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The “Overview” page

Updated

The Overview page tells you at a glance whether your website is backed up. From here you start a backup and see your backup plans and the latest backups.

The Overview is the first page of the plugin. A click on cloneworx in the WordPress menu opens it.

The page at a glance

The Overview page with status tile, backup plans and recent backups

  1. Overview is the menu item of the page, in the WordPress menu under cloneworx.
  2. The status tile shows with colour, symbol and text how the backup of your website is doing.
  3. Back up now starts a backup right away.
  4. Restore latest backup leads to the Restore page.
  5. Backup plans shows your plans with their next run.
  6. Recent backups shows the last three backups.
  7. More … opens the menu of a backup.

The status tile

The status tile names a result. The plugin forms it from the backups, the backup plans and the targets. If several states apply, the order of the table counts: the topmost wins.

State Meaning What you can do
red
The last backup failed. 		The last finished backup failed. The tile names the time, the cause, the next step and the last good backup. Follow the next step in the tile. The link Log shows the details. More on this: When a backup fails or ends with warnings.
red
The plan “…” has not made a backup for …. 		An active plan is overdue: its last good backup is older than its rhythm plus a tolerance. The tolerance is half the rhythm, at least 6 hours. A daily plan is overdue after 36 hours. Click Back up now. So that the scheduled times are kept in future: Start backups on time: set up a system cron.
yellow
The storage target “…” is disconnected. 		The plugin can no longer read the stored credentials of a target, or the target rejected them. For a target with a sign-in at Google or Dropbox, the second cause means: the provider no longer accepts the stored consent. Click Renew credentials. How it works: Renew the credentials of a target. For a target with a sign-in at Google or Dropbox the button is called Connect again: Store backups in Google Drive, Store backups in Dropbox.
yellow
Your website is backed up, with warnings. 		The last backup is complete, but not everything went smoothly: files were not readable or had vanished, or one target failed while another has the backup. Open the Log. It names the affected entries.
green
Your website is backed up. 		The last backup was complete. Nothing.
grey
Your website is not backed up yet. 		There is no finished backup yet. Click Back up now, or set up a plan with Schedule backup.

Aborted and running backups do not change the result. If the page cannot load the state, the message of the server stands in red in the tile.

In every state the tile names the next run: Next backup is the earliest next run of all active plans, with the name of the plan. If no plan is active, it says not scheduled yet.

The last backup failed

Red status tile: the last backup failed

  1. The last backup failed.
  2. The line names the time and the cause in plain language. The link Log after it opens the log of this backup.
  3. If a target failed, the target with the reason stands here. Below it stands, unchanged, the message from the target or from cURL.
  4. The next step depends on the cause.
  5. Last good backup names date, size and target. If there is none, it says No good backup yet.
  6. Next attempt stands in this state in place of Next backup.

As the last good backup the tile names the most recent backup that ended complete or with warnings and is still stored completely at at least one target.

Cause in the tile Next step in the tile
Not enough free space. Next step: free up space in the work folder or at the target, then run the backup again.
No target has the backup.
No target is reachable.
A target is not usable. 		Next step: check the targets on the Targets page (connection test), then run the backup again.
The database is not MySQL or MariaDB. This website does not run on MySQL or MariaDB; backups are not possible here.
any other cause, for example Too many steps without progress. or A part failed verification twice. Next step: run the backup again. If it fails again, the log has the details.

A plan is overdue

Red status tile: a plan is overdue

  1. The title names the plan and the time since its last good backup.
  2. Last good backup names date, size and target, followed by the link Log.
  3. The cause: The schedule did not run: your website was not called, or WP-Cron is blocked.
  4. The next step: back up now.
  5. Back up now starts the backup right away.

The title has three forms:

  • The plan “…” has not made a backup for ….
  • Your website has not been backed up for …. This is what it says when the last good backup of the plan is also the last good backup of the website.
  • The plan “…” has been due for … and has not run yet. This is what it says when the plan has never made a good backup. Such a plan is overdue as soon as its first scheduled time is exceeded by the tolerance.

