Table of Contents
Backing up a Fotoware system
30. April 2025
Table of Contents
There are multiple levels at which the system can be backed up. If the FotoWeb server is virtualized, backing up the entire image is a simple solution.
Using backup software, it is also possible to make a complete backup of a physical server and then roll back to a previous server state through a restore operation.
At a lower level, file-based backup requires you to know which folders you need to back up to facilitate disaster recovery. That is the focus of this topic.
What needs backing up?
Assets
All the assets in the system need to be backed up. Often, these will reside on a shared network volume, such as a SAN, and there will often be separate backup routines that handle the safeguarding of the SAN data.
The XMP metadata that is stored with assets in a Fotoware system is either embedded in the actual files or travels with the files as "sidecars" - that way, it is sufficient to back up the assets to also include any XMP metadata that has been added to the files.
Configuration files
The configuration files need to be restorable within a reasonable amount of time. Configurations tend to grow over time, so these files should be regularly backed up to make sure the most recent version of the configuration can be restored in a disaster recovery scenario.
Autogenerated data
Autogenerated data includes indexes, caches, and audio/video proxies. Although these can be regenerated automatically, including these in a restore operation will reduce the extra processing required to regenerate these files and make the system perform its best quickly after completing the restore operation.
Backing up assets
We recommend using commercially available backup tools to back up assets.
In the context of the Fotoware system, all assets crawled and indexed by Index Manager need backing up. With a FotoWeb system, there will typically also be a global upload area that requires backing up. The default location for the upload area is C:\ProgramData\Fotoware\FotoWeb\Operations\Upload\[SITENAME]
Backing up configurations
Fotoware ProgramData
All Fotoware server applications store their configuration files in C:\ProgramData\Fotoware
We recommend making a backup copy of this folder using an external scheduled task.
FotoWeb site configuration(s)
The default path to the site configuration is C:\ProgramData\Fotoware\FotoWeb\Site Settings\[SITENAME]. Note that the location of the site home folder is configurable, so if you're unsure which folder has been chosen as the site's home folder, go to the FotoWeb site configuration in the Operations Center and check the site identification settings.
These files should be backed up to a safe location. With multiple sites on the server, ensure all sites are backed up.
Microsoft SQL and MongoDB databases
FotoWeb uses MongoDB and Microsoft SQL databases. Backing these up is not as plain as copying a number of files from a to b.
These databases can be configured to create automatic backups. The backed-up files are, by default, stored in these locations to allow copying them to a safe location:
SQL server backup files: C:\ProgramData\Fotoware\FotoWeb\Site Settings\[SITENAME]\Backup
MongoDB backup files: C:\ProgramData\Fotoware\FotoWeb\Server Settings\Backup
Backing up autogenerated data (optional)
Autogenerated data, such as indexes, caches, and audio and video proxy files, are files that can be re-generated after a restore operation, so they are not critical. However, because regenerating these files from scratch can be time-consuming and will put a performance penalty on the server while being generated, including these in the backup and restore routines is recommended if getting quickly back up and running is a priority.
Autogenerated data that can be backed up:
Audio and video proxy files (configurable location)
Default location: C:\ProgramData\Fotoware\FotoWeb\Operations\Proxies
Index Manager cache (configurable location)
Default location: C:\ProgramData\Fotoware\Index Manager\ImCache
FotoWeb cache (configurable location)
Default location: C:\ProgramData\Fotoware\FotoWeb\Operations\Cache\[sitename]
Index Manager's indexes
Check where the indexes are stored in the Index Manager configuration through the Operations Center.
Restoring the system from a backup
- All data except databases can be copied back to their original location on the server.
- To restore FotoWeb's Microsoft SQL database, use the FotoWeb Administration Console application, found on the Windows start screen:
- Expand the Server node and right-click on the Site node.
- Choose All tasks - Restore database
- Enter the user name and password for the database, or use a trusted connection, then press OK.
Restoring the Mongo DB
Important: FotoWeb must be running before the Mongo restore operation can start.
To restore the Mongo database, run the following command:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Fotoware\FotoWeb\MongoDB\mongorestore.exe" /drop /uri:"mongodb://localhost:7200" "PATH_TO_MONGODB_BACKUP"