# How to back up the internal config.idb via script?

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/how-to-back-up-the-internal-config-idb-via-script/86229>\
**Category:** Ignition\
**Created:** [February 23, 2024, 4:34am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/how-to-back-up-the-internal-config-idb-via-script/86229 "2024-02-23T04:34:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![nminchin](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/nminchin/32/6911_2.png) [@nminchin](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/nminchin)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2024, 4:34am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/how-to-back-up-the-internal-config-idb-via-script/86229/1 "2024-02-23T04:34:40Z")

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Probably going to need some help from the IA guys here, but I want to create a backup of the config.idb to include in one of my tool scripts that bulk edits tags and their config. Before writing the bulk config, I want to backup the config.idb first in case someone stuffs up (read: someone stuffed up and added a whole bunch of custom props to lots and lots of UdtInstance tags instead of writing to the Udt instances' Parameters - they missed the "/Parameters" in the tagpath)

The config.idb gets auto backed up at various points, so I'm sure there's a backup function exposed via the gateway context somewhere...

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**Author:** ![SolarNomad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@SolarNomad](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/SolarNomad)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2025, 7:10pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/how-to-back-up-the-internal-config-idb-via-script/86229/2 "2025-05-09T19:10:42Z")

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Based on the ignition Java docs [here](https://files.inductiveautomation.com/sdk/javadoc/ignition81/8.1.1/com/inductiveautomation/ignition/gateway/localdb/DBManager.html) you could use that class to backup the IDB file using the backupDatabase() function. Never used it before tho so take this with a grain of salt

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**Author:** ![hunterdg](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/hunterdg/32/67774_2.png) [@hunterdg](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/hunterdg)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2025, 6:19pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/how-to-back-up-the-internal-config-idb-via-script/86229/3 "2025-05-10T18:19:24Z")

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> [@nminchin](#):
>
> added a whole bunch of custom props to lots and lots of UdtInstance tags instead of writing to the Udt instances' Parameters - they missed the "/Parameters" in the tagpath

I’d argue custom props (or preferably a single “document” tag - until nested items in a “document” custom prop can be accessed/written individually the same way via `prop['nested']['item_or_index']`) is the correct place for any “metadata” that isn’t explicitly used for indirection/dynamic purposes in UDT tag parameters (e.g. OPC item paths). I hate seeing “whole bunch” of static Parameters that aren’t actually referenced anywhere in the UDT itself.

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**Author:** ![nminchin](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/nminchin/32/6911_2.png) [@nminchin](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/nminchin)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2025, 1:30am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/how-to-back-up-the-internal-config-idb-via-script/86229/4 "2025-05-11T01:30:37Z")

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I don't recall now what happened, but most of my UDT parameters are used in tags, except for a description param