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How to back up and restore databases in Plesk 12.5

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Introduction

Managing database backups is essential for safeguarding your data against accidental loss, corruption, or hardware failure. Plesk 12.5 offers several options to back up and restore databases, providing flexibility for different use cases, such as migrating data between servers or recovering from data loss.

This guide covers two main methods for backing up and restoring databases in Plesk 12.5:

  1. Exporting and importing SQL database dumps.
  2. Backing up and restoring entire subscriptions.

These methods allow you to back up individual databases or full subscriptions, ensuring that you can restore your data in various scenarios. This guide is relevant for system administrators and developers who need to perform regular backups or recover data in Plesk 12.5 environments.

 

Prerequisites

  • Plesk 12.5 installed on your server.
  • Administrative access to the Plesk control panel.
  • A database user account with sufficient privileges to back up and restore databases.
  • Storage location for backups (local storage or a remote FTP server).
Important Note: Plesk 12.5 is an outdated version and may no longer be supported. It is recommended to upgrade to the latest version of Plesk to ensure security and compatibility. The steps in this guide are specific to Plesk 12.5 and may differ in newer versions.

 

 

Step-by-step Guide

Step 1: Exporting a Database Dump

  1. Log in to Plesk.
    • Access the Plesk control panel using your administrator credentials.
  2. Navigate to Databases.
    • Go to the Websites & Domains section.
    • Click on the Databases tab for the desired domain.
  3. Select the Database.
    • Click on the name of the database you want to back up.
  4. Export the Database.
    • Click the Export Dump button.
    • Choose the desired export format (e.g., sql).
    • Select the location to save the dump file, either on the server or download it directly to your local machine.
    • Click OK to start the export process.

 

Step 2: Importing a Database Dump

  1. Log in to Plesk.
    • Access the Plesk control panel with your administrator credentials.
  2. Navigate to Databases.
    • Go to the Websites & Domains section.
    • Click on the Databases tab for the target domain.
  3. Select the Database.
    • Click on the name of the database where you want to import the data.
  4. Import the Database Dump.
    • Click the Import Dump button.
    • Choose the dump file to import (either from your local machine or the server storage).
    • Click OK to start the import process.
Note: Ensure that the database type of the dump file matches the target database type (e.g., MySQL to MySQL).

 

Step 3: Backing Up an Entire Subscription

  1. Log in to Plesk.
    • Access the Plesk control panel using your administrator credentials.
  2. Go to Backup Manager.
    • Navigate to the Websites & Domains section.
    • Click on Backup Manager.
  3. Create a Subscription Backup.
    • Click Back Up.
    • Select the components to back up (entire subscription or specific databases).
    • Choose the backup storage location (server or remote FTP).
    • Click OK to start the backup process.

 

Step 4: Restoring a Database from a Subscription Backup

  1. Log in to Plesk.
    • Access the Plesk control panel with your administrator credentials.
  2. Go to Backup Manager.
    • Navigate to the Websites & Domains section.
    • Click on Backup Manager.
  3. Select the Backup to Restore.
    • Choose the backup archive that contains the database you want to restore.
  4. Restore the Database.
    • Click Restore.
    • Select the Restore selected objects option.
    • Choose the specific database to restore.
    • Click OK to complete the restoration process.

 

Summary

You can back up a database in the following ways:

  • Export a database dump in the SQL format. This enables you to create and download the database in a single file. An individual file can be restored into the same or another database. See the Exporting and Importing Database Dumps section for details.
  • Back up an entire subscription. This enables you to create a backup file in selected storage (on the Plesk server or on a remote FTP server). When restoring the backup, you can select a database to restore. See the Backing Up and Recovering Websites section for details.

You can restore a database either from a subscription backup archive or from an SQL dump file in the following ways:

  • Import a database dump. This enables you to restore data from a file in the SQL format. Individual dumps can be restored into any database of the same type as the type of a dump (for example, MySQL). See the Exporting and Importing Database Dumps section for details.
  • Restore a database from a backup of an entire subscription. When restoring the backup, you can select an individual database to restore. See the Backing Up and Recovering Websites section for details.

 

Conclusion

This guide explained how to back up and restore databases in Plesk 12.5 using database dumps and subscription backups. Regular backups are crucial for maintaining data integrity and preventing data loss. For improved security and features, consider upgrading to a newer version of Plesk.

Should you have any inquiries regarding the guidelines, please feel free to open a ticket through your portal account or contact us at support@ipserverone.com. We’ll be happy to assist you further.

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