Is Plex database backup every 3 days event broken?

Plex Media Server Desktops & Laptops
1

Server Version#:1.18.0.1900 running on Windows Server 2016
Player Version#:N/A
Noticed that since early October 2019 I have not been getting the scheduled Plex SQL DB backups being produced (every 3 days event).
Problem started around the time 1.18.x was installed.
Before I start plowing through log files etc I wondered if anyone else is experiencing the same problem?
I have just updated to 1.18.0.1913 but will have to wait to see if scheduled event starts to work again.

2

Scheduled event will abort if database is broken, to prevent override of existing backups

3

OK. - so how can I verify database - all appears to be running OK?

4

Use the web app to download your database.
(Settings - Server - Manage - Troubleshooting)
If the downloaded copy is about the same size as your main db file, it is probably not damaged.

There is another thing affecting the backup:
If you have set up a cutom backup target under
Settings - Server - Scheduled tasks - ‘Show Advanced’ - “Backup directory”
If this target folder is not accessible, the backup will fail silently.

Here is another way to check for database corruption:

  1. activate debug logging (not ‘verbose’!)
  2. quit Plex Server
  3. wait 1 minute
  4. start Plex Server
  5. wait 5 minutes
  6. fetch log files and attach them here

Or inspect them yourself. Take a look at the Plex Media Server.log file and seek for messages about database corrupt or malformed.
If you find these, you may have to repair your database.
https://support.plex.tv/articles/201100678-repair-a-corrupt-database/

5

Well - before I saw your reply I made a copy of the db and I ran the 4 SQL lite commands shown at https://support.plex.tv/articles/201100678-repair-a-corrupt-database/
It came back OK for com.plexapp.plugins.library.db.
Should I still do the debug/stop/start you mention above

6

No, that won’t be necessary.
Give it a little bit more time upon the next start, since it needs to recreate the index table you deleted during the check.

This leaves the backup target folder in Scheduled Tasks.

7

Backup folder is still there - not been changed in about 18 months.
Attached is debug log file if of any use. Plex Media Server Log.7z (18.9 KB)

8

Clear out the input field for the backup target and save.
Then wait another 4 days and see if the backups start to show up in the default folder. Then you know for sure.

1 Like
9

Thanks - will do.

10

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