Newbie question about ftp limits on number of files

[shortmort37]

I run a phpBB board, and only recently discovered that my lftp backups were not getting all the pictures stored in /files, because my ISP limits directory listings to 8K.

I can't run rsync, because it requires ssh, and my account does not make provision for this.

I can cron a job to nightly gzip the directory, and lftp will back it up; but that's akin to doing a full backup, when all I really want to do is capture the increment.

I don't have command line access, so I can't temporarily adjust the ftp limits.

Does anyone have any other ideas?

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Dan

 

[Infopro]

If I understand you correctly, it reads like you're using a program to generate backups [lftp] and send them to storage provided by your ISP. Is that right? By ISP do you mean your Hosting Provider?

Is cPanel Backups enabled on your account?

 

[shortmort37]

If I understand you correctly, it reads like you're using a program to generate backups [lftp] and send them to storage provided by your ISP. Is that right? By ISP do you mean your Hosting Provider?

Is cPanel Backups enabled on your account?

Thanks for responding. Sorry, quite right - I meant my hosting provider.

I'm actually running lftp on my desktop, to which I make a copy. (Then, I nightly clone my hard drive.) I've exceeded the backup quota for my provider, so their backups of my site is not guaranteed.

cPanel backups are enabled, but only for my entire site - there's no granularity.

lftp works great - it captures just the updates. rsync would be even better - but again, I'm prevented from running it because of the ssh dependency, which my account does not support.

Thanks
Dan

 

[Infopro]

Sorry, still confused. You clone your hard drive and upload to your hosting account, or you clone your account and back it up to your computer?

If you're uploading your computer to your hosting account, seems a bit much, IMO, why not back up your cloned hard drive to an external backup, locally, instead?

I must not be understanding something here.

 

[shortmort37]

Here's my deal: I host a website for '59 Plymouth enthusiasts. Among other things, I run a phpBB board where they upload pix of their cars. *Tons* of pix. Well in excess of the 8K entries my hosting provider exposes to ftp.

Because I have so much data, I'd have to pay my provider extra to ensure it's backed up. So, I do my own backups. Nightly, at 10p, I lftp incremental additions to my site, to a replica on my desktop hard drive. (I also snag a MySQL backup at 11p.) At 2a, after the backup from hosting service to my desktop is complete, I clone my hard drive.

I thought I had all my bases covered - until I discovered I'm only snagging 8K files from my phpBB /files directory. rsync circumvents this limitation (and does a better job), but it requires ssh, which does not come with my hosted account.

I'm not looking to pay more money to my hosting provider in order to get access to my data. I'm just looking for a way to automate a backup so I can be sure my data is secure.

 

[Infopro]

Sounds like it might be time for you to upgrade to your own server. You'll have more control including root access, can automagically send backups via the cPanel backup system to another server, a backup drive, or to your home FTP even, every night of the week.

Not the answer you're looking for I'm sure. But it is a valid option to consider all the same.

I've been running forums for many years and have backups going back a decade or more. So I can appreciate your needs here. I moved off of my last Hosting Provider many years ago for this very sort of reason (lack of control) and went with my own server. I've never looked back.