Send a Backup to Specify

[Grant]

This guide explains how to create a complete backup of your database and how to send it to the SCC support team.

Specify Backup

In Specify 7.11.2 or later, authorized users can create a full backup of their database directly from the Specify 7 interface. This provides a simple and secure way to download a complete snapshot of your data for archival purposes, migrations, or peace of mind.

How to Create a Full Database Backup in Specify

This guide explains how authorized users can generate and download a full snapshot of their database directly from the Specify 7 interface. It covers granting backup permissions to specific users, initiating the backup process, and managing or downloading existing backup files. Authorized users can create a full backup of their database directly from the Specify 7 interface. This provides a simple and secure way to download a complete snapshot of your data for archival purposes, migrat…

Command-Line Backup

[!caution]- Packet-Size Adjustment

Large Specify 7 WorkBench and Batch Edit Data Sets live in the spdataset table, sometimes exceeding MySQL/MariaDB’s default packet-size limit and causing incomplete dumps. To ensure a full backup, increase the max_allowed_packet on both server and client:

1. Open your MySQL/MariaDB configuration file (e.g., my.cnf or my.ini).
2. Under the [mysqld] header add:

   max_allowed_packet=1024M
   net_read_timeout=3600
   net_write_timeout=3600
   

3. Under the [client] header add the same max_allowed_packet setting.
4. Restart the database service.

For more information, see the MySQL docs on packet-too-large errors and the max_allowed_packet variable:

• https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.7/en/packet-too-large.html
• https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.7/en/server-system-variables.html#sysvar_max_allowed_packet

1. Open a terminal (macOS/Linux) or Command Prompt (Windows).

2. Execute one of these commands, replacing DB_HOST, DB_PORT, DB_USER, and SPECIFY_DATABASE_NAME with your values:

   mariadbdump \
     --host=DB_HOST \
     --port=DB_PORT \
     --user=DB_USER \
     --password \
     --single-transaction \
     --quick \
     SPECIFY_DATABASE_NAME \
     > specify_backup.sql
   

   After pressing Enter you’ll be prompted for your database password. The resulting specify_backup.sql is a plain-text dump of your entire database.

3. (Optional) Compress the dump to save space:

   gzip specify_backup.sql
   

   This produces specify_backup.sql.gz, a compressed copy of your database.

---

Sending Your Backup to Specify

Once you have your .sql, .sql.gz, or .zip archive:

1. Go to our Hightail page: https://spaces.hightail.com/uplink/specify
2. Enter your email address and any notes.
3. Click Select a file, choose your backup archive, then click Send It.

The SCC support team will be notified automatically and can retrieve your file.