Offsite Backups

= Offsite Backups =

This article details the configuration of offsite backups for our MediaWiki installation. Protecting your data is crucial, and relying solely on local backups is insufficient in the event of a major disaster (fire, flood, theft, etc.). This guide will outline the process for establishing a robust offsite backup strategy. We will cover the tools used, configuration steps, and verification procedures. This is intended for system administrators and those familiar with Server Administration concepts.

Why Offsite Backups?

Local backups are vital for quick restoration from minor issues like accidental file deletion or database corruption. However, they offer no protection against physical disasters affecting the server location. Offsite backups ensure business continuity by providing a copy of your data stored in a geographically separate location. This allows for recovery even if the primary server and local backups are compromised. See also Disaster Recovery Planning.

Backup Tools & Technologies

We utilize a combination of tools for our offsite backup solution:

• rsync: Used for efficient incremental file transfer.
• SSH: Provides a secure channel for transferring data.
• cron: Automates the backup process.
• Remote Server: A dedicated server at a separate location, acting as the backup destination. This server must have sufficient storage space and network bandwidth. More details on Server Requirements.

Configuration Steps

These steps outline the configuration required on both the MediaWiki server (source) and the remote backup server (destination). Before beginning, ensure you have SSH access established between the two servers using SSH Keys for passwordless authentication. This is critical for automated backups.

1. Remote Server Preparation

On the remote backup server, create a dedicated directory to store the MediaWiki backups. Ensure the user account used for rsync has write permissions to this directory.

mkdir /backup/mediawiki
chown backupuser:backupgroup /backup/mediawiki
chmod 700 /backup/mediawiki
2.  Rsync Script Creation
On the MediaWiki server, create a bash script (e.g., `/usr/local/bin/mediawiki_backup.sh`) to handle the backup process.  This script will use rsync to copy the necessary files and directories.
#/bin/bash
= Configuration =
SOURCE_DIR="/var/www/html/mediawiki"  # Adjust to your MediaWiki installation directory
DESTINATION_USER="backupuser"
DESTINATION_SERVER="backupserver.example.com"
DESTINATION_DIR="/backup/mediawiki"
DATE=$(date +%Y-%m-%d_%H-%M-%S)
BACKUP_DIR="$DESTINATION_DIR/$DATE"
= Create backup directory on remote server =
ssh $DESTINATION_USER@$DESTINATION_SERVER "mkdir -p $BACKUP_DIR"
= Perform rsync backup =
rsync -avz --delete $SOURCE_DIR/ $DESTINATION_USER@$DESTINATION_SERVER:$BACKUP_DIR
= Log the backup =
echo "Backup completed to $DESTINATION_SERVER:$BACKUP_DIR" >> /var/log/mediawiki_backup.log
Make the script executable:
chmod +x /usr/local/bin/mediawiki_backup.sh
3. Cron Job Scheduling
Configure a cron job to run the backup script automatically. Edit the crontab using `crontab -e`.  Add a line similar to the following to schedule the backup to run daily at 2:00 AM:
0 2 * * * /usr/local/bin/mediawiki_backup.sh
This will run the script every day at 2:00 AM.  Refer to Cron Job Management for more details.
Files to Backup
The following table details the essential files and directories that must be included in the backup:

File/Directory
Description

/var/www/html/mediawiki/
The entire MediaWiki installation directory.

/var/lib/mysql/mediawiki_db/
The MySQL database directory (adjust path as needed).

/etc/apache2/sites-available/mediawiki.conf
Apache configuration file (if applicable).

/etc/php/7.4/apache2/php.ini
PHP configuration file (adjust PHP version as needed).
Database Backup
In addition to file-based backups, it is essential to regularly back up the MediaWiki database. We use `mysqldump` for this purpose.  Add the following to the backup script `/usr/local/bin/mediawiki_backup.sh` before the rsync command:
= Database Backup =
MYSQL_USER="mediawiki_user"
MYSQL_PASSWORD="your_password"
MYSQL_DATABASE="mediawiki_db"
DATABASE_BACKUP_FILE="$BACKUP_DIR/mediawiki_db_$DATE.sql.gz"
mysqldump -u $MYSQL_USER -p"$MYSQL_PASSWORD" $MYSQL_DATABASE gzip > $DATABASE_BACKUP_FILE
Important: Replace `mediawiki_user`, `your_password`, and `mediawiki_db` with your actual database credentials.  Consider using a dedicated backup user with limited privileges for increased security.  See Database Security.
Backup Verification & Restoration
Regularly verify the integrity of your backups.  This involves performing test restorations to a staging environment.  The following table summarizes key considerations for restoration:

Step
Description

1. Restore Files
Copy the backed-up files from the remote server to the staging environment.

2. Restore Database
Import the SQL dump file into a new database instance.

3. Configuration Update
Modify the `LocalSettings.php` file in the staging environment to point to the restored database.

4. Test Functionality
Thoroughly test all MediaWiki features to ensure the restoration was successful.
Storage Specifications
The following table details the specifications of our remote backup server:

Component
Specification

CPU
Intel Xeon E3-1220 v3

RAM
16GB DDR3

Storage
4TB HDD (RAID 1)

Network
1Gbps Ethernet

Operating System
Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTS
Security Considerations
Use SSH keys for authentication.
Restrict access to the backup directory on the remote server.
Encrypt the backups if possible.  Consider using tools like `gpg`.
Regularly review backup logs for errors.
Implement Access Control Lists on both servers.
Related Articles
Server Administration
Disaster Recovery Planning
Database Security
SSH Keys
Cron Job Management
Server Requirements
Local Backups
LocalSettings.php
MediaWiki Upgrade
Database Maintenance
Troubleshooting
Security Hardening
Performance Tuning
Monitoring Tools
File Storage
Category:Server Hardware
Intel-Based Server Configurations

Configuration
Specifications
Benchmark

Core i7-6700K/7700 Server
64 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2 x 512 GB
CPU Benchmark: 8046

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64 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2x1 TB
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128 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2 x 1 TB
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Configuration
Specifications
Benchmark

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64 GB RAM, 2x480 GB NVMe
CPU Benchmark: 17849

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CPU Benchmark: 35224

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128 GB RAM, 2x4 TB NVMe
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128 GB DDR5 ECC, 2x2 TB NVMe
CPU Benchmark: 63561

EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/1TB)
128 GB RAM, 1 TB NVMe
CPU Benchmark: 48021

EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/2TB)
128 GB RAM, 2 TB NVMe
CPU Benchmark: 48021

EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/4TB)
128 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe
CPU Benchmark: 48021

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256 GB RAM, 1 TB NVMe
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256 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe
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EPYC 9454P Server
256 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe
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