Hello all,

I have created a task that will create a backup of AutoMate and all of its task files.  What this script does is creates two different backups each time it is run.  The first backup is performed using the AutoMate backup step.  The second part is to backup all of the AutoMate task files, scripts, modules, etc. that are stored in the AutoMate tasks directory into a zip file.  The script assumes the following:

1.  Backups are stored in the directory {TasksDir}\Backups.
2.  Backups created using the AutoMate step are stored in {TasksDir}\Backups\App.
3.  Backups of the AutoMate tasks files, modules, etc. are stored in {TasksDir}\Backups\Tasks.
4.  All backup files are named with the current month, day, hour, and minute that the file was created.

Let me know what you think and if you see any room for improvement.  Thanks.

Task Steps: (Right click, Select All, Copy to copy to the clipboard. Steps can then be pasted into the AutoMate Task Builder)
<AM5TASK> <AMTASKHEAD> <TASKINFO TASKVERSION="6030"> <\AMTASKHEAD> <STEPS> <AMVARIABLE NAME="BackupDir" DESCRIPTION="Directory for AutoMate backups." READONLY="YES" PRIVATE="YES">%GetTasksDirectory()%\Backups</AMVARIABLE> <AMVARIABLE NAME="AppBackupDir" DESCRIPTION="Directory for AutoMate application backups." READONLY="YES" PRIVATE="YES">%BackupDir%\App</AMVARIABLE> <AMVARIABLE NAME="AppBackupFile" DESCRIPTION="File to store AutoMate application backup." READONLY="YES" PRIVATE="YES">%AppBackupDir%\bk%Format(Now(), &quot;mmddhhnn&quot;)%.ama</AMVARIABLE> <AMVARIABLE NAME="TaskSourceDir" DESCRIPTION="Directory for AutoMate tasks." READONLY="YES" PRIVATE="YES">%GetTasksDirectory()%</AMVARIABLE> <AMVARIABLE NAME="TaskBackupDir" DESCRIPTION="Directory for AutoMate task backups." READONLY="YES" PRIVATE="YES">%BackupDir%\Tasks</AMVARIABLE> <AMVARIABLE NAME="TaskBackupFile" DESCRIPTION="File to store AutoMate task backup." READONLY="YES" PRIVATE="YES">%TaskBackupDir%\bk%Format(Now(), &quot;mmddhhnn&quot;)%.zip</AMVARIABLE> <AMVARIABLE NAME="BackupFileList" DESCRIPTION="List of files in the AutoMate backup directories." PRIVATE="YES"></AMVARIABLE> <AMVARIABLE NAME="DaysToKeep" DESCRIPTION="Number of days to keep backup files." READONLY="YES" PRIVATE="YES">60</AMVARIABLE> <AMIFFOLDEREXISTS ACTION="not_exist" FOLDER="%AppBackupDir%"> <AMCREATEFOLDER FOLDER="%AppBackupDir%"> </AMIF> <AMIFFOLDEREXISTS ACTION="not_exist" FOLDER="%TaskBackupDir%"> <AMCREATEFOLDER FOLDER="%TaskBackupDir%"> </AMIF> <AMBACKUPAUTOMATE BACKUPHKCU="YES" BACKUPHKLM="YES" BACKUPARCHIVENAME="%AppBackupFile%"> <AMCOMPRESS SOURCE="%TaskSourceDir%\*.*" ARCHIVEFILE="%TaskBackupFile%" TYPE="zip" EXCLUDE="%BackupDir%\*.*"> <AMLOOPFILES FOLDER="%AppBackupDir%" RESULTVARIABLE="BackupFileList" INCLUDE="*.ama"> <AMIF EXPRESSION="%FileDateTime(BackupFileList)% &lt; %DateAdd(&quot;d&quot;, -DaysToKeep, Now())%"> <AMFILEDELETE SOURCE="%BackupFileList%"> </AMIF> </AMLOOP> <AMLOOPFILES FOLDER="%TaskBackupDir%" RESULTVARIABLE="BackupFileList" INCLUDE="*.zip"> <AMIF EXPRESSION="%FileDateTime(BackupFileList)% &lt; %DateAdd(&quot;d&quot;, -DaysToKeep, Now())%"> <AMFILEDELETE SOURCE="%BackupFileList%"> </AMIF> </AMLOOP> <\STEPS> </AM5TASK>

