Backup a multisite

Hello JK! Thank you for your interest in using the Prime Mover plugin! Regarding the answers to your questions, please check out below:

• Question 1.) I can use the free version. Right?

Yes, please note that in the free version, you can manually back up as many multisite subsites as you like, on demand (any time you need it). The free version does not have a trigger for automatic backups – you can only do so manually. But it won’t have a limit on the number of subsites or the package size (backup and restoration).

However, the main site requires a PRO license. The PRO license allows you to backup and restore the main site, as well as use the automatic/scheduled backup feature (available to all sites) to run it on schedule (instead of triggering it manually).

• Question 2.) Do I install only on the main site, then back up the entire multisite?

No, the Prime Mover plugin needs to be installed on network plugins and network-activated. Once network-activated, you can now back up individual sub-sites and main sites (PRO). However, as of the latest version, it cannot yet back up the entire multisite as one package. The primary reason is that this plugin is designed to split and back up individual sites rather than the whole. However, we are already adding this feature for the future, although there is no definite timeline yet for its release.

• Question 3.)  If so, can I then restore selected subsites or the main site independently?

Yes, the plugin can be used to back up and restore selected subsites independently (including the main site in the PRO feature). If you restore a subsite, it won’t affect other sites in the network, except, of course, for its plugins and themes, which are shared by all sites by design.

• Question 4.) Or, do I have to install the plugin on each of the sites, main and sub? If so, I assume I can back up each independently and restore each independently.

The plugin can only be network-activated. So you need to network-activate this plugin. Once the network is activated, it is available for use across all sites in the multisite network.

• Question 5.) Also, I see discussions here about why you do not include inactive plugins in the backups, at least for migration. Will backups include the entire site’s assets, including inactive plugins, so that a restore will recreate the site completely?

Yes, that’s correct – the backup does not include inactive plugins/themes to save package size, but this request is already on our to-do list (there is still no definite timeline for this feature yet).

The backup includes the site database, media files for that site, activated plugins and themes, and finally, the site’s users. You can find more details in this FAQ.

Since some of your questions touched on the PRO aspects of the plugin, you can send us additional questions via our official contact page (since answering PRO-related questions/features isn’t allowed on the WordPress free forum). I’m marking this ticket as resolved.

Cheers,

Emerson

Hi JK! That’s right, when you use the free version, you must install it in your main site’s network plugins (Network Admin -> Plugins) and activate it there. Once the free version is network-activated, you can start backing up as many subsites as possible. You can see the backup functionality in Network admin -> Sites. But if you want to back up the main site, you need to upgrade to the PRO version. Thanks again for your interest in the plugin. Let me know if you need any clarification.

• This reply was modified 1 month, 3 weeks ago by Emerson Maningo. Reason: typo