Data Backups (Questions and a Request)

Comments

  • dungeoncrawlers
    dungeoncrawlers
    Posts: 32
    Question: What sort of data back-ups does Obsidian Portal currently run? How often?

    I for one would feel much more comfortable spending hours upon hours working on my campaign here knowing how dependable the backups are. It would be horrible to lose weeks or even months worth of work due to a server hardware failure, or software issue.

    Additionally, as a request, I would feel completely comfortable using the service if there were a way for me to at will grab a backup of my data (maybe limit to once/day per account to resolve any server-strain issues).

    I’m thinking maybe just a delimited text file dump of all campaign data. That would be a good way to ensure users of data-source redundancy (since they themselves would be the redundancy).

    Additionally just state up front that data recovery (imports) from backups will only be granted in the case of Obsidian Portal failures. This way no request come through with “I messed up, can you re-import my data?”
  • Micah
    Micah
    Posts: 894
    Aha! Very good question!

    We keep nightly backups (7 days worth), weekly (1 months worth), and monthly (1 years worth). So, if there's a snafu or crash, we can restore to anytime in the previous week.

    In the case of a monstrous failure that goes undetected for several days or weeks, we can go back a couple weeks or even months. In reality, thought, that would probably kill the site. Nobody would come back if we said, "Oops, your data from the past few weeks was lost. Please re-enter it."

    Still, what you ask (downloadable backups) is a really great idea, and I have puzzled over it. I'm not too worried over server strain, but rather that the data be in a useful format. I'll put it on the list and see what I can come up with.
  • dungeoncrawlers
    dungeoncrawlers
    Posts: 32
    That’s good info to know! It makes me a lot more comfortable using Obsidian Portal knowing there are frequent backups, and thanks for adding the request to your list.
  • MythicParty
    MythicParty
    Posts: 78
    yeah, this was also reassuring to learn as I wondered about hours of entries getting lost. may want to put the info about backups in the 'About' section under "Host your campaign- safely!"
  • RobJustice
    RobJustice
    Posts: 178
    I think I'll just stick to my copy-paste to notepad backups that I do. I like to have my campaign data with in at all times, even when I can't get access to the 'net. Its not really a hassle to do manual saves of your stuff either.

    Now, don't read that as an excuse to not allow downloadable backup data. Just a "What to do in the meantime" comment. :D
  • wyrmul
    wyrmul
    Posts: 36
    Coming from wikispaces they had an option to do batch backups where the user can pull down a text backup of all their stuff in case something happens or the user decides to migrate, like I am doing to your site. Would that be available at some point?
  • DarthKrzysztof
    DarthKrzysztof
    Posts: 132
    I'm relieved to hear this as well. I've been creating hardcopies of NPCs and other things, but during our sessions I spend more time looking at this site than the binder...
  • Micah
    Micah
    Posts: 894
    I'll bump up the downloadable backups in the priority list. It seems that a lot of you would like this feature, and for good reason.

    Just a reminder: we do nightly database backups, so if anything went catastrophically wrong, at most you would lose a single day's worth of edits.
  • buhrger
    buhrger
    Posts: 4
    yup, the downloadable backup would be great if possible!
  • DarthKrzysztof
    DarthKrzysztof
    Posts: 132
    This would have helped me today - my power was out most of the night, and my cable & internet were out all the way up until about 15 minutes before it was time to play, with loads of prep yet to do...
  • merkuri
    Posts: 2
    Perhaps Google Gears could be used to let users backup their data and edit while offline? :)
  • redstar
    redstar
    Posts: 119
    On the idea of downloadable backup: Wonderful idea! I was just thinking of that when I saw the announcement that there was going to be a restart and to back up my data. I thought: wait, this website _is_ the backup!

    @ Micah - I agree that the download wouldn't have to be perfectly edited word docs. Maybe it just spits out all your pages in a single txt?
  • FrontalMonk
    FrontalMonk
    Posts: 1
    Hey all! Bringing this thread back up from the bowels of ... well, page 4?

    I'm new to the site and I don't know if something like this has been implemented yet or not, but I would really like to have a local backup of campaign data not just for peace of mind but because I'd like to have my game's information at my fingertips when I'm running and I know that not every place I'll be playing will have internet available, so a local copy would make so much more sense in my situation, and I don't think I'm alone on that one.

