Plex Database Backup | Synology Task Scheduler

Plex Media Server
1

Server Version#: Version 1.31.1.6782
Player Version#: Version 4.100.1

Hello @ChuckPa,
I am trying to create a script to use with the Synology Task Scheduler to backup my plex database to another location. I am not a linux person but found a script that you posted.

I modified the source and destination but when I execute the script I got a backup file of only 164 bytes.
When I ran the script in the command line it created a backup of 168 mb’s.

Here is the script i am using.

# Plex Backup 
#!/bin/sh
#
# Destination  (set accordingly)
Destination="/volume1/My Home Data - Volume 1/Computers/Operating Systems/Synology/Plex"

# Backup Plex (DSM 7)
cd /volume1/PlexMediaServer/AppData/Plex Media Server/Plug-in Support

# Do it
tar cvzf "$Destination/PlexDatabase-Backup.tar.gz 'Databases'"  ./*

Here is the command line that I used.

tar cvzf PlexDatabaseBackup.tar.gz ../../../../../volume1/PlexMediaServer/AppData/Plex\ Media\ Server/‘Plug-in Support’/‘Databases’

Can you help making this work properly?

Regards,
Keith

Moderator Edited: Added </> code formatting

2

One of us forgot quotes around the “cd” statement (probably me). Quotes are needed when spaces are involved in names.

Given things are more stable now with DSM 7 and Plex, let me rewrite it for you

  • This Scheduled Task must run as user ‘root’ . (to start / stop Plex)
#!/bin/sh

# Set destination
Dest="/volume1/My Shared Folder"


# Stop Plex
synopkg stop PlexMediaServer
Result=$?

if [ $Result -ne 0 ]; then
  echo ERROR $Result when stopping PlexMediaServer.
  echo Backup aborted.
  exit 1
fi

# Dest exists ?
[ ! -w "$Dest" ] && echo ERROR: Cannot write to '$Dest' && exit 2

# Get into the databases directory  (this is now volume independent)
cd "/var/packages/PlexMediaServer/shares/PlexMediaServer/AppData/Plex Media Server/Plug-in Support/Databases"

# Create filename using Date/Time  (yyyy-mm-dd_hh-mm)
# Backup
tar cvzf "$Dest/Plex-Database-Backup_$(date +%Y-%m-%d_%H-%M).tar.gz" .
Result=$?

# Check result
[ $Result -ne 0 ] && echo ERROR Got exit code $Result from tar.  Please check && exit 

# Restart Plex
synopkg start PlexMediaServer

How the names work out.

chuck@ds418:~$ Dest=/Path/Somewhere
chuck@ds418:~$ echo $Dest/Plex-Database-Backup_$(date +%Y-%m-%d_%H-%M).tar.gz
/Path/Somewhere/Plex-Database-Backup_2023-03-12_20-21.tar.gz
chuck@ds418:~$

Tweak as appropriate

3

Thanks Chuck, I got it to work.
It is really comforting having a backup of my database.
Perhaps you would want to post this to the top of the forum for others users?

4

I’ll post in in Syno FAQ