A backup plan starts at its scheduled time only if a task source triggers the website, for example a visitor of the website, the open Overview or a system cron. If no task source arrives within one hour after the scheduled time, the run counts as missed. The plugin then starts nothing belatedly; the plan runs again at its next regular time. A website that has no visitor and no system cron around its scheduled times therefore makes no backups according to plan.

A target is disconnected

Yellow status tile: a storage target is disconnected

  1. The title names the disconnected target.
  2. The cause: The stored credentials can no longer be read; the database password was probably changed., The target rejected the stored credentials. or, for a target with a sign-in at Google or Dropbox in its place: The provider no longer accepts the stored consent: it was withdrawn or has expired.
  3. The next step: enter the credentials again on the Targets page. For a target with a sign-in at Google or Dropbox: connect the target again there.
  4. Renew credentials leads to the Targets page. For a target with a sign-in at Google or Dropbox the button is called Connect again.

The picture shows a target with credentials. How you connect a target of the type Google Drive or Dropbox again: Store backups in Google Drive, Store backups in Dropbox.

Below the next step stands Last backup, if there is already a finished backup, and below that Next backup. If the buttons do not fit side by side in the tile, they stand one below the other as in the picture.

Backed up, with warnings

The yellow tile shows Last backup with date, size and target, followed by the link Log. Below it stand the number of warnings and their kind: not readable, vanished, unsupported, failed targets, database notes. If a target failed, the target, the reason and, unchanged, the message from the target follow.

No backup yet

Grey status tile: the website is not backed up yet

  1. Your website is not backed up yet.
  2. The note names your first plan and its target: “Back up now” runs the plan “…” and stores the first backup in “…”. If there is no plan yet, it says Create a plan first; “Back up now” then runs it.
  3. Next backup names the next run of an active plan.
  4. Back up now starts the first backup.
  5. Schedule backup leads to the Backup page. As long as no plan is active, this button is highlighted.

The buttons of the status tile

Button When it is there What it does
Back up now always; blocked as long as a job is running Starts a backup according to one of your plans.
Restore latest backup as soon as there is a good backup Leads to the Restore page.
Renew credentials; for a target with a sign-in at Google or Dropbox Connect again as long as the status tile reports a disconnected target Leads to the Targets page.
Schedule backup as long as the status tile is grey Leads to the Backup page, on which you create plans.

What “Back up now” starts

The plugin checks the targets first, then the plans:

  • No usable target: nothing starts. The button leads to the Targets page, no matter how many plans there are.
  • No plan: nothing starts. Below the status tile the yellow message No plan yet. Create a plan first. appears with the link Schedule backup.
  • One plan: the backup runs right away according to this plan.
  • Several plans: the dialog window Which plan? shows one button per plan with the name of the plan. A click starts this plan.
  • The target of the plan is not usable: nothing starts. Below the status tile the red message The backup could not be started: … appears with the reason, for example The plan has no usable target. The link Show log opens the general log.

The plan may be paused: only the schedule is paused. Step by step: Create a backup right now.

While a backup is running

Status tile while a backup is running

  1. What the running backup is backing up and where to, for example “Database, Files → SFTP 1”.
  2. The progress display names the phase, the entries, the size and the remaining time.
  3. Abort backup stops the backup at the next step.
  4. Back up now is blocked as long as a job is running.

The progress display also appears when the schedule or the command line started the backup: the open page reads the state anew every 60 seconds and takes over a running job. The backup keeps running when you close the page. After the end, the result appears as a message below the status tile, and the status tile and list reload. Everything about the progress display and the messages: Progress, messages and log.

After a restore

After a restore the rollback stays open until you keep the restore or undo it, at most 7 days. During that time the status tile holds a further line: A restore is applied and can still be undone until …. The link Keep or undo it after it leads to the Restore page. More on this: Keep or undo a restore.

The note on notifications

If notification on errors and warnings is switched off, you learn of a failed backup only when you look yourself. The Overview therefore shows a red message below the status tile.

Red message: notification on errors and warnings is switched off

  1. The message: Notification on errors and warnings is switched off in the settings. This is a security risk for your data.
  2. Dismiss hides the message. The next time the page is opened, it is back.
  3. Open settings leads to the Settings page.

