files in MIME format when you can archive all files so you can get direct access to them in one step?

I see at least one argument 'pro' - streaming processing. Dunno whether apply in this case.

Heck - in v8.0 they even removed the option to store backups on remote servers using FTP - a feature which was there before. Why??

Seems that it will be reclaimed in 8.1 (at least ppl on the forum with access to insiders information say so).

 

[Pagemakers]

Re: Re: Backup problems

Originally posted by dotCOM_host
4PSA Total Backup??? That's the worst piece of "software" I've ever had displeasure of running. All it does is tar the entire server, all files, "as is", and dumps everything into one gigantic file. That's not a backup, that's a joke.

But you can restore what you like from the backup file.

However, that's not the point. Plesk backup should be worlds better!

 

[dm__@]

Re: Re: Re: Backup problems

Originally posted by Pagemakers
But you can restore what you like from the backup file.

Is there some sort of UI to perform such things, or you just mean TotalBackup provides backups in known format? As I said before, since 8.0 Plesk backups are also in known format (gzipped MIME with plain tar files).

However, that's not the point. Plesk backup should be worlds better!

Agree.

 

[Pagemakers]

There is no UI, but you enter a single command and then follow the simple y/n prompts.

 

[Griffith]

Got this from support:

Unfortunately Backup manager for Plesk 8.0 is a bottleneck now. We know about such issue. Our research and development team is trying to improve PBM. I hope that updates will be available soon. Please check for then via Plesk CP "Updater".

 

[Pagemakers]

Oh dear!

 

[redrage]

quote:Unfortunately Backup manager for Plesk 8.0 is a bottleneck now. We know about such issue. Our research and development team is trying to improve PBM. I hope that updates will be available soon. Please check for then via Plesk CP "Updater".

gee, thanks alot guys. Hopefully by soon they mean by tonight

 

[Griffith]

I tried the last release of the backup utils, and seems like the load is "normal".. haven't tried to restore it yet though...

 

[Pagemakers]

Why on earth can't we initiate the server backup form the control panel?

 

[Griffith]

hehe.. no need to but should be possible.. and I would guess they will create that soon.. atleast they should...

but.. where can we find logs of what has been backed up?

 

[dm__@]

Originally posted by Pagemakers
Why on earth can't we initiate the server backup form the control panel?

Support says there are plans to implement it. Probably will be in the next major (not 8.0.x bugfixes) version, but may be in postponed to the one version later.

 

[Pagemakers]

Cool

 

[JLChafardet]

Originally posted by Griffith
I tried the last release of the backup utils, and seems like the load is "normal".. haven't tried to restore it yet though...

Plesk released a patch for the PLESK Backup Utilities, now it doesnt halt the server "good thing" , but the bad new is that IT DOESNT CREATE THE BACKUP. It creates a file with no data (at least it is absolutly impossible, to create a backup of over 40 GB of data(httpdocs, email, databases), that is 240kb total.
[root@swordfish root]# /usr/local/psa/bin/pleskbackup --all total_backup -verbose
Done: domain(s)
Done: -78 domain(s), 1 client(s)
Done: -65 domain(s), 4 client(s)
Done: -55 domain(s), 5 client(s)
Done: -51 domain(s), 5 client(s)
Done: -45 domain(s), 5 client(s)
Done: -37 domain(s), 5 client(s)
Done: -32 domain(s), 5 client(s)
Done: -26 domain(s), 5 client(s)
Done: -19 domain(s), 5 client(s)
Done: -13 domain(s), 5 client(s)
Done: -9 domain(s), 5 client(s)
Done: -4 domain(s), 5 client(s)
Done: 0 domain(s), 5 client(s)
Done: 1 domain(s), 5 client(s)
[root@swordfish root]#

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 203K Apr 14 08:29 total_backup

another side note, it showes only 78 domains where in the server are over 100.... what to say? well this.

for me, this **** is still not working.

 

[Pagemakers]

Originally posted by dm__
Support says there are plans to implement it. Probably will be in the next major (not 8.0.x bugfixes) version, but may be in postponed to the one version later.

I've checked the latest roadmaps, but didn't find plans to create an UI for server backup. At least, it won't be included in 8.0.1, as far as I can see. Please, watch our website for updates.

Thanks,
---
Maria Litvinova
Technical Support Engineer

 

[JLChafardet]

they released a new hotfix for the BU package, now it does create the backups, now the thing is, it split the backup in 1 gb files, and i cant see anywhere in the pleskbackup tool an option to DO NOT split the file.

why forcing us to have the backups splited? AT LEAST I DONT WANT the backups split, never liked it.

I think they should put an option like --nosplit for the ones like me (if there is any) that doesnt like the backup split into different files.

 

[JLChafardet]

ok i received information on how to do it.

Hello José,

you can configure backup split size for plesk-backup-manager using special variable PLESKX_SPLIT_SIZE. Set value of the variable in bytes before running pleskbackup. For example:

# export PLESKX_SPLIT_SIZE=21474836480
# /usr/local/psa/bin/pleskbackup --all /path/to/file/FILENAMEHERE -verbose

this command will split backup file with size 20G. Increasing the variable you can create the only backup file.

Thanks.

--
Anastasia Bezborodova
Technical Support Engineer
SWsoft, Inc.

 

[basic612]

having just upgraded I have just run the backup procedures through their paces. I'm not so worried about the speed of backup - in fact I'm quite happy with it on my server.

I have run a manual backup and been doing some trial restores, I am concerned about some issues:

- how to restore just one file / directory from the backup, rather than reverting the entire client / domain to the previous state. I guess this would be addressed by the next point:

- how to unpack the backup file to an alternative directory - so I can pick out the filesystem / mysqldumps / email spools / whatever as required. I know about ripmime - but I need to know the steps to unpack the dirs / files into a meaningful structure rather than a hundred mysterious files.

- how to change the location that all backups are being written to. I have a separate backup filesystem in my server and I don't want to be clogging up the root filesystem. I guess I could just symlink the backup dir to correct location, but woudl be much nicer to be able to configure this globally for the server.

 

[dm__@]

Originally posted by basic612

- how to change the location that all backups are being written to. I have a separate backup filesystem in my server and I don't want to be clogging up the root filesystem. I guess I could just symlink the backup dir to correct location, but woudl be much nicer to be able to configure this globally for the server.

There is the DUMP_D option in /etc/psa/psa.conf

 

[basic612]

excellent - thanks!

Well - that's one out of three... I'm guessing the answer to the other two may be a little further off from the searching I've been doing on the forums