The automated_backups.php script can also be started as a Linux cron job on the DB server. I managed to get this working with a Moodle instance where I only had to make a minor change in the automated_backups.php script in admin/cli. Also I had to temporary disable the caching store in muc/config.php while running the script. I also changed the settings of the Automated backup in 'Manual' instead of 'Enabled'. And I disabled the automated_backup_task in Moodle cron tasks.
Code update in automated_backups.php:
66 //if (moodle_needs_upgrading()) {
67 // echo "Moodle upgrade pending, backup execution suspended.\n";
68 // exit(1);
69 //}
Bash script to add to the Linux crontab:
#!/bin/bash
# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Script: automated_backup_moodle_courses.sh
#
# - Backup courses with admin/cli/automated_backups.php
#
# Writer: Alain Raap
# Date: 19-03-2019
# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
exec > >(tee -i /var/log/automated_backup_moodle_courses.log)
exec 2>&1
# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Set parameters
# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SCRIPT="automated_backup_moodle_courses"
MOODLE_ROOT="/var/www/moodle"
MOODLE_DATA="/moodledata"
AUTOMATED_BACKUPS="${MOODLE_ROOT}/admin/cli/automated_backups.php"
PHP_CMD="/usr/local/bin/php -d log_errors=1 -d error_reporting=E_ALL -d display_errors=0 -d html_errors=0 -d memory_limit=2048M"
MUC="${MOODLE_DATA}/muc/config.php"
BACKUP_PATH="${MOODLE_DATA}/automated-course-backups/"
echo "${SCRIPT}: Start automated backup script"
# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Change MUC (Remove Moodle-redis store)
# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
echo "${SCRIPT}: Remove Moodle-redis store from muc/config.php"
sed -i -e "0,/'store' => 'Moodle-redis'/s/'store' => 'Moodle-redis'/'store' => 'default_application'/" $MUC
sed -i -e "0,/'store' => 'Moodle-redis'/s/'store' => 'Moodle-redis'/'store' => 'default_session'/" $MUC
# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Run automated backups PHP script
# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
echo "$PHP_CMD $AUTOMATED_BACKUPS"
$PHP_CMD $AUTOMATED_BACKUPS
# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Change MUC (Restore Moodle-redis store)
# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
echo "${SCRIPT}: Restore Moodle-redis store in muc/config.php"
sed -i -e "s/'store' => 'default_application'/'store' => 'Moodle-redis'/" $MUC
sed -i -e "s/'store' => 'default_session'/'store' => 'Moodle-redis'/" $MUC
echo "${SCRIPT}: End automated backup script"
exit 0
Copy the bash script to /var/www/moodle/admin/cli and execute 'chmod 555 automated_backup_moodle_courses.sh'.
Add this line in the crontab of your database server (runs on Saturday night 0:00 hrs):
0 0 * * 6 /var/www/moodle/admin/cli/automated_backup_moodle_courses.sh > /dev/null