Backing up your PHP code and database is essential for website maintenance, disaster recovery, and data security. Here are the steps to take for backing up your PHP code and database.
Backing up PHP code:
1. Access your website’s files using FTP or a file manager provided by your hosting provider.
2. Create a new folder called “backup” or something similar to store your backups.
3. Select all the PHP files and folders in your website’s root directory and copy them to the backup folder. This can be done by dragging and dropping the files/folders or by using the file manager’s copy/paste functionality.
4. If your website has any additional directories, repeat the same process of selecting and copying those directories to the backup folder.
5. Once all the files and directories are copied to the backup folder, compress the folder into a single zip file. This can be done by right-clicking on the folder, selecting “Compress” or “Zip,” and choosing a name for the zip file.
6. Move the zip file to a secure location, such as an external hard drive or cloud storage service.
Backing up the database:
1. Access your website’s hosting control panel (e.g., cPanel, Plesk) and go to the database management section.
2. Locate the database you want to back up and click on it to access its management tools.
3. Find the backup option, which may be called “Export,” “Backup,” or similar.
4. Select the database tables you want to back up or choose the option to backup the entire database.
5. Choose the file format for the backup, such as SQL or XML.
6. Click the backup button to start the backup process. The database backup file will be downloaded to your computer.
7. Move the database backup file to the same secure location as the PHP code backup file.
It’s recommended to set up a regular backup schedule for your PHP code and database, either through manual backups or automated backup solutions provided by your hosting provider. This will ensure that you have up-to-date backups in case of any unforeseen events.