Dabble DB includes two primary backup tools. The first is a downloadable ZIP file containing all of the data. The second is the ability to restore the database to various "snapshot" points from the last 30 days. Both are accessible from the Backup and history tab of the admin page, accessible to Admin users.

The administrator of a Database can download a ZIP file containing all of the data stored in the database, either as it looks currently, or as an archive of data as it existed when a user-restorable snapshot was taken.

Each category of entry (from each application) will be stored in a separate file in CSV (comma-separated values) format.

To download the backup file, go to Administration and click the Backup & History tab. Click the “Backup.zip” link for a current copy of your database (Option 1 in the screenshot). If you would like an archived copy of your database, select the snapshot date and time, then click on the “Download zip backup” button (Option 2 in the screenshot).

Two options for downloading backups.

When you click on the “Download zip backup” link, it may take a moment for the system to build your backup file and for your computer to then download it.

Attachments are not included in the Backup ZIP file so you have to download them separately using the link provided.

If you have more than 2 GB of attachments in your database, you will not be able to download them with the direct link (we are not able to send it to you manually, either); we recommend using web scraping software to download this data. Most scraping software works by using the attachments’ hyperlinks in a text file (which you can obtain using either the Backup ZIP file or a standard Dabble DB export of a View or Views containing links to attachments) to download all the attachments in an organized fashion. To find some software that will work for you, use a search engine and the words, “web scraper download software review”.

The location of the backup file is permanent for each application. Therefore, you can save the link of the “Backup.zip” location as a bookmark in your browser, or if you choose, you may also set up a script to retrieve this file automatically on a scheduled basis. You may use whatever means you have available but for convenience, here is a sample curl script:

$ curl -L —retry 20 -O -u email:password http://database/backup-zip/current/Backup.zip

The administrator can restore the database at any time to any “snapshot” point from the past 30 days. Snapshots are created regularly whenever data changes. On an active database, there may be several snapshots per day.

If a snapshot is greyed out in your calendar, you won’t be able to restore it directly. Please send us an email via our support page so that we can make that snapshot available to you.

Restoring from a snapshot.

The Backup & History tab shows all of the snapshot points available in the calendar. To restore to a particular point, select it, and then click Restore. If a snapshot is greyed out you cannot restore it directly — please send us an email via our support page so that we can make that snapshot available to you.

When you restore, all changes to the database that occurred since the snapshot point — in all applications — will be reverted.

Once you initiate the restoration process, the database will go into maintenance mode until the restore is complete. This may take anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes depending on the size of the database.

The system will always add a snapshot for the state of your database as it was before you initiated a restore. However, this snapshot point may take several hours to appear in your calendar.