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{{Course admin}}
{{Backup}}
A course can be saved with some or all of its parts by using the course backup.  Typically, the site administrator will set a schedule of site wide backup for all courses.  A teacher with editing privileges can create a backup or download an existing backup for safe keeping, or for use on another Moodle site.   
A course can be saved with some or all of its parts by using the course backup.  Typically, the site administrator will set a schedule of [[Automated course backup|automated course backups]] for the whole site.  A teacher with editing privileges can create a backup or download an existing backup for safe keeping, or for use on another Moodle site.   


==Backing up a course==


==Creating a course backup==
[[Image:Backup of a course section.png|thumb|Schema selection, no user data selected in initial settings]]To backup a course
[[Image:Course_backup.jpg|thumb|Creating a course backup - page 1]][[Image:Course_backup_s2.jpg|thumb|Creating a course backup - page 2]][[Image:Course_backup_s3.jpg|thumb|Creating a course backup - page 3]]
To create a course backup:
#Click Backup in the [[Course administration block]].
#Select your backup options (Page 1)
##Choose the activities and resources you want to include, the default is everything. 
###The Include All/None links at the top will check or uncheck all the boxes in a column.
###Use the individual boxes to select or unselect specific parts of the course for the backup.
##Select course options desired at the bottom (see Backup options below)
#Click the Continue button to start the backup process.
#On the next page (Page 2)
##You can edit the default backup filename at the top of this page (uses format:backckup-COURSESHORTNAME-DATE-TIME.zip).
##You will see the backup details, a list of files and user data that Moodle will include in the backup
#Click the Continue button at the bottom. Or if this does not look right, use cancel to exit the backup process or use your back browser arrow to return to the initial course backup page.
#On the next page (Page 3), the progress of the backup is displayed.
##You should see the message "Backup completed successfully" at the bottom of the page.
#Click the Continue button.
#You will then be taken to the backupdata directory.
[[Image:Backupdirectory.png|200px|thumb|left|example of backupdata directory]]
##You may click on a filename to download any backup file to your computer.
## Later this area can be reached by the Course administration block by using the Restore link or looking for what is usually called the backupdata folder under the Files link.


==Backup options==
# Go to ''Settings > Course administration > Backup''
* User data -consists of all student files, submissions, forum postings, glossary entries, etc.
# Initial settings - Select activities, blocks, filters and other items as required then click the Next button. Users with appropriate permissions, such as administrators and managers, can choose whether to [[Backup of user data|include users]], anonymize user information, or include user role assignments, user files, comments, user completion details, course logs and grade history in the backup.
* Metacourse - If you are backing up the content of a [[Metacourses|metacourse]], you may enable this option so that relations between the courses will be exported and the restore process will try to rebuild them in the destination server.
# Schema settings  - Select/deselect specific items to include in backup then click the Next button
* Users - Whether you want to backup the content concerning all the registered students in your site, only course students or no students at all. By selecting "none", the backup process will not backup user data
# Confirmation and review - Check that everything is as required, using the Previous button if necessary, otherwise click the 'Perform backup' button
* Logs - This backs up all course activity logs.
# Complete - Click the Continue button
* User files - This backs up all student submissions for assignments and other file uploads.  
 
* Course files - This backs up any file stored in the [[Files|files]] area for the course.
A backup file (with distinctive .mbz extension to avoid confusion with .zip files) is then saved in the course backup area.
 
Backup in Moodle 2.0 video:
 
<mediaplayer>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mya-u0zAZZE</mediaplayer>
 
==Anonymizing user information==
 
Anonymize user information is a backup feature which "protects user identities" by making each user anonymous. If this box is checked in the backup initial settings, Moodle will substitute aliases for real names, substituting @doesntexist.com email addresses and so forth. For example  "Max Manager" might become  "anonfirstname4 anonlastname4".
 
==Backup and restore from 1.9 to 2==
 
Courses created in 1.9 can be backed up and then restored into a 2.1 Moodle or later but blocks are not currently restored and nor is user data (such as forum posts, grades, submissions etc).
 
==Backup and restore of assignments from Moodle 2.2 and older==
 
The assignment activity module was completely rewritten in Moodle 2.3. Thus, assignments from Moodle 2.2 and older (e.g. from Moodle 1.9) need to be upgraded in order to continue being usable. See the section 'Restoring course backups from Moodle 2.2 and older' in [[Assignment upgrade tool]] for details of what to do.
 
==Tips and tricks==
* Lose content after a restore in Moodle 2.0 ?  Do you see topic headings that say "Orphaned activities"?  Solution: Go to course settings and increase the number of topic sections and things will return to normal.


==Creative uses==
==Creative uses==
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*In earlier versions of Moodle, a way of rolling a course forward without past student activity
*In earlier versions of Moodle, a way of rolling a course forward without past student activity
*Creating a blank activity, save just that activity and then restore it to the course or another course one or more times.  
*Creating a blank activity, save just that activity and then restore it to the course or another course one or more times.  
:''Note:'' The Moodlesite may automatically make and delete backups. For example, it may backup each individual course daily, but not keep any of these backups longer than 5 days. Manual backups by the teacher are usually not effected by this process. 
 
