Backup strategies

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  1. Backup Strategies for MediaWiki

This article details backup strategies for MediaWiki installations, aimed at administrators and users with limited technical experience. A well-defined backup strategy is crucial to protect your wiki from data loss due to hardware failure, software corruption, accidental deletion, or malicious attacks. Ignoring backups can lead to significant downtime and the irreversible loss of valuable information. This guide covers various methods, from simple to advanced, and provides recommendations based on your wiki’s size and importance.

Why Backups Matter

Before diving into the “how,” let’s reinforce the “why.” MediaWiki databases and files contain all your wiki’s content: articles, images, user accounts, configuration settings, and extensions. Losing this data can have severe consequences:

  • **Loss of Content:** The most obvious risk. Years of collaborative work can vanish instantly.
  • **Downtime:** Restoring from a backup takes time, rendering your wiki inaccessible to users.
  • **Reputational Damage:** For wikis used publicly, data loss erodes trust and credibility.
  • **Compliance Issues:** Some organizations are legally required to maintain backups of critical data.
  • **Financial Costs:** Recovering from data loss can be expensive, involving data recovery services and lost productivity.

Regular, reliable backups mitigate these risks. A robust strategy isn’t just about *having* backups; it’s about ensuring they are *restorable*.

Understanding What to Back Up

A complete MediaWiki backup consists of two primary components:

1. **The Database:** This is where all the wiki’s content – article text, revision history, user information, categories, templates, and more – is stored. Typically, this is a MySQL/MariaDB or PostgreSQL database. 2. **The Files:** This includes the MediaWiki software itself, images, uploaded files (documents, PDFs, etc.), custom skins, and any extension files. This is usually located in the `public_html` or similar directory on your web server.

Backing up only one component leaves your wiki vulnerable. A restored database without the files will be unusable, and vice versa. You must back up both.

Backup Methods

Here’s a breakdown of common backup methods, categorized by complexity and cost:

      1. 1. Manual Backups (Simple, but Error-Prone)

This is the most basic approach and is suitable for very small wikis or infrequent backups.

  • **Database:** Use a tool like `mysqldump` (for MySQL/MariaDB) or `pg_dump` (for PostgreSQL) from the command line. Example (MySQL):
   ```bash
   mysqldump -u [username] -p[password] [database_name] > wiki_backup.sql
   ```
   Replace `[username]`, `[password]`, and `[database_name]` with your actual database credentials. You'll be prompted for the password if you omit `-p[password]`.
  • **Files:** Use an FTP client or file manager to download a copy of the entire MediaWiki installation directory. Compress the directory into a `.zip` or `.tar.gz` archive before downloading to reduce transfer time.
    • Limitations:** Manual backups are time-consuming, prone to human error (forgetting steps, incomplete backups), and don’t scale well. They are not recommended for critical wikis.
      1. 2. phpMyAdmin/pgAdmin Backups (Intermediate)

If you have access to phpMyAdmin (for MySQL/MariaDB) or pgAdmin (for PostgreSQL), you can use their built-in backup features.

  • **phpMyAdmin:** Select your MediaWiki database, go to the "Export" tab, choose "Quick" or "Custom" (for more control), and download the SQL dump file.
  • **pgAdmin:** Right-click on your MediaWiki database, select "Backup...", configure the backup options, and start the backup process.
    • Advantages:** Easier than command-line backups, provides a graphical interface.
    • Disadvantages:** Can be slow for large databases, may time out during the backup process, and still requires manual file backups. The performance can be significantly impacted during peak usage times.
      1. 3. Automated Backups with Cron Jobs (Recommended)

This is the preferred method for most MediaWiki installations. It involves scheduling a script to automatically back up your database and files at regular intervals.

