Lecture 3.7 - Backup, restore (Backup data, Restore data)

In this session, we focus on one of the most essential aspects of system reliability: data backup and restoration. Whether you're managing a single-server deployment or a larger chat infrastructure, having a secure backup strategy is key to preventing data loss and ensuring business continuity.

Discover how to create a complete backup of your Ozeki Chat system and how to restore it quickly in the event of corruption, hardware failure, or migration to a new server. These procedures are simple to perform and require no advanced technical skills, yet they provide maximum protection for your configuration and message data.

Join us as we walk you through the practical steps of securing your system. With these tools in hand, you’ll be prepared to handle unexpected issues and confidently protect your users’ information and chat environment.

What is Backup?

A backup is a secure copy of your important data, including configuration files, user information, chat history, and system settings, that is stored separately from the original system. In the context of Ozeki Chat, creating a backup means compressing the Data directory into a .zip file and saving it in a safe location. This precaution allows you to protect your chat server against data loss caused by hardware failure, corruption, accidental deletion, or migration needs. A proper backup ensures that your system can be restored to a known, functional state at any time, minimizing downtime and preserving critical information.

What is Restore?

Restoring is the process of bringing your Ozeki Chat system back to a previous, working state using a backup file. If your server encounters issues such as data corruption, failed updates, or system crashes, the restore process allows you to recover the original configuration and content by replacing the damaged data with a previously saved backup. In practice, this involves stopping the Ozeki service, deleting the current data folder, and replacing it with the extracted backup. Restoring ensures continuity, saves time, and gives you peace of mind knowing that your system can quickly return to full functionality after any issue.

How to Backup

Backing up your Ozeki Chat system ensures that all your configuration files, chat data, and system settings are safely stored in case of unexpected failures. To create a backup, begin by stopping the Ozeki service using the Windows Services Manager. Then, locate the Data folder in C:\Program Files\Ozeki\ — this folder contains all vital system files. Compress it into a .zip file using the right-click Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder option. Move the resulting Data.zip to your secure archive location. This method creates a lightweight, restorable copy of your server that can be easily reused or migrated as needed. Read more...

How to Restore

Restoring your Ozeki Chat system from a backup is straightforward and can save your data in the event of a system crash or data corruption. First, ensure the Ozeki Chat Server is installed on your machine. Then stop the Ozeki service using the services.msc utility. Next, delete the existing Data folder in C:\Program Files\Ozeki\, and extract your backup Data.zip file into this location. Once the folder is in place, restart the Ozeki service. If everything was done correctly, the system will load with the restored configuration and data intact, allowing you to continue operations without missing a beat. Read more...