    Thoughts? Comments? Has this already been done and I just don't know about it?
  • redstar
    redstar
    Posts: 119
    @superninjaderek: I agree whole heartedly. The thought of lossing my wiki, for what ever reason, is terrifying.
  • genecloud
    genecloud
    Posts: 1
    Does anyone know what the latest is with backups, exports or any other way to keep your data alive?
  • Gweldorf
    Posts: 1
    I am also very interested in the addition of a feature to download your wiki data. Is there any hope of this happening?
  • Acetaminophen
    Acetaminophen
    Posts: 20
    I would like to second the google gears(-style). That capacity would be awesome. Being able to work on my wiki on a laptop that's offline and then upload my edits, in addition to having a full download/local copy would be a great addition.

    At the least, the export should be paired with an import for quick uploads. One could make templates for future games that way very easily, and make them available to others if they like.
  • Maethalion
    Maethalion
    Posts: 3
    Downloadable backups would get me to pay to use the site (and get rid of the stupid evony ads).

    -S!
  • Shadizar
    Shadizar
    Posts: 3
    For NPCs (and other data?) spreadsheet or delimited text file might work well...
  • Tempest
    Tempest
    Posts: 25
    I'll toss an interesting thought towards backup developments for those who are in charge and working hard to help!

    The Ethereal Realms HTML RP Software for which several online text style RP sites run, have their rooms, characters and such set up with boxes in set areas that produce the complex coding for just that section - I believe its coded in perl and is useless without having the ER Environment to set itself up, but it is a savable file, and a great way to snapshot part or all of the info quickly.
  • Galvor
    Galvor
    Posts: 4
    I know that it has been a while since anyone has really looked at this thread but I wanted to comment that I would really like the ability to easily make offline backups of the all the data that is written to my campaings. As a current paying member who is in the process of evauating the real value of the "montlhy" charge, adding an offline backup feature to the paid version would be enough of a reason to maintain the payments.

    My thoughts for the backup system are to allow me to click "backup" on an active campaign's settings page and have it generate a single ZIP file that is made up of an image folder with all images uploaded to the site, folders for each tab with, at a minimum, a text file that represents each page in that tab including all of the textile and HTML that was entered. At best rich text format of each page or a working HTML version of the whole campaign.

    Just my 2 cents
  • mdick99
    mdick99
    Posts: 4
    Hi,

    I notice it's been nearly 3 years since Micah indicated that he thought
    this was a good idea, but it doesn't seem to have been implemented yet.
    Is this going to happen, as I'm reluctant to commit to Obsidian Portal, (i.e. pay for
    it and enter all my notes), if I have to manually backup each page.
  • JimTriche
    JimTriche
    Posts: 483
    The backups are implemented. They're under campaign settings on the main page.
  • SkidAce
    SkidAce
    Posts: 830
    Bump for awesomeness.

    And to thank the mods and developers who implemented this feature.

    THANKS../bows deeply.
  • lazlo_campaign
    Posts: 3 edited November 2011
    Thanks for the info about where to find the backup.
    Post edited by lazlo_campaign on
  • lazlo_campaign
    Posts: 3 edited November 2011
    .
    Post edited by lazlo_campaign on
  • lazlo_campaign
    Posts: 3 edited November 2011
    .
    Post edited by lazlo_campaign on
  • CutGlass
    Posts: 10 edited November 2011
    I'm not sure how easy this would be, but could we have two options for campaign backups?

    - One that includes everything, which the GM can download (the current version, I believe)

    - One which excludes GM secret and Player secret sections, which players can download

    It's nice sometimes for players to have an offline references. Also, as is the case in my main current campaign, the GM isn't necessarily the one updating things and keeping the closest eye on the site. I would consider buying my GM an Ascendant membership to encourage it, but I'm not sure he's actually got the time for it anyway.
    Post edited by CutGlass on
  • Baalshamon
    Baalshamon
    Posts: 585
    I just backed up my game and noticed that I dont have a program that allows me to view it as is on OP. Any suggestions??
  • GamingMegaverse
    GamingMegaverse
    Posts: 2,998
    No suggestions, it is what it is. However, it is valuable... lost my site early on, and it saved my butt.
    killervp
    "A God...Rebuilt":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/a-god-rebuilt
    Duskreign's "COTM for November 2011":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/wyrmshadow/wiki_pages/112011

    Just trying to help out.

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