How to schedule backup files to be sent by ftp

This HowTo is useful for users who have created backups of the database and/or website files and then want to transfer those files to a seperate remote location. You must have arranged FTP access on this remote location.

Please note there is no point sending files to the FTP account attached to your domain as it shares a common directory tree with the files you are uploading.

Please see:
How to schedule an automatic backup of a website
How to schedule an automatic backup of a database
for more information on those topics.

Follow the directions in the previous HowTo articles to create a scheduled task, but this time set Task Type to Send files via FTP. In the example below the backup file archive.zip is being sent to the ftp server ftp.otherserver.com.au to be put in a folder called testdomain.com_backup. The server, username, password, and folder names will depend on the arrangements you have made regarding the remote server.

You need to schedule an FTP transfer to begin after the backup have concluded. Each scheduled task is given a maximum time for execution which is by default 1 hour. Therefore, if you have sceduled your website backup at 2am with a 1 hour time limit, it is safe to say that by 3.15am you are able to transfer the created file.

This task will transfer one file only, so you will need to do one for each backup made (eg, for combined database backup and website backup set up two FTP tasks to run after the backup tasks have completed).