Many websites these days, including popular content management systems (CMSs) like WordPress and Joomla, use databases for storing and recalling information. This class of website is referred to as “dynamic,” because pages and content are often generated on-the-fly.
Through this article, I want to teach you how to backup this very valuable element of your Internet business. No need to be overwhelmed; the process, once learned, will take you less than 1 minute to complete.
Why bother?
Technology is imperfect; even sophisticated automatic backup systems can fail or corrupt. Your website- the central hub of your Internet business- is too important to take chances with! Even if your website host offers a backup service, you are still ultimately responsible for backing up your site. I don’t know about you, but I certainly don’t like to take chances.
Why is the database so important?
Think of the database as the brain of your website. The graphics make your site pretty and user-friendly, the code makes it function, but the database is where all the content and information lives. And unlike the graphics or code of the website, the content and information that’s stored in the database is often generated automatically through the functions of your website, and is therefore difficult or impossible to recreate.
For example, if you have an integrated shopping cart on your website, all of the customer information and order information is stored in the database. If you have any type of user registration, such as a mailing list, a blog which allows users to comment, or a membership program, all of that information is stored in the database. If you have an administration area of your site where you can write and modify content, upload pictures, and create new pages, all of that information and content is stored in the database. So if your database were to corrupt or fail, given these examples, you would have no order history, no customer information, no mailing list, no user records (logins, email addresses, passwords, etc.), no pages and no page content. You’d be dead in the water. Who knew the database was so important!
Back That Database Up!
These instructions area applicable to the most commonly used website database program, called MySQL (pronounced My S-Q-L or My Sequel). If your site is dynamic but doesn’t use MySQL, check with your developer or website host to learn how to back up whatever database is being used.
We’re going to use a program called phpMyAdmin (pronounced P-H-P My Admin) which works in conjunction with MySQL to make it easier to manage, by giving you an administration interface to work with. That’s as technical as this article gets, so keep reading!
The Big Green Note:
If these instructions don’t work for you for any reason or you need help, contact your website developer or hosting company.
Step 1: Login to phpMyAdmin (PMA)
A username and password will be required to login. If you don’t have the username/password what should you do? See the Big Green Note above, silly! (That was a test.)
You will access the phpMyAdmin program one of two ways, either:
a) by typing in the URL to PMA, such as www.yourwebsite.com/phpmyadmin or www.yourwebsite.com/pma
… or…
b) by logging-in to your web hosting control panel at www.yourdomain.com/cpanel and clicking the phpMyAdmin icon.
Step 2: Select your database
The top left side of the PMA homescreen shows a list of your databases. Don’t worry about “information_schema”, you’re looking for the one named something pertinent to your website. When you find it, click it. to access that database.
Step 3: Export
Next, click the “Export” button at the top of the screen.
Step 4: Confirm and Download
On the Export screen, you’ll see a bunch of overwhelming options with technical terms. Don’t worry about them, most of the default options are set exactly how you need them.
Ensure the “SQL” option is selected on the left and the “Save as file” checkbox is checked. Then click “Go.”
You’ll probably get a prompt about what you want to do with the file you’re downloading, just like if you were downloading a PDF report. Save it wherever you want.
That’s it, you did it! Repeat this process as frequently as you feel comfortable with. I recommend backing up your MySQL database at least once a week, but many companies that see high activity (new orders every day, new subscribers, etc.) choose to do it every day. Once you get used to the process, it should only take you 60 seconds.
I hope you rest easier knowing your website database is backed up. Any questions?
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
No questions. I found the post to be clear and helpful — I’ll refer any clients with questions about back-ups here. Thanks for writing it!