Although this issue is for serious for NAS users, it is would also be useful for single server installations. If the server and web interface are on the same machine the restore process is a simple process of moving files. If you are on a NAS it isn’t that simple.
Ignoring the issue of shares, the default location for backups is in the Plex installation folder. On QNAP this is deep down in /share/CACHEDEV1_DATA/.qpkg/PlexMediaServer/Library folders. If you delete the Plex server for some reason, you also delete all of your backups.
If you have used the script to create a share directory you can see the files and back them up elsewhere. But you can’t restore to that share. The default permissions for the install are admin administrator 755. Since QNAP recommends disabling the admin user you create another administrator user. But since the administrator doesn’t have write permissions you can’t restore the files.
The result is that you have to SSH onto the server and:
a. Do a chmod 775 for the appropriate directories
b. Copy the backup files either from the default location on the QNAP or go back to your main system with the Plex share and copy there
This severely hampers those who need to do a restore but aren’t that familiar with unix - enabling ssh, using ssh, changing to the appropriate directories, copying, etc.
Yes… I hope this idea gets some traction. I am running Plex on a WD MyCloud EX2 Ultra. I really don’t need any transcoding, so it all works just fine.
But I am really worried about what happens if I need to replace a failed NAS device (or my drives die). I have followed the support note about how to back-up the database and I am archiving a giant .tar.gz onto Dropbox. But what if I want to change platforms (e.g. WD to QNap)? I am spending a ton of time curating my collection (e.g. fixing mismatches, updating art work, building collections and playlists).
so im running Unraid… practically it seems you cant repair the datbase… as none of the options to check for corrupt database is even an option… been struggling… all i could do is the settings export
it be nice for Plex to be like Pfsense or Home Assistant OpenVPN or others where you Export configuration file… and it saves the Left handed Tabs and there location of videos… your login and watched videos all those settings… and if the Gui doesnt work… a Batch file like “Repair.bat” would run the necessary commands in unraid or other OS’s and export into a Text file… try to repair the database… and both gui and command line…
and with the 1 Button repair export etc… say in the GUI… it would take the Database OFFLINE… shut the database off… while plex is running and it can check to see if it can fix it… and if it cant… it would Delete the Database… But your Settings wouldnt be affected… it would leave your tabs on the left side alone… all your watched episodes where you left off etc… it would just redownload the database stuff… but a feature that is user friendly so its like just a 1 Button and
and or like PFSENSE … when you backup (Export) You can do “ALL Settings” or just certain settings… and then you can import after you delete and it will reconstruct… just like Home Assistant does… it takes and imports things or Pfsense . etc
something Simple that is easy and just from the Gui…
I find I regularly have to restore backups, as my database regularly gets corrupted (that is a separate issue!).
It would be super helpful if this was a one-click process. The Dashboard could present a list of the saved backups available, and offer the option to restore one of them. This would prompt PMS to stop/restart.
mod-edit: merging those suggestion threads which are all about a database restore option (possibly incl. a selective export) – specifically for NAS use cases where users cannot easily access the backup files.
It would be great especially for NAS/Linux users to have a built in function to “export” or backup your plex database and to be able to import the database
in many NAS’s ( QNAP for sure) the database is only accessible through a SSH Connection
for casual users, this is daunting- especially since most dont have any SSH/Command line
experience and SSH access is turn off by default in many cases as security best practice.
