Backup your Shop

If you run an online shop or e-commerce website, you know how important your web site database is! Losing your web site database might mean losing records of all your latest sales, customers and other important studff. This can result in disaster for your business! Most shop owners do backup their database but what they don't know is that your opencart application files are as important as your database. Many often take a backup of the site ojnce it is up and running and forgets the fact that it is not only your data which grows but your site source code and other files as well. Below is a list of changes happening in your opencart files

• New extensions being installed
• When new products are other items are created, images gets stored in the server
• Some extension may create files on their own for their operation
• Error log files which you may require in the future to analyze what went wrong

So backing up your opencart folder is as important as backing up the database. Let us how to take backup of your database

1. Login to the the OpenCart Dashboard.
2. Roll your mouse over System, and click Backup/Restore.
3. Select the tables that you want to backup, you have the option to Select All.
4. Click the Backup button.You will then be prompted to download the backup in a .sql format, this will differ depending on your browser. In my tests, I am using Chrome and downloads are listed on the bottom of the screen:
5. Save this file for emergency recovery, I recommend using an external hard drive, or CD/DVD

But unfortunately Opencart does not support taking the backup of Opencart files. You will have to go to FTP to do the backup or use some tools provided by your hosting provider. I know what you you are thinking now. Yes, it is not an easy job. Added to the complexity is taking unattended scheduled backups. Overall it is not a pleasant process. But we do have a solution. There is an extension