Multisite Backups Timing Out on DigitalOcean Site

[KermitParticipant]

I’ve been communicating via email with support but I am not getting consistent advice. Here’s the problem…

I’m backing up a multisite with 12 subsites. I was getting timeouts during the database backup, but support noticed I had some enormous tables and I realized that these were leftover from a deleted plugin so I just removed them. Then I could get a database backup – sometimes. It might still timeout seemingly at random.

I’m also getting random, apparent, timeouts during backup of the files.

On top of all this, over the course of two weeks of working on this, I didn’t realize that it was leaving all the partial backups on the server and it filled up a 980gb drive. (I’ve since deleted these).

I need desperately to get this working reliably. Any suggestions?

[Bryle CroduaModerator]

Hi Kermit,

Please can you provide us backup logs so we can investigate further?

Regards,
Bryle

[KermitParticipant]

Bryle, I’ve given you the logs previously through email – you suggested, vaguely, that I should update parameters on the server but you could’t tell me WHAT parameters to change.

Anyways, does anyone else have experience with this that they can share?

[Bryle CroduaModerator]

Hi,

Sorry, which email address did you send it to? It would be great if you could use Pastebin or share the Dropbox link here for the log.
I will ask one of our developers to check on it further.

Thanks,
Bryle

[KermitParticipant]

Here’s some logs.

https://we.tl/t-rxjVLxakfB

However, I’ve noticed other problems. I reduced the files backup to only backing up UPLOADS and that worked and the Database backup works since I pruned abandoned tables. I still cannot backup all of wp-content though.

I also noticed that it’s backing up a subsite, entirely separately, and leaving the files locally on the server.

I wiped ALL the settings in the plugin (which, to be honest, it clearly doesn’t wipe them all) and then deactivated it and deleted it. I then reinstalled (and found most settings still there – including activation) and checked again and a day later it’s still backing up that subsite on its own.

[KermitParticipant]

This reply has been marked as private.

[Dee NutbourneModerator]

Hi Kermit,

From the logs and your description, it appears that at least some sub-sites are taking their own backups.
This can occur with subsites where UpdraftPlus was active before they were imported into the multisite.

If possible, please could you access your database and find all sub-site options tables (e.g. wp_1_options, wp_2_options).
Search these tables for any entry where the option_name column begins with updraft or updraftplus, and delete those entries.
Also search for an entry with option_name equals cron. Delete this entry from each table as well.

DO NOT make any changes to the main options table (wp_options)

Then, please delete any failed backups, re-save your UpdraftPlus settings and monitor the next scheduled backup.

Best Wishes,
Dee

[KermitParticipant]

I found one entry for that site’s option with the updraft directory option and I deleted the cron entry.

I see that the subsite is still running a backup and I can’t see how to stop that.

What about the problems with backing up the entire multisite? The timeouts in the database and large zips?

[Dee NutbourneModerator]

Hi,

If the sub-site is still running a backup, then there are still updraftplus settings in the sub-site’s options table.
If you are using phpMyAdmin or a similar tool, please ensure that you are searching the entire table.

Regarding the timeouts, I believe that the multiple backups are being run at the same time, leading to multiple heavy processes running.
Hopefully, eliminating the extra backups will resolve that issue.

If you are willing, I can inspect the site and database directly?
If so, please could you open a new ticket via our support form, and include the site access credentials and FTP access credentials?
Please also ask for the ticket to be assigned to Dee.

Best Wishes,
Dee

[KermitParticipant]

Dee,

I opened the ticket and sent you all the information a couple of days ago. Any updates?

Thanks!

Kermit Woodall

[Author]

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