The message comes back every time the page is opened until you switch the notification on: Set up email notifications.

The “Backup plans” tile

Tile Backup plans on the Overview with two active plans

  1. Manage plans leads to the Backup page. There you create plans, change them and switch them on or off.
  2. The dot is green for an active plan and grey for a paused one.
  3. The name of the plan, its rhythm in words and its target, for example “Daily backup · Daily at 03:22 · SFTP 1”.
  4. Next run names date and time of the next backup according to this plan.
  5. The time zone of the website. All times in the tile are given in it.

On the Overview the tile is read-only. Instead of the next run, a plan may show:

  • Paused, no backups are scheduled.
  • Paused: the plan has no target. Choose a target to switch it on. The row of the plan then reads no target.

If there is no plan yet, the tile reads No plan yet with the link Schedule backup. Every field of a plan is explained in Backup plans: tile and form.

The “Recent backups” tile

The tile is missing as long as the status tile is grey. The list has no header row and cannot be sorted: the newest backup is at the top. A running backup stands as the first row in the list.

Tile Recent backups with three rows

  1. All backups leads to the Backup page with the whole list.
  2. The dot shows the result: green for a complete backup, yellow for a backup with warnings, red for a failed one. A grey dot means aborted, a spinning ring means: the backup is running.
  3. Date and time. The list always gives the full date, never “today” or “yesterday”.
  4. The size of the backup. For a failed, aborted or running backup a dash stands there.
  5. The targets of the backup.
  6. The type. For a good backup it says Full, otherwise the status: Failed, Aborted or Running.
  7. More … opens the menu of the backup.
  8. The lock means: the backup is locked. It is never deleted automatically.
  9. The check mark shows the result of the last check: a green tick for readable and complete, a red cross for damaged or incomplete.

If the mouse rests on the lock or the check mark, a tooltip with the meaning appears. It also appears when you reach the symbol with the keyboard or tap it. The tooltip on the check mark names the date of the check.

If the tile is too narrow for all columns, the size is dropped. If the space is still not enough, the list in the tile can be scrolled sideways.

The “More …” menu

Recent backups with the open menu of a backup

  1. Restore leads to the Restore page.
  2. Check backup reads the backup at its targets and reports whether it is readable and complete. More on this: Check a backup.
  3. Lock backup protects the backup from automatic deletion. For a locked backup the entry is called Unlock backup. More on this: Protect a backup from deletion.
  4. Log opens the log of this backup in a dialog window.
  5. Delete backup deletes the backup at its targets after a confirmation prompt. More on this: Delete a backup.

The menu shows only what works for this backup:

  • Restore and Lock backup exist only if the backup is stored completely at at least one target.
  • Download is added if the backup is stored completely in a local folder. The entry then stands before Log. More on this: Download a backup.
  • If the backup is only stored damaged at its targets, Check backup, Log and Delete backup remain.
  • A failed or aborted backup has left nothing at any target. Its menu offers Log and Delete entry.
  • A running backup offers only Log.

The menu is the same as on the Backup page.

One view, no switch

The Overview has only one view. The switch between Compact and Extended, which stands at the bottom left on the other pages, does not exist here. What the page shows therefore never depends on the chosen view.

Good to know

  • In the status tile, a time of today, yesterday or tomorrow is given in words, for example “today, 12:11” or “tomorrow, 03:00”. In the lists below, the full date is always given.
  • As long as the page is open, it reads the state and the plans anew every 60 seconds.
  • Only one job ever runs at the same time. As long as one is running, Back up now is blocked. If during that time you choose Check backup in the menu of a backup or confirm the deletion of a backup, the page reports in red A job is already running.

See also

On the command line

WP-CLI not set up yet? How to install WP-CLI.

The result of the status tile is also available on the command line, with the last backup, the last good backup, an overdue plan and a disconnected target. The output is in English.

# Show the state of the website
wp cloneworx-backup status

# Show the backup plans with their next run
wp cloneworx-backup plan list

# Show the last three backups
wp cloneworx-backup backup list --limit=3

# Run a backup plan now
wp cloneworx-backup plan run "Daily backup"