Backup a Course

A course can be backed up with some or all of its parts by utilizing the Course Backup function within Moodle. While LITS staff backup the server, it is recommended that instructors create and download a backup copy of their course and save it on an external device upon completion of the course.

For more detailed information and instructions, see the Course Backup article on Moodle Docs.

Create a Backup of a course

Follow the steps given below to create and download a backup file of a single course. 

1. From the main course page, click on the Course Management dropdown in the top right corner.

2. Under the Course Settings column on the far right, select Backup.

3. On the Backup settings (Initial settings) screen click the Next button.

   • If you only want to back the course content, you will need to uncheck the Include Enrolled Users option. If you want to include student course enrollments and activity submissions, leave that option checked.

   • If you want a full course backup, you can choose to Jump to Final Step here. If you only want to back up selected materials and content, then continue to step 4.

4. On the Schema settings page, you can deselect any activities or resources that you do not want to back up. Once you have finished your selections, click Next.

   • By default, all the activities or resources are selected. 

5. On the Confirmation and Review screen scroll to the bottom and click Perform Backup. A progress bar will appear depicting the status of the import.

   • Depending upon the size of the course, it could take several minutes for the import to complete.

   • Do not navigate away from this screen until the backup completes as it will corrupt the backup process and cause you to have to restart the process at the beginning.

6. Once the backup finishes, you will be redirected to the Complete screen and can click Continue.

7. This will open the Restore Course screen.

   • Your file should be listed in the Course Backup Area. Take note of the size of the file, this is important during the restore process.

8.  Click Download to download a copy of the file.

9. Once the backup file finishes, use the steps below to delete the backup file from the Moodle server to conserve server storage space.

Delete a Backup File from Moodle

The Moodle server has limited storage, so we request that backup files be deleted from the server once you have downloaded a local copy. Follow the steps given below to delete a backup file from Moodle. 

1. Click the Manage backup files button below the User Private Backup Area.

2. Click on a backup file to select it.

3. Click Delete on the popup and then OK.

4. Click Save Changes.

5. Repeat steps 1-4 for any backup files remaining in the User Private Backup Area until there are no backup files remaining.