Great task! I am going to run it each night. Thanks

-------------------------

Michael

I have mine scheduled to run every night at 4am.  At this time, I have not seen any problems with it.  However, I would be grateful if you let me know if you see anything wrong.  Thanks.

I know that this is a super old post, hate to drag it up, but...

I was able to import this, and did a test run, this is the error that I received;

(Step 15) Unknown step command "AMBACKUPAUTOMATE"

 

I am very very new to Automate, so forgive me if I mis name or mis state something.

Automate BPA Server 7.1.3.0

 

When I double click on the step it brings up the task where I can select what I want to backup, so I know it does recognize the step, but when I search for the step, Backup Automate, under available actions it is not found.

 

Thanks for any assistance

Hi Robert,

Thank you for your post. In Automate 7.1.3 the easiest way to make a backup of the tasks is to go to System --> Backup from the Task Administrator. The backup will be saved as an .ama file.

-------------------------
Liz Casale
Technical Support Representative
(213) 738-6966
Network Automation, Inc.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AM5 5.5.5.1; AM6 6.2.8.0; AM7 7.1.3.0; AM8 8.0.9.0; AM9 9.0.3.4
BPA7 7.1.3.0; BPA8 8.0.9.0; BPA9 9.0.3.4

I am not seeing this. Is this an option on BPA Server? I have heard of this for Automate 7, but did not know it worked on BPA Server.

Again I am way new to Automate BPA, as in "I got 10 minutes of training on it and now have to support it and all tasks running on it", but by "Task Administrator" do you mean AutoMate BPA Agent Task Builder?

In the Task Builder I go to Available Actions - expand System - and I do not see a backup option. Am I looking in the right place?

 

Thanks for the quick response,

Robert

Hi Robert,

My apologies for the confusion as I thought you were running Automate 7. The task files for BPA Server 7 by default are located: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Network Automation\AutoMate 7\Tasks. BPA Server 7 does not have a Backup Automate action like Automate 5 did. The above steps will not work in BPA Server 7 because it does not have a Backup Automate action.

-------------------------
Liz Casale
Technical Support Representative
(213) 738-6966
Network Automation, Inc.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AM5 5.5.5.1; AM6 6.2.8.0; AM7 7.1.3.0; AM8 8.0.9.0; AM9 9.0.3.4
BPA7 7.1.3.0; BPA8 8.0.9.0; BPA9 9.0.3.4

So then, what is the best practice to backup Automate BPA, if there is no native backup. 

We have SQL backups of the DB, but we were wanting a backup that we could use to restore select workflows rather than the whole DB for automate.

IE: someone deletes a workflow by accident, it would be much easier to import the workflow rather than restore the whole DB or to recreate it.

When I double click on that step it brings up the options for Backup Automate, so it must have part of the action. Is there any way to add it?

 

Thanks again for the assistance,

Robert

 

 

 

Hi Robert,

Thank you for your reply. Outside of a SQL Backup the only other option would be to manually export the workflows from the Server Management Console. There is no actual task location on the hard drive that BPA Server 7 saves tasks to.

-------------------------
Liz Casale
Technical Support Representative
(213) 738-6966
Network Automation, Inc.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AM5 5.5.5.1; AM6 6.2.8.0; AM7 7.1.3.0; AM8 8.0.9.0; AM9 9.0.3.4
BPA7 7.1.3.0; BPA8 8.0.9.0; BPA9 9.0.3.4