Tip #6: Backup your database, code & banners
It might seem strange to you that The Guru would write a tip for OpenX that is as seemingly simple as “backup your database, code and banner files.”
However, you would not believe the number of times The Guru has been contacted by a client, asking for help with their ad server installation, because something has gone wrong with their server hardware, or because an upgrade failed, and then, on investigation, has found that there’s been no effort made at all to ensure that the OpenX database, OpenX code base (including the configuration files) and banner files, if they have been stored externally to OpenX, are all safely backed up.
In these situations, there is little than can be done if the disaster is catastrophic enough, other than to get a new installation of OpenX up and running, and for the client to start putting in all of their websites, zones, advertisers, campaigns, banners and channels from scratch…
If you rely on OpenX to manage your banners, and you can think of more productive things to do with your time than race against the clock to get OpenX set up from scratch before your advertisers take their money elsewhere, then please, heed the warning: Make regular backups of your OpenX database, OpenX code base and, if necessary, your banner files – especially before attempting an upgrade!