  • **Database:** Create a script (e.g., `backup_db.sh`) containing the `mysqldump` or `pg_dump` command.
  • **Files:** Create a script (e.g., `backup_files.sh`) to create a compressed archive of your MediaWiki installation directory using `tar` or `zip`.
  • **Cron Job:** Use the `crontab` command to schedule these scripts to run automatically. For example, to run the scripts daily at 2:00 AM:
   ```crontab
   0 2 * * * /path/to/backup_db.sh
   0 2 * * * /path/to/backup_files.sh
   ```
    • Advantages:** Automated, reliable, and can be scheduled to run frequently.
    • Disadvantages:** Requires some technical knowledge to set up and maintain. You need to ensure the scripts are executable and have the necessary permissions.
      1. 4. Dedicated Backup Solutions (Advanced)

For large or critical wikis, consider using a dedicated backup solution. These solutions offer features like incremental backups, offsite storage, and automated restoration.

  • **Rsync:** A powerful tool for synchronizing files and directories. It can be used to create incremental backups of your MediaWiki files. Rsync is very efficient in only transferring changed blocks of data.
  • **Bacula/Amanda:** Open-source network backup solutions.
  • **Commercial Backup Services:** Many cloud providers (e.g., Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage, Azure Blob Storage) offer backup services.
    • Advantages:** Highly reliable, feature-rich, and can provide offsite storage for disaster recovery.
    • Disadvantages:** Can be expensive, require significant technical expertise to set up and manage.

Backup Frequency and Retention

  • **Frequency:** The frequency of your backups depends on how frequently your wiki is updated.
   *   **Small, infrequently updated wikis:** Weekly backups may suffice.
   *   **Medium-sized wikis with moderate updates:** Daily backups are recommended.
   *   **Large, actively edited wikis:**  Multiple backups per day (e.g., every 4-6 hours) are ideal. Consider using incremental backups to reduce storage space and backup time.  Incremental Backups only store changes since the last full backup.
  • **Retention:** How long you keep backups is also important.
   *   **Keep at least the last 7 daily backups.**
   *   **Keep at least the last 4 weekly backups.**
   *   **Keep at least the last 12 monthly backups.**
   *   For critical data, consider keeping backups for several years.  This helps with compliance and potential legal requirements. Data Retention Policies should be documented.

Offsite Storage

Storing backups on the same server as your wiki is risky. If the server fails, both your wiki and its backups will be lost. Always store backups offsite.

  • **Cloud Storage:** Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage, Azure Blob Storage, and other cloud providers offer affordable and reliable storage.
  • **Separate Physical Server:** If you have access to a second server, you can store backups there.
  • **Remote FTP Server:** A less secure option, but still better than storing backups on the same server.

Testing Your Backups

Creating backups is only half the battle. You must regularly test your backups to ensure they are restorable.

  • **Restore to a Test Environment:** Periodically restore your backups to a separate test environment to verify that the process works correctly and that the restored wiki functions as expected.
  • **Verify Data Integrity:** After restoring, check that the data is complete and accurate.
  • **Document the Restoration Process:** Create a detailed document outlining the steps required to restore your wiki from a backup. This will be invaluable in a real emergency.

Security Considerations

  • **Encrypt Backups:** Encrypt your backups to protect sensitive data from unauthorized access. Encryption is crucial for protecting user data.
  • **Secure Storage:** Protect your offsite storage location with strong passwords and access controls.
  • **Regularly Review Access Permissions:** Ensure only authorized personnel have access to your backups.
  • **Consider Version Control:** For configuration files, consider using a version control system like Git to track changes and facilitate rollback.

Advanced Strategies & Tools

  • **Logical vs. Physical Backups:** Logical backups (like `mysqldump`) are database-independent, while physical backups (like raw disk images) are faster but less portable.
  • **Point-in-Time Recovery:** Some database systems allow you to restore to a specific point in time, which can be useful for recovering from accidental deletions or corruptions.
  • **Database Replication:** Setting up database replication provides a real-time backup of your database.
  • **Monitoring and Alerting:** Monitor your backup processes and set up alerts to notify you of any failures. Monitoring Tools can automate this.
  • **Backup Verification Tools:** Tools that automatically verify the integrity of your backups.

Related Concepts & Resources

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