Backup your Hosted FileMaker Database Backups via FTP with Transmit
May 11, 2011 03:42 PM
While we backup the FileMaker databases on our server every hour of the day, we've been bad about backing up our FileMaker databases from our hosting provider, Foxtail Technology. Don't get me wrong! Foxtail creates backups for us automatically, but when it comes to backups, I want and need a copy of the backups at my disposal. Most hosting providers will let you download your backup files via FTP, so this solution addresses that need.
First, get Transmit from Panic. I think it's the BEST available FTP app as it's interface rocks, it's simple to use, and offers the features I need. I love how it can sync folder navigation between my local folders and the server folders. I also love being able to right click one or many files to get a list of URLs to those files. There are many more features too. You can find Transmit on the Mac App Store.
Once you install Transmit, it will automatically add a few Automator Actions. The one we want to use is the Synchronize. To set it up, open Automator which will be in your Applications folder. When it opens, choose to create a new Workflow. Then use the Actions filter to find Synchronize and drag to the steps on the right. Then find the Quit Application and drag it over under the Synchronize step.
Finally, enter the:
Once you install Transmit, it will automatically add a few Automator Actions. The one we want to use is the Synchronize. To set it up, open Automator which will be in your Applications folder. When it opens, choose to create a new Workflow. Then use the Actions filter to find Synchronize and drag to the steps on the right. Then find the Quit Application and drag it over under the Synchronize step.
Finally, enter the:
- FTP address for your server.
- Your username.
- Your password.
- Change the Sync Direction to Download!
- If you tick Delete Orphaned Destination Items, it will remove all files not on the server. We leave this unchecked because Foxtail Technology stores the backups in folders with the timestamp in the folder name. Since each backed up file's folder name is unique, we can store daily backups of our databases!