what is the best way to back up database

protein function

what is the best way to routinely back up ones databases, especially if one is using development versions where database format is not backwardly compatible ?

can you export the files for later import ?

does using the sync servers (zotero server + webdav server for attachments) act as a database backup stategy ?

noksagt

FAQ #1

You will not be able to use this backup database with 1.0.x. If you are using both versions, you will need to export/import between the two programs & this does not preserve all data perfectly. Such import/export does not replace regular backups done according to the FAQ.

The sync servers are not a backup replacement. Syncronization is in beta & you may have data loss.

sean

In the long run, the sync server will also function as a backup, but as noksagt says, it's presently under active development.

protein function

I suppose "Export as RTF" from within Zotero also affords a strategy to not only back up, transport and merge databases, but also as a workaround to achieve backward compatibility of incompatible database formats (for example, 1.5 development trunk versions back to public release 1.07 versions).

I am considering using Export/RTF to recover from "Reconciliation unimplemented for collections" errors due to modifying a database on 'another' machine, not the one where it as created.

noksagt

Presumably you mean 'RDF.' Again, this is not the recommended way of backing your data up & this might not necessarily retain all data that you collected.

Please search the forums for the reconciliation unimplemented errors for suggested solutions. In many cases, you'll be able to reset the zotero server data, push your more up-to-date data to the server & pull it from your other clients.

protein function

I have searched and read the forum posts regarding the reconciliation errors and I am not clear on how to proceed.

I do not understand the six commands related to Sync & Storage debugging and have asked in a separate post what they do.

Export/RDF seems to also help with lack of backward compatilility of database formats (which I have had trouble before with as well -- not current issue). Thanks for pointing out that Export/RDF may not get all the data and therefore is not the recommended method of backing up. I religiously make serial copies of my zotero folder and label them with date and zotero version.

Thank you for your comments and pointing out the potential limitation of R