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Closed Alpha

FluxPlay is currently in Closed Alpha. This documentation is a work in progress and may be incomplete or out of date. Features, UI, and APIs are subject to change without notice. For access inquiries, please contact [email protected].

BACKUP & RESTORE

Protect your FluxPlay configuration, database, and metadata with regular backups. Restore quickly in case of hardware failure or migration.

What Gets Backed Up

Configuration Backup (Essential)

  • Server configurationSettings, preferences, API keys
  • User accountsProfiles, permissions, passwords
  • Library definitionsPaths, scan settings, display options
  • SubscriptionsDownload subscriptions and schedules
  • PlaylistsUser-created playlists
  • Watch historyProgress, ratings, favorites
Size: 1-10 MB typically

Full Backup (Optional)

  • PostgreSQL databaseAll metadata, relationships
  • Metadata imagesPosters, backdrops, logos
  • ThumbnailsEpisode and track thumbnails
  • NFO/sidecar filesLocal metadata overrides
  • LogsHistorical server logs
Size: 5-50+ GB depending on library

Note: Media files (videos, music, books) are NOT backed up by FluxPlay. These should have their own backup solution.

Creating Backups

Manual Backup (UI)

  1. 1Go to Settings → System → Backup
  2. 2Select backup type (Config or Full)
  3. 3Choose included components
  4. 4Click "Create Backup"
  5. 5Download the backup file

Command Line Backup

# Backup PostgreSQL database
pg_dump -U fluxplay -d fluxplay > backup.sql

# Backup config directory
tar -czf config-backup.tar.gz /path/to/fluxplay/config

# Full backup (Docker)
docker exec fluxplay fluxplay backup --output /backups

# Automated daily backup (cron)
0 3 * * * /usr/local/bin/fluxplay-backup.sh

Automatic Backups

Configure automatic backups to run on a schedule without manual intervention.

Schedule Options

DailyEvery day at specified time
WeeklySpecific day of week
MonthlyFirst day of each month
CustomCron expression

Retention Settings

Keep last N backupsDefault: 7
Keep daily for N daysDefault: 7
Keep weekly for N weeksDefault: 4
Keep monthly for N monthsDefault: 3

Location: Settings → System → Backup → Automatic Backups

Backup Destinations

Local Storage

Save to server filesystem

Pros:
  • • Fast
  • • No dependencies
  • • Easy access
Cons:
  • • Same failure domain

Network Share

SMB/NFS/CIFS mount

Pros:
  • • Separate storage
  • • Easy to configure
Cons:
  • • Network dependency

Cloud Storage

S3, B2, Google Cloud, etc.

Pros:
  • • Offsite
  • • Durable
  • • Scalable
Cons:
  • • Requires setup
  • • Transfer costs

Restoring from Backup

Restore via UI

  1. 1Stop FluxPlay server (recommended)
  2. 2Go to Settings → System → Backup
  3. 3Click "Restore from Backup"
  4. 4Upload or select backup file
  5. 5Choose restore mode (Replace or Merge)
  6. 6Review what will be restored
  7. 7Confirm and wait for completion
  8. 8Restart FluxPlay

Restore via Command Line

# Stop FluxPlay
docker stop fluxplay

# Restore PostgreSQL database
pg_restore -U fluxplay -d fluxplay backup.sql

# Restore config directory
tar -xzf config-backup.tar.gz -C /

# Or use built-in restore
docker exec fluxplay fluxplay restore \
  --backup /backups/backup.zip

# Restart FluxPlay
docker start fluxplay

Replace Mode

Completely replaces current data with backup contents. Use for disaster recovery or migrating to new server.

  • • Current config is overwritten
  • • Users/playlists replaced
  • • Best for fresh installs

Merge Mode

Merges backup data with existing configuration. Use for selective restoration.

  • • Keeps existing data intact
  • • Adds missing items from backup
  • • Conflicts resolved by date

Server Migration

Moving to a New Server

  1. 1.Create full backup on old server
  2. 2.Install FluxPlay on new server
  3. 3.Copy media files to new server
  4. 4.Restore backup on new server
  5. 5.Update library paths if changed
  6. 6.Run library scan to verify
  7. 7.Test playback and features
  8. 8.Update DNS/port forwarding

Path Mapping

If media paths differ on the new server, use path mapping during restore:

Old: /mnt/media/movies
New: /data/media/movies

Backup Security

Encryption

  • Enable backup encryption in settings
  • Use strong encryption password
  • Store password separately from backups
  • Consider encrypting cloud storage

Access Control

  • Restrict access to backup directory
  • Use separate credentials for cloud backup
  • Audit who can access backups
  • Remove old backups securely

Verification

  • Test restores periodically
  • Verify backup integrity (checksums)
  • Monitor backup job success/failure
  • Keep at least one offsite copy

Sensitive Data

  • Backups contain API keys and tokens
  • User passwords are hashed but included
  • Treat backups as sensitive data
  • Follow your data retention policies

Backup Best Practices

  • Follow 3-2-1 rule: 3 copies, 2 media types, 1 offsite
  • Schedule backups during low-activity periods
  • Test restore process at least quarterly
  • Document your backup and restore procedures
  • Monitor backup storage space usage
  • Set up alerts for backup failures
  • Keep backups from before major updates
  • Consider versioned/incremental backups for large setups