# Reduced backup possible?

**URL:** <https://forums.plex.tv/t/reduced-backup-possible/564042>\
**Category:** General Discussions\
**Created:** [March 29, 2020, 10:15am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/reduced-backup-possible/564042 "2020-03-29T10:15:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![HTPC\_Lover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@HTPC\_Lover](https://forums.plex.tv/u/HTPC_Lover)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 10:15am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/reduced-backup-possible/564042/1 "2020-03-29T10:15:50Z")

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OS: Unraid (Nvidia) 6.8.3  
Plex Server: 1.18.9.2571

My daily Plex backup exceeded 4 hours now and is running way to long. Before I ask what might be left out, here comes some info about my systems:

The Plex Server runs as a [LinuxServer.io](http://LinuxServer.io) docker container on a very fast NVM M.2 BTRFS RAID1 (Unraid cache pool). Every night I stop the docker container at 4:00 to take the backup. As I’m really strict on backups I do not only copy the Plex appdata store, in addition I copy individual files. The first and daily backup goes to the Unraid array at 50-60MB/s (dual parity). A second and a third backup go weekly and monthly to a second and third Unraid backup server. Here are the commands for the daily backup:

```auto
# Stop docker
docker stop plex

# Daily sync of the complete plex appdata store (without Cache, Logs and Crash Reports)
# from the Unraid Cache pool to the Unraid Array pool
# This is running way to long because it happens while Plex is stopped
rsync -avPX --delete-during --delete-excluded --exclude="Cache/" --exclude="Logs/" --exclude="Crash Reports/" "/mnt/user/system/appdata/plex/" "/mnt/user/Backup/unRAID/appdata_backup/plex/"

# Save Plex preferences to a separate backup folder
cp /mnt/user/system/appdata/plex/Library/Application\ Support/Plex\ Media\ Server/Preferences.xml /mnt/user/Backup/unRAID/plex_backup/

# Save Plex SQLite DB to a separate backup folder
cp /mnt/user/system/appdata/plex/Library/Application\ Support/Plex\ Media\ Server/Plug-in\ Support/Databases/com.plexapp.plugins.library.db /mnt/user/Backup/unRAID/plex_backup/

# Dump View Statistics from Plex DB to a separate backup folder
echo ".dump metadata_item_settings" | sqlite3 /mnt/user/system/appdata/plex/Library/Application\ Support/Plex\ Media\ Server/Plug-in\ Support/Databases/com.plexapp.plugins.library.db | grep -v TABLE | grep -v INDEX > /mnt/user/Backup/unRAID/plex_backup/settings.sql

# Dump Plex SQLite DB to a separate backup folder
echo ".dump" | sqlite3 /mnt/user/system/appdata/plex/Library/Application\ Support/Plex\ Media\ Server/Plug-in\ Support/Databases/com.plexapp.plugins.library.db > /mnt/user/Backup/unRAID/plex_backup/dump.sql

# Start docker
docker start plex

```

So my question is: What can I leave out in the rsync task? The huge amount of metadata in the docker container is killing me. As you can see I store configuration settings, SQLite DB and view statistics. What is really really required without losing to much?

Any hint is highly appreciated.

Many thanks in advance.

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2020, 10:15am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/reduced-backup-possible/564042/2 "2020-06-27T10:15:54Z")

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