Backup is an essential aspect for every site but often overlooked. Backup seems time-consuming and unnecessary, but when things happen, it can be a life saver freeing you from unexpected damage. It is a question of how backups can be made quickly, preferably automatically, without taking too much time. In addition, it is also essential to make sure when backups are restored, it works reliably as expected without surprises.

In this tutorial, we introduce a module that helps to provide such a solution.

The Backup and Migrate module can backup the database and files of a Drupal site. The module also provides a restore operation of the backups when needed. It can be easily installed in a Drupal site, and it is free. With this module, the authorized user can perform backup manually or automatically. Backups can flexibly include only the database or user files, or both.

When operated manually, backups can be downloaded immediately in compressed file format, or stored in a safe location in the server. When automatic operation is preferred, it can be scheduled, and the backed up files in compressed format will be stored in the server. The site can be taken offline with a notification message during the backup procedure, and return to normal after it’s completed.

Remember you should never rely entirely on a single backup solution. Things can still go wrong. The backup and restoration process may fail for many different reasons. It’s good to have a second backup system, such as at the server hosting level.