==General backup defaults==
 
Default settings for course backups can be set by a site administrator in ''Settings > Site administration > Courses > Backups > General backup defaults''.
 
Selected settings may be locked, so that they cannot be changed when creating a course backup.
 
By selecting a time in the "Keep logs for.."  dropdown, it is possible to specify how long backup  logs information is kept before being deleted. As this information may be very large, it is recommended the length of time chosen be quite short.
 
==Course backup capabilities==
 
*[[Capabilities/moodle/backup:anonymise|Anonymise user data on backup]]
*[[Capabilities/moodle/backup:backupcourse|Backup courses]]
*[[Capabilities/moodle/backup:backupsection|Backup sections]]
*[[Capabilities/moodle/backup:backuptargethub|Backup for hub]]
*[[Capabilities/moodle/backup:backuptargetimport|Backup for import]]
*[[Capabilities/moodle/backup:configure|Configure backup options]]
*[[Capabilities/moodle/backup:downloadfile|Download files from backup areas]]
*[[Capabilities/moodle/backup:userinfo|Backup user data]]


==See also==
==See also==


*[[Restore]]
*[[Course restore]]
*[[Backup settings]] - for administrators
*[[Backup of user data]]
*[[Backup and restore FAQ]]
*[[Activity backup]]
*[[Roll courses forward]]
* [http://youtu.be/rg6rUuBwITo Moodle 2 Administration Courses ] MoodleBites video on YouTube
*[[Front Page]] trick to backup Front page in earlier version of Moodle
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrdM_KOr530 Creating course backups video]
*Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=59581 Location of Backup Files] forum discussion
 
[[Category:Backup]]


[[de:Kurssicherung]]
[[es:Respaldo del curso]]
[[eu:Ikastaroaren_Segurtasun-kopia]]
[[fr:Sauvegarde de cours]]
[[fr:Sauvegarde de cours]]
[[es:Copia de Seguridad del Curso]]
[[ca:backup/backup]]
[[ja:コースバックアップ]]
[[ja:コースバックアップ]]
[[de:Kurssicherung]]

Latest revision as of 03:33, 25 January 2014

A course can be saved with some or all of its parts by using the course backup. Typically, the site administrator will set a schedule of automated course backups for the whole site. A teacher with editing privileges can create a backup or download an existing backup for safe keeping, or for use on another Moodle site.

Backing up a course

Schema selection, no user data selected in initial settings

To backup a course

  1. Go to Settings > Course administration > Backup
  2. Initial settings - Select activities, blocks, filters and other items as required then click the Next button. Users with appropriate permissions, such as administrators and managers, can choose whether to include users, anonymize user information, or include user role assignments, user files, comments, user completion details, course logs and grade history in the backup.
  3. Schema settings - Select/deselect specific items to include in backup then click the Next button
  4. Confirmation and review - Check that everything is as required, using the Previous button if necessary, otherwise click the 'Perform backup' button
  5. Complete - Click the Continue button

A backup file (with distinctive .mbz extension to avoid confusion with .zip files) is then saved in the course backup area.

Backup in Moodle 2.0 video:

<mediaplayer>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mya-u0zAZZE</mediaplayer>

Anonymizing user information

Anonymize user information is a backup feature which "protects user identities" by making each user anonymous. If this box is checked in the backup initial settings, Moodle will substitute aliases for real names, substituting @doesntexist.com email addresses and so forth. For example "Max Manager" might become "anonfirstname4 anonlastname4".

Backup and restore from 1.9 to 2

Courses created in 1.9 can be backed up and then restored into a 2.1 Moodle or later but blocks are not currently restored and nor is user data (such as forum posts, grades, submissions etc).

Backup and restore of assignments from Moodle 2.2 and older

The assignment activity module was completely rewritten in Moodle 2.3. Thus, assignments from Moodle 2.2 and older (e.g. from Moodle 1.9) need to be upgraded in order to continue being usable. See the section 'Restoring course backups from Moodle 2.2 and older' in Assignment upgrade tool for details of what to do.

Tips and tricks

  • Lose content after a restore in Moodle 2.0 ? Do you see topic headings that say "Orphaned activities"? Solution: Go to course settings and increase the number of topic sections and things will return to normal.

Creative uses

The backup and restore processes can offer the teacher and administrators many creative solutions.

  • Duplicating courses or specific activities in one course to another course (similar to Import)
  • Updating a production Moodle site course, with material from a localhost site course
  • Transferring a course to a new Moodle site.
  • In earlier versions of Moodle, a way of rolling a course forward without past student activity
  • Creating a blank activity, save just that activity and then restore it to the course or another course one or more times.

General backup defaults

Default settings for course backups can be set by a site administrator in Settings > Site administration > Courses > Backups > General backup defaults.

Selected settings may be locked, so that they cannot be changed when creating a course backup.

By selecting a time in the "Keep logs for.." dropdown, it is possible to specify how long backup logs information is kept before being deleted. As this information may be very large, it is recommended the length of time chosen be quite short.

Course backup capabilities

See also