What to backup ispconfig and need to know how

[nokia80]

hi all

I want gladly know what there need backupt must become
what I know are var vmail group and users
also I gladly the codes want be possible wrap up it

i want to move ispconfig 3 to a other server


pleace help


thanks

[till]

You need to backup /var/vmail, /var/www (or the place where you stored the websites), the ispconfig database, all mysql databases of the websites incl. the "mysql" database, the users and passwords in /etc/passwd and /etc/group. Make sure that you backup the directories with preserved permoissions.

[Thomas Jensen]

I know this is an old thread, but; Is these directories all you need to backup, to be able to move or restore everything in ISPConfig?
So that i can just follow the Debian Perfect Setup, restore MySQL databases, the mentioned directories, and everything would be back (I've not installed anything else than the perfect setup tells)?

/var/vmail
/var/www
/etc/passwd
/etc/group
All MySQL databases

[finn]

Just wanted to confirm whether we would need to restore
/etc/apache2/
to ensure all available sites were enabled
and
/etc/postfix/
for any custom email routing?

The only reason I can think of for not restoring these directories would be if ISPConfig automagically re-writes any missing configuration files. But these directories are not mentioned in any posts I have read about backing up or restoring.

The script posted by go0ogl3 backs up the entire /etc directory - which is clearly intended to be restored to the same server.

So perhaps it would be useful to confirm the list above as the minimum requirement to migrate data from one server to another.

[falko]

Originally Posted by finn

Just wanted to confirm whether we would need to restore
/etc/apache2/
to ensure all available sites were enabled
and
/etc/postfix/
for any custom email routing?

These directories contain just the Apache/Postfix configuration, but not any web sites/emails. Therefore you'd have to back up the web sites and emails as well.

[milli-pede]

Hi all,

I am am very much interested in finn's question about this topic.
I assume finn is clear on the fact that the apache config files do not represent the actual website content.
I would like to generalise the question as I think ISPConfig is actually managing quite a few more files in /etc and its subdirectories.

If I would restore -as mentioned here- the following files on a new system (e.g. after distro change or upgrade)

a. /var/www (web content)
b. /var/vmail (mail content)
c. /etc/passwd and /etc/group (users)
d. MySQL databases

1. would ISPConfig then rewrite the other files it manages in /etc ?
2. How about the order of the above, e.g. should not c. be copied first and then a. & b. while keeping owner, group and permission settings?
3. If 1. = True, in which interval does ISPConfig do this - so how long after the database is updated until all other config files in /etc are updated?

Looking forward to someone shedding some light into this...

kind regards,
Christian

[falko]

Originally Posted by milli-pede

1. would ISPConfig then rewrite the other files it manages in /etc ?

Not necessarily. ISPConfig just changes the files where you have changed something in the ISPConfig interface. Let's say you have enabled PHP for a web site, then ISPConfig will just rewrite the vhost configuration file of that web site. So if you did not restore the other vhost configuration files, then these vhost won't work. So I suggest you back up the Apache, Postfix, Courier/Dovecot, BIND configuration as well.

Originally Posted by milli-pede

2. How about the order of the above, e.g. should not c. be copied first and then a. & b. while keeping owner, group and permission settings?

Yes, it's a good idea to restore /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow first.

Originally Posted by milli-pede

3. If 1. = True, in which interval does ISPConfig do this - so how long after the database is updated until all other config files in /etc are updated?

ISPConfig checks for changes every minute.

[8omas]

I am also very intersted in this topic:

So... to be more accurate (for Perfect Server Debian 6)

We must backup:
c. /var/www (web content)
b. /var/vmail (mail content)
a. /etc/passwd and /etc/group (users)
d. MySQL databases (is it better to stop mysql and tar.gz the /var/lib/mysql?)
e. /etc/apache2 (vhost and other ?)
f. /etc/cron.d (sites' crons ?)
g. /etc/bind (dns records???)
h. /var/log (maybe for stats?)
i /etc/postfix (is this the default or ISPConfig 'touches' it?)
j. Anything else?

[Nolan]

Can someone verify that 8omas is correct? I'm having to do the same process.

[milli-pede]

j. Anything else?

j. /etc/courier (if applicable)
k. /etc/dovecot (if applicable)
l. certificates for pop3d / imapd (if applicable and not in one of the above folders)

haven't tested any of this yet - but there wouldn't be any guarantees anyway :]

C