Backup Script Project

Project Overview

This project provides an automated backup solution using a Bash script (backup.sh). The script archives and compresses files from a source directory and moves the backup file to a specified destination directory. Additionally, a cron job can be set up to automate backups at scheduled intervals (Daily at midnight).

What Does backup.sh Do?

• Takes two arguments: the source directory (to back up) and the destination directory (to store the backup).
• Creates a compressed .tar.gz archive of the source directory.
• Moves the backup file to the destination directory.
• Can be scheduled to run automatically using a cron job.

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Installation Guide

Step 1: Clone the Repository

Run the following command to clone the repository:

 git clone https://github.com/DenethSachintha/cronjob-automated-backup.git
 cd cronjob-automated-backup

Step 2: Make the Script Executable

By default, scripts are not executable. To allow execution, run:

chmod +x backup.sh

Step 3: Verify Execution Permissions

You can check if backup.sh is executable using:

ls -l backup.sh

Expected output:

-rwxr--r-- 1 user user 1221 Mar 14 11:58 backup.sh

rwx means the owner has read, write, and execute permissions.

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Testing backup.sh Manually

Step 1: Create a Test File

touch source_directory/any.txt

This creates a dummy file (any.txt) inside the source_directory to test the backup process.

Step 2: Run the Backup Script

Execute the script by specifying the source and destination directories:

./backup.sh source_directory destination_directory

Expected output:

targetDirectory: source_directory
destinationDirectory: destination_directory
Backup created: backup-YYYY-MM-DD_HH-MM-SS.tar.gz
Backup moved to: destination_directory/backup-YYYY-MM-DD_HH-MM-SS.tar.gz

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Automating Backups Using a Cron Job

Step 1: Open Crontab for Editing

crontab -e

Step 2: Add a Scheduled Backup Job

To schedule a backup to run daily at midnight, add the following line:

0 0 * * * /usr/local/bin/backup.sh /home/project/source /home/project/dest

Explanation:

Field	Value	Meaning
Minute	0	0th minute
Hour	0	0th hour (midnight)
Day of Month	*	Every day
Month	*	Every month
Day of Week	*	Every day of the week

This ensures that backup.sh runs at midnight every day.

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Useful Commands

Create a Directory

mkdir directory_name

Creates a new directory with the specified name.

Start the Cron Service

sudo service cron start

Starts the cron job scheduler, ensuring that scheduled tasks run as expected.

Stop the Cron Service

sudo service cron stop

Stops the cron job scheduler, preventing scheduled tasks from executing.

Check the Status of the Cron Service

sudo service cron status

Displays whether the cron service is running or stopped.

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Conclusion

With this setup, you can automate your backups using backup.sh and ensure that your data is archived regularly. You can modify the cron job timing as per your needs and integrate this script into larger automation workflows.