How do u back up library? "Export all your calibre data" or copy folders manually?

droopy · 02-27-2021, 12:07 AM

How do you back up your Calibre library?

Do you:
A) In Calibre program, click library button on the ribbon and then, in the "Export/Import all calibre data", choose "Export all your calibre data"?
or
B)Open a file manager and then manually copy the folders (named after authors)?

I've always done A, but in a recent thread of mine, some have suggested B.
What are the advantages of doing B over A. What are the advantages of A over B?
What are the downsides of B? Of A?

Update: It may be germane to say that I plan to back up my library to the cloud.

Sirtel · 02-27-2021, 03:10 AM

I back up the whole library folder (not author folders separately, that wouldn't retain the library structure) and the configuration folder. I've never used export-import, as my current way works perfectly for me. And I've changed my computers multiple times in 10 years. No issues at all.

theducks · 02-27-2021, 04:49 AM

Both on occasion.

Export can get everything with a single action (but it does take some time) as it will back up toy CONFIGURATION and all KNOWN Libraries.
So that is what gets done if I make a major change (add/remove Libraries)

For 'daily' or Incremental backups, I use Freefilesync to another PC.
It takes under 3 minutes typically to MIRROR designated folders (Libraries, configuration) changes (adds, deletes, updates)

Sirtel · 02-27-2021, 05:08 AM

For incremental backups I use FreeFileSync too. I mirror the library folder and the configuration folder to external drives. My library lives in Dropbox, so that's the offsite backup in itself.

BetterRed · 02-27-2021, 04:18 PM

I use the Goodsync file synchronisation tool to do incremental backups of all my data, including critical configuration data. To local external drives daily, and weekly to a commercial FTP service.

I prefer this approach to any proprietary backup format because: a) I can restore individual items using familiar tools (file manager or data type specific tools such as calibre and iMatch) and b) I can access the backup copies with data type specific tools such as calibre and iMatch.

BR

chaley · 02-27-2021, 06:28 PM

I do daily backups of our computers to a local RAID NAS using Acronis TrueImage. Most files on our computers are copied hourly to the cloud using LiveDrive (paid), which has never caused a locking/write/corruption problem. In addition my library and some other stuff is copied to Dropbox. Because the three have different versioning strategies I have used all of of them to recover individual files. Luckily I could recover from the NAS after most my various disk 'failures' (caused by hardware and stupidity), which is much faster than downloading from the cloud. Only once have I had to do a large recovery from LiveDrive, which worked but was painful.

02-27-2021, 12:07 AM	#1
droopy Guru Posts: 834 Karma: 2912460 Join Date: Apr 2009 Device: Kobo Forma	How do u back up library? "Export all your calibre data" or copy folders manually? How do you back up your Calibre library? Do you: A) In Calibre program, click library button on the ribbon and then, in the "Export/Import all calibre data", choose "Export all your calibre data"? or B)Open a file manager and then manually copy the folders (named after authors)? I've always done A, but in a recent thread of mine, some have suggested B. What are the advantages of doing B over A. What are the advantages of A over B? What are the downsides of B? Of A? Update: It may be germane to say that I plan to back up my library to the cloud. Last edited by droopy; 02-27-2021 at 12:12 AM.

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02-27-2021, 03:10 AM	#2
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,474 Karma: 239219543 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	I back up the whole library folder (not author folders separately, that wouldn't retain the library structure) and the configuration folder. I've never used export-import, as my current way works perfectly for me. And I've changed my computers multiple times in 10 years. No issues at all.

02-27-2021, 04:49 AM	#3
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 31,062 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	Both on occasion. Export can get everything with a single action (but it does take some time) as it will back up toy CONFIGURATION and all KNOWN Libraries. So that is what gets done if I make a major change (add/remove Libraries) For 'daily' or Incremental backups, I use Freefilesync to another PC. It takes under 3 minutes typically to MIRROR designated folders (Libraries, configuration) changes (adds, deletes, updates)

02-27-2021, 05:08 AM	#4
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,474 Karma: 239219543 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	For incremental backups I use FreeFileSync too. I mirror the library folder and the configuration folder to external drives. My library lives in Dropbox, so that's the offsite backup in itself.

02-27-2021, 04:18 PM	#5
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 21,725 Karma: 29711016 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	I use the Goodsync file synchronisation tool to do incremental backups of all my data, including critical configuration data. To local external drives daily, and weekly to a commercial FTP service. I prefer this approach to any proprietary backup format because: a) I can restore individual items using familiar tools (file manager or data type specific tools such as calibre and iMatch) and b) I can access the backup copies with data type specific tools such as calibre and iMatch. BR

02-27-2021, 06:28 PM	#6
chaley Grand Sorcerer Posts: 12,447 Karma: 8012886 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Notts, England Device: Kobo Libra 2	I do daily backups of our computers to a local RAID NAS using Acronis TrueImage. Most files on our computers are copied hourly to the cloud using LiveDrive (paid), which has never caused a locking/write/corruption problem. In addition my library and some other stuff is copied to Dropbox. Because the three have different versioning strategies I have used all of of them to recover individual files. Luckily I could recover from the NAS after most my various disk 'failures' (caused by hardware and stupidity), which is much faster than downloading from the cloud. Only once have I had to do a large recovery from LiveDrive, which worked but was painful.

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