Server Scripting - FTP Backup over the Intarweb

15:05.31 - Sunday 12th June 2005   (Link to This Entry)

After the router died on me the other week, I had some configuring to do in order to get the Linkstation FTP up and running again. I sorted this without problems, but it started me thinking about server backups which I don't do anywhere near as often as I should.

Playing around with the Linux shell on the server, I found a fairly easy way to zip up all of the MySQL tables and transfer them over the internet to my Linkstation at home. All that is required is a net connection and a copy of PuTTy and I can fire off the script with ease:

#!/bin/sh

# create the zip file in the root folder
zip >backup-output.txt -r backup.zip /var/lib/mysql/


# create a list of inputs to feed back into the FTP prog
echo "dude" > backup-input.txt
date +"put backup.zip /backup/%Y%m%d-%H%M.zip" >> backup-input.txt
echo "quit" >> backup-input.txt


# call teh FTP program, feeding it the inputs
ftp 111.222.33.44 < backup-input.txt


# signal done
rm backup-output.txt
rm backup-input.txt
rm backup.zip


echo ">>>>> DONE <<<<<"

OK, so it's not the most advanced script in the world, but it does the job nicely. The next stage is obviously to backup the websites themselves, especially the uploaded data and email that I don't have a copy of. It would be nice, however, if I could do this without having to enter a password at the FTP prompt, and indeed if I could do all this with a cron job - that would be excellent.