Database Backup and Recovery
The skill of database backup and recovery is a critical component of a senior or DevOps-focused PHP developer's toolkit. It involves creating and managing robust strategies to protect application data from loss due to hardware failure, software bugs, or human error. A solid backup plan is fundamental to business continuity and data integrity, ensuring that an application can be restored quickly and reliably.
Responsibilities in a PHP Role
A developer's duties in this area include implementing automated backup solutions, often through cron jobs that execute scripts using tools like mysqldump or pg_dump. They are also responsible for testing the recovery process to ensure the backups are valid and usable. This includes defining Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) and designing a strategy that meets those business requirements, which may involve storing backups securely in cloud storage like Amazon S3.
Core Knowledge and Practices
- Experience with native database backup tools for MySQL, PostgreSQL, or other databases.
- Understanding of different backup strategies, including full, incremental, and differential.
- Knowledge of point-in-time recovery (PITR) to restore a database to a specific moment.
- Skills in shell scripting (Bash) or PHP for automating backup processes.
- Familiarity with secure storage and management of backup files.
