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Problems with backing up



  • 2007-11-19 21:36:50

    Problems with backing up

    If you are asking for help, provide lots of detail so problems can be reproduced.

    Things to describe:
    operating system -Linux Fedora
    version of ATutor -1.5.1
    versions of php -?
    version of mysq l -?Greetings
    webserver & version -Apache 2.0.54
    copies of error messages -None
    changes to default settings -
    web browser being used -Firefox 2
    and anything else relevant -

    Greetings!
    Thank you for all your responses. I have another question:

    I am trying to backup a 60 mb course. Nothing happens for a bit and then I am prompted to download a file called create.php.

    I can make a backup of an empty course or the Welcome course but not the course I am most interested in.

    Any help would be appreciated.

    Cheers,

    Bernie Monette


  • 2007-11-20 08:50:13

    Re: Problems with backing up...

    I can't reproduce this problem myself, but my guess is 6mb is over the limit set on your server. In the system's php.ini file tou probably need to increase the following values, then restart the webserver.

    upload_max_filesize
    post_max_size

    Then the ATutor admin would need to increase the maximim values in the course properties.


  • 2007-11-20 21:33:57

    Re: Problems with backing up...

    We have set the course size to unlimited and the max file size to 29 mb. Would we be able to upload files in the 6 mb range if the php.ini was set to a lower value?

    Thank you for your help.

    Bernie


  • 2007-11-21 08:28:18

    Re: Problems with backing up...

    Yes. Change the php.ini settings.


  • 2007-11-21 10:37:44

    Re: Problems with backing up...

    OK-thanks a lot.

    Cheers,

    Bernie Monette


  • 2007-11-25 12:35:24

    Re: Problems with backing up...more

    We changed the settings as suggested: the limit is 100mb. Now when I try and back up the 59 mb course-nothing happens.

    I click on create back up, the screen refreshes, but there is no backup file.

    I was able to backup the Welcome course-so I know that is working.

    Any ideas you all might have would be welcome.

    Cheers,

    Bernie


  • 2007-11-26 10:19:53

    Re: Problems with backing up...more

    what language is the course in?

    are you able to create content packages with the export tool?

    have you copy-and-pasted any content into ATutor from other editors?


  • 2007-11-26 10:36:30

    Re: Problems with backing up...more

    The course is in English.

    I have been able to create backups of empty or small courses.

    When I export content I get a blank screen and a url like this:
    http://66.207.211.34/ATutor/tools/ims/ims_export.php?cid=31

    Yes-I have copy and pasted content: from Word to ATutor.

    Thanks

    Bernie


  • 2007-11-26 11:00:35

    Re: Problems with backing up...more

    Copy-and-paste from word is likely the problem. Word has a tendency to stick foriegn invisible characters into the content which end up breaking files when you try to zip them up. Unfortunately you'll need to go page by page top figure out where the problem is, exporting smaller chunks of content. You can often fix content by cutting and pasting it into a good plain text editor (not notepad or wordpad), which strips out the characters, then paste it back into ATutor and save.


  • 2007-11-28 16:27:47

    Re: Problems with backing up...more

    If you are asking for help, provide lots of detail so problems can be reproduced.

    Things to describe:
    operating system -
    version of ATutor -
    versions of php -
    version of mysq l -
    webserver & version -
    copies of error messages -
    changes to default settings -
    web browser being used -
    and anything else relevant -


  • 2007-11-28 16:43:23

    Re: Problems with backing up...more

    If you are asking for help, provide lots of detail so problems can be reproduced.

    Things to describe:
    operating system - FC4
    version of ATutor -1.5.1
    versions of php -
    version of mysq l -
    webserver & version -Apache 2.0.54
    copies of error messages - page not found
    changes to default settings - see msg.
    web browser being used - IE
    and anything else relevant -


  • 2007-11-28 17:29:58

    Re: Problems with backing up...more

    oliver

    The best option would be to keep course sizes below about 24mb. If you are using movies in your courses, which are usually large, creating backups of these courses can take up a whole lot of space, and upload/download times can result in the system timing out . It's better to locate the movies in a separate location, and link to them there from within your content, and avoid the problems that inevitably arise when working with very large courses.

    Or if that's not an option, you can either change the max number of backups allowed in the admin's System Preferences, or as an admin or instructor delete older backups from a course before trying to create another.

