Empty Database Backup Files

[Living Miracles]

Hi,

I ran into an issue today where I needed to access a BPS Pro database backup. I have two backup jobs set up on this site; one is a scheduled daily backup job, and another is a manual backup job. While looking at the saved backups from the daily scheduled backup job, I noticed that they don’t seem to be full backups of the database… or really no backup at all.

Here’s the content of one of the backups (I replaced all sensitive information with “x” and changed the Website URL):

-- -------------------------------------------
-- BulletProof Security Pro DB Backup
-- Support: http://forum.ait-pro.com/
-- Backup Job Name: Daily DB Backup
-- DB Backup Job Type: Scheduled
-- Email DB Backup: No
-- DB Backup Time: January 5, 2017 4:52 am
-- DB Name: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-- DB Table Prefix: wp_xxxxxxxxxx_
-- Website URL: http://my-website.net
-- WP ABSPATH: /home/content/xxxxxxxxxxx_dataxx/xx/xxxxxx/html/
-- -------------------------------------------

/*!40101 SET @OLD_CHARACTER_SET_CLIENT=@@CHARACTER_SET_CLIENT */;
/*!40101 SET @OLD_CHARACTER_SET_RESULTS=@@CHARACTER_SET_RESULTS */;
/*!40101 SET @OLD_COLLATION_CONNECTION=@@COLLATION_CONNECTION */;
/*!40101 SET NAMES utf8 */;
/*!40014 SET @OLD_UNIQUE_CHECKS=@@UNIQUE_CHECKS, UNIQUE_CHECKS=0 */;
/*!40014 SET @OLD_FOREIGN_KEY_CHECKS=@@FOREIGN_KEY_CHECKS, FOREIGN_KEY_CHECKS=0 */;
/*!40101 SET @OLD_SQL_MODE=@@SQL_MODE, SQL_MODE='NO_AUTO_VALUE_ON_ZERO' */;
/*!40111 SET @OLD_SQL_NOTES=@@SQL_NOTES, SQL_NOTES=0 */;

/*!40111 SET SQL_NOTES=@OLD_SQL_NOTES */;
/*!40101 SET SQL_MODE=@OLD_SQL_MODE */;
/*!40014 SET FOREIGN_KEY_CHECKS=@OLD_FOREIGN_KEY_CHECKS */;
/*!40014 SET UNIQUE_CHECKS=@OLD_UNIQUE_CHECKS */;
/*!40101 SET CHARACTER_SET_CLIENT=@OLD_CHARACTER_SET_CLIENT */;
/*!40101 SET CHARACTER_SET_RESULTS=@OLD_CHARACTER_SET_RESULTS */;
/*!40101 SET COLLATION_CONNECTION=@OLD_COLLATION_CONNECTION */;

This surely isn’t what my database backups are supposed to look like? I expected to see a fairly large file with all of my database information. Can you clarify what might be happening here?

[AITpro Admin]

Is this a Go Daddy Managed WordPress hosted website?  Did you select DB Tables when you created the Backup Job?  Is this a standard single WordPress installation or Network/Multisite installation?  Do you have a MySQL database?  You can find that on the BPS System Info page.  Are you doing anything unusual with database table prefixes or plugins that create multiple databases?

[Living Miracles]

Yes, this is a GoDaddy Managed WordPress site; and yes, it’s a standard single WP installation and not a Network/Multisite installation. Yes, MySQL database. All tables were selected when the DB backup jobs were created (March 2016). I don’t think we’re doing something unusual with database prefixes or with plugins creating multiple databases.

I just recreated our DB backup jobs and ran a manual backup, then checked that backup. This backup does seem to have all the information in it I was expecting to see before. Any thoughts?

[AITpro Admin]

My best guess would be something changed with the database since you last created your Backup Jobs.  What that change would be I am not really sure.  Note:  GDMW hosting controls cron jobs at the server and disables WP Cron jobs.  So I assume Scheduled Backup Jobs will still work, but they may not be created at the exact time you have scheduled the Backup Job to run.

EDIT:  Actually most likely what occurred is related to the DB issues that were occurring not too long ago on GDMW hosting due to MySQL server/database migrations.  Or actually this is probably what happened – if you change your DB Table Prefix name then you need to create new Backup Jobs.  The Backup Jobs save the DB Table Prefix name when you create a Backup Job.

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