# Automating FactoryPMI backup **URL:** \ **Category:** Archived Topics\ **Created:** [August 14, 2008, 9:07pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/automating-factorypmi-backup/779 "2008-08-14T21:07:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AlThePal](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/althepal/32/3603_2.png) [@AlThePal](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/AlThePal)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 9:07pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/automating-factorypmi-backup/779/1 "2008-08-14T21:07:10Z")
At the moment backing up a FactoryPMI server is a manual process which has to be carried out after any change to the server or the projects it contains. It would be nice to have an option to backup the server (and/or projects) to another location automatically for safekeeping. (I guess this applies to FactorySQL as well.) ---
**Author:** ![Carl.Gould](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/carl.gould/32/7262_2.png) [@Carl.Gould](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Carl.Gould)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 9:43pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/automating-factorypmi-backup/779/2 "2008-08-14T21:43:32Z")
Yeah, I’ve heard this request before. Its on the list. In the meantime, if you have some sort of automatic file backup system already in place, you can backup the “db” directory under the FactoryPMI installation directory to back up all of your design work. ---
**Author:** ![AlThePal](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/althepal/32/3603_2.png) [@AlThePal](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/AlThePal)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2008, 10:22pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/automating-factorypmi-backup/779/3 "2008-08-15T22:22:59Z")
Would copying this directory be a valid way of transferring your FactoryPMI setup to another machine? Any precautions to take while doing this (like turning the FPMI service off)? ---
**Author:** ![Carl.Gould](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/carl.gould/32/7262_2.png) [@Carl.Gould](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Carl.Gould)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2008, 11:23pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/automating-factorypmi-backup/779/4 "2008-08-15T23:23:30Z")
Yes, it would be best to turn the FPMI Gateway off while copying. You’ll probably want to copy the cluster.xml file from the installation directory too if you have any clustering / custom networking set up. Also, copying the db directory will not backup the presence of any installed plugins. ---
**Author:** ![AlThePal](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/althepal/32/3603_2.png) [@AlThePal](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/AlThePal)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 9:55am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/automating-factorypmi-backup/779/5 "2008-08-26T09:55:21Z")
Carl, What do you mean by [quote]copying the db directory will not backup the presence of any installed plugins.[/quote]I thought the db directory just contained my design work, with plugins installed as part of the general installation procedure? ---
**Author:** ![Carl.Gould](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/carl.gould/32/7262_2.png) [@Carl.Gould](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Carl.Gould)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 1:53pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/automating-factorypmi-backup/779/6 "2008-08-26T13:53:07Z")
Yeah, thats right. Thats what I meant. By contrast, though, a FactoryPMI Gateway Backup will contain any installed plugins, so upon a restore, those plugins will be restored whether they were there as part of the install or not.