    For admins, going to Courses>Backup will display a list of all course backups. Select from those for the mentioned course, then press the delete button.

    As for file size, you probably need to adjust the
    timeout settings for the Web server ( httpd.conf file & maybe php.ini ).


  • 2007-11-28 18:06:36

    Re: Problems with backing up...more

    Thanks for the suggestions about keeping the FLV files separate. We could put them in another folder on that server outside the course. I'll ask Bernie to look into that as he would have to change the links.

    There were only three backup folders (1,3,4), each with one backup file, in the admin folder, but when I try (as admin) it does not find any for the course we can't backup; looks like none of these backups were for the large course, only other small test courses. I don't think the number of backups was the problem.

    I'll try the timeout settings. We need to download a backup in case that server, still in Toronto, goes down and we need to install on a new hard disc. I do have another server in the same cabinet that has a cloned hard drive, but it would not be as current for our course.

    I'm still bothered that when I click on CREATE backup (http://66.207.211.34/ATutor/admin/backup/create.php)that it instantly gives me a "Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage" page. It doesn't seem to be a timeout problem; something much more immediate like a permission problem or missing file.

    The course has been translated into French and we were looking into an easier way to enter the French text by using a backup, but it doesn't look like we could create a new course (French version) and restore another course's backup anyway unless we can move a backup manually among folders.

    Can you suggest a method of easily installing the translated course. Bernie wanted to use cut and paste.

    Thanks,
    Bill


  • 2007-11-29 08:43:37

    Re: Problems with backing up...more

    I can't reproduce the IE problem, but then I don't have a course available that large. It could IE is the problem. Try a different browser.

    Which version of IE are you referring to?

    You should not have any problems creating backups to duplicate courses. This seems to be something specific to your setup. Did you perhaps upload files through an external FTP client? You would need to reset the permissions on those files so the webserver users (usually "nobody") can read and write them.


  • 2007-11-29 12:37:50

    Re: Problems with backing up...more

    Thanks,

    I have tried IE 7 on VISTA ("Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage") and IE6 on XP ("Page cannot be displayed"). Bernie has been using Firefox (I'll ask him to specify version, hardware and OS).

    I'll ask him (sending email link to him now) how he populated the pages (probably cut and paste), but we've had a number of people (about 10 registered and completed) take the entire course (in English).

    I'll be away the rest of today.

    Bill


  • 2007-11-29 20:24:25

    Re: Problems with backing up...more

    Greetings!
    I am u sing Firefox 3, Camino, and Safari. Mac OSX Tiger.

    I cut and pasted the text using Word. Mainly this was done since it kept the formatting and the links using the visual tool.

    Cheers,

    Bernie


  • 2007-12-03 15:35:57

    Re: Problems with backing up...more

    I am assuming our problem is 1.) Course Backup file size or 2.) hidden characters in the ATutor_content table.

    I found all the video and audio files (51.9MB) in the ATutor/content/ folder: 57-flv files, 5-swf files, 1-index.html file, 2-GIF aux file.

    All the textual content is in a MySQL database: ATutor. I used phpMyAdmin and looked at the database --
    The textual web pages (in table AT_content) are only 280.5 KB, questions - 10.6KB and question answers - 6.6KB, the French Language pack tables (pages & text) are 907.8 KB.

    Does Course Backup save both the content folder and the database?

    IF SIZE PROBLEM:
    If so, I would first like to try moving the contents of the content folder to another location - that is not backed up and change the links.

    Is that possible? Could they be stored in a new folder: ATutor/FLV_VideoInterviews/ ?

    IF HIDDEN CHARACTER PROBLEM:
    If this doesn't work then we'll tackle the possible hidden characters in the AT_content table caused by cut and paste from MS Word. We do backup that database independently from ATutor with a CRON job once per week (MySQL DUMP).


  • 2007-12-03 15:36:12

    Re: Problems with backing up...more

    I am assuming our problem is 1.) Course Backup file size or 2.) hidden characters in the ATutor_content table.

    I found all the video and audio files (51.9MB) in the ATutor/content/ folder: 57-flv files, 5-swf files, 1-index.html file, 2-GIF aux file.

    All the textual content is in a MySQL database: ATutor. I used phpMyAdmin and looked at the database --
    The textual web pages (in table AT_content) are only 280.5 KB, questions - 10.6KB and question answers - 6.6KB, the French Language pack tables (pages & text) are 907.8 KB.

