Question SQL Server scheduled backups

[johnaau]

I am in the process of moving hosting of my websites and the new host uses Plesk which I am not familiar with (yet).

What I want to do is backup my SQL Server database on a schedule and be able to download the backups via FTP using a backup service that I use.

It seems in Plesk that I have the option to create scheduled backups, although they are of the website too, not just the backup. I can live with that if it is the only option.

However, I can only seem to backup to server storage (which i can't access via FTP) or to an external FTP source.

I tried creating a FTP location of the server itself so it would backup to itself and then I could FTP from there, but got an error message: "Using the local Plesk's FTP server as a remote storage is prohibited. Please specify a remote location."

Can you suggest any solution for me?

 

[UFHH01]

Hi johnaau,

to backup the databases ( with several schedules, based on the customer/resellers needs ), we use "http://www.mysqldumper.net/". Consider to have a look at it.


Plesk itself is indeed not very flexible, when it comes to backups, but you are still able to export your Plesk backup files, either to "stdout", to "local file system", or to "FTP server":

Exporting Backup Files ( Plesk 12.5 online documentation - Advanced Administration Guide, Plesk for Microsoft Windows )​

 

[johnaau]

Thanks UFHH01. The database I am using is SQL Server so that service won't work for my situation.

 

[IgorG]

You can make local backups of subscription and then download them from Plesk interface.

 

[johnaau]

Thanks IgorG. I want to have an automatic process in place for backups, not a manual process.

 

[johnaau]

Alternately, is there any way of just doing scheduled database backups (SQL Server) without backing up the website files too?

 

[IgorG]

Alternately, is there any way of just doing scheduled database backups (SQL Server) without backing up the website files too?

You can just create Scheduled Task for mysqldump command with corresponding parameters.

 

[johnaau]

@IgorG, I am using SQL Server.

 

[IgorG]

@IgorG, I am using SQL Server.

Do you mean MSSQL? Is there any command line utility for dumping databases?

 

[johnaau]

@IgorG, yes Microsoft SQL... There is command line utilities but my host has MSSQL on a separate server so I don't think I can run command line utils.

 

[IgorG]

@IgorG, yes Microsoft SQL... There is command line utilities but my host has MSSQL on a separate server so I don't think I can run command line utils.

So, if I correctly understood, you have remote MSSQL server and want to use Plesk for creation scheduled dumps on this remote MSSQL server?
I'm not familiar enough with MSSQL, but if there is something like remote management like own API-RPC or something else, you can create the special script with corresponding commands and parameters on Plesk side and use this script for Scheduled Task.

 

[UFHH01]

Hi johnaau,

did you notice, that Plesk offers as well a documentation about:

Configuring Backup Settings for Remote SQL Servers
​

Reading that documentation, you may create the folder for your "temporary physical directory for the remote SQL Server" at every location you wish to ( you could choose a website - folder under "example.com", for which you could grant access to a unique FTP - user that you created for that domain ) and your question could be marked as "solved".

 

[johnaau]

@UFHH01, I tried using this feature to FTP back to the same server but Plesk doesn't allow that. I don't want to FTP to a different server. Anyway, I've given up on this host that uses Plesk and I'm moving to a host that uses WebsitePanel which works better for my backup needs. Thank you.