    Does Course Backup save both the content folder and the database?

    IF SIZE PROBLEM:
    If so, I would first like to try moving the contents of the content folder to another location - that is not backed up and change the links.

    Is that possible? Could they be stored in a new folder: ATutor/FLV_VideoInterviews/ ?

    IF HIDDEN CHARACTER PROBLEM:
    If this doesn't work then we'll tackle the possible hidden characters in the AT_content table caused by cut and paste from MS Word. We do backup that database independently from ATutor with a CRON job once per week (MySQL DUMP).


  • 2007-12-03 16:24:45

    Re: Problems with backing up...more

    Course backups do save the content for a course contained in the content directory. You can move it and change the path to it in the config.inc.php file, but you should instead create another directory (FLV_VideoInterviews) and just move the videos there. Then reset the links to the videoes within your content pages to point to the new directory.

    Are you able to restore your mysql dumps?


  • 2007-12-03 16:29:26

    Re: Problems with backing up...more

    The following is in our content (module 1, page 1):
    <embed width="200" height="170" align="middle" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="sameDomain" name="tc_1" bgcolor="#ffffff" quality="high" loop="false" play="false" src="http://66.207.211.34/ATutor/get.php/tc_2.swf?file=1_21-56K_Aud.flv" />

    We have to go through the Flash player (tc_1 for video or tc_2 for audio only) to get the file, but "get.php" is part of the path.

    I looked at get.php and it retrieves the file from the content directory.

    How could we store the 51MB of content in a place that doesn't get backed up, possibly causing Course Backup to fail?

    Should we edit these paths to avoid get.php?


  • 2007-12-03 16:43:19

    Re: Problems with backing up...more

    Thanks, I was composing the same time as you.

    I'll change the config.php.inc pointer. I'll merge all the files we need (flash player, and all audio and video flv ) in one directory.

    I assume as long as these files are not in the ATutor/content folder that they won't give Course Backup any problems.

    RE: restore. I have not installed php (MySQL is installed) to run phpMyAdmin on my VISTA laptop successfully as yet. PS I not having any fun with VISTA, almost none of my software runs.

    I'm trying to work from home (one VISTA and three XP machines), because we live on the side of a bluff overlooking the Pacific ocean, drive a sports car, and can't make it up the hill (heavy snow on Saturday that is almost melted now) to the office. I have everything installed on a Linux box at the office. I edit the videos on a MAC.


  • 2007-12-04 00:32:37

    Re: Problems with backing up...more

    I have tried Backup/Restore since early version and sometimes it didn't work especially with the large file size but for ATutor 1.5.5 it seems to work for all courses even very course >100 MB
    Backup/Resore is a very great features, I can backup my course from one server and restore in another server for training and this semester our instructors at SWU experiences Backup/Restore since we we start a new database of ATutor (a new and clean database!) so instructors have to Backup theirs courses from the old database to the new database.
    In fact, when we teach a new semester with the old course we should create a new course and restore the content of the old course to the new course (only with the content not data of the previous semester). Also another thing we did, to start a new academic year we will hide all the courses from the browse courses list and import all the new students in the system.


  • 2007-12-04 08:54:51

    Re: Problems with backing up...more

    Oliver, yes, file not in the content directory will not be in a course backup.


  • 2007-12-07 12:32:39

    Re: Problems with backing up...more

    See anything wrong with this procedure?

    I have a copy of all the ATutor folders on my notebook here. A also have a copy of the database (course's instructional text web pages, module test questions and answers, etc. ) stored somewhere by MySQL. We backup (MySQL's dump command all the databases at least once per week - the TD database is backed up up twice per day) I have checked to be sure that's the correct database by looking at it on the server with phpMyAdmin. I don't feel 100% secure because I have not restored that database, but we have to move ahead.

    This afternoon I will:
    1. Rename the ATutor/Contents folder to ATutor/FLVcontents,
    2. Create a new (empty) Contents folder, and
    3. Change config.inc.php to point to the FLVcontents folder.

    This evening (after 8 PM PST) when the TD Bank people will be off their application on that server, I'll restart Apache. I hope this will allow coursebackup to run and give us a backup of the course. I'll try coursebackup after all this is done. When I have a backup I'll create a new course (French version) and restore the English pages to the French version.