Only a fixed execution time can currently be selected for the new automatic backup. It is important that this time can be changed.
In my case, the backups are stored on a NAS that is switched off at night to save energy.
Meanwhile you can use an automation.
Don’t forget to vote for your own Request
Just what i was thinking
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The fixed time has a purpose. Apparently at 4:30AM HA does database cleanup so at 4:45 AM, the database is at it’s minimum size and it is the ‘cleanest’ time to do the backup. Also (generally) activity is low at that time.
On the Release Stream Paulus said that, and didn’t say they wouldn’t make the time variable, but was kinda not in favor of it staying there or other alternatives that may not be what you want either.
Watch the stream to know more, they spent over an hour talking about the backups.
Jump link to why 4:45am…
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Same here. It should be possible to change this setting.
As long the backup time is fixed it is useless for me as my server is switched off at night to save energy.
Is there a way to start the new bacjup method with an automation?
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Yes the is an action “Create full backup” or a partial backup.
Just put a time trigger as a trigger, then you have an “automatic” backup.
I’m bit surprised that the setting backup time was not considered as basic feature for backup funcionality. Waiting for this change as also using NAS storage that is powered on only for limited time (not during the night to avoid noise)
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but yeah optional with a tip for that time would’ve been better
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I agree, please allow to have a custom time.
Adding to that
- What if a person has backing up database disabled
- What about people hosting the recorder database elsewhere instead of using sqlite?
Having a fixed schedule is pointless in those cases.
Please add a way to change the time.
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I have history turned off on mine. It’s an option. I don’t back-up my database.
Make sure the database is in the /share folder (There is an option to include that) or in the add-on folder backed up with the addon. If it’s elsewhere that is not part of Home Assistant and you have to find your own way.
What if’s could go on forever…
Can the creator who is all powerful make a rock that is so big that they can’t lift it?
Can you add 1 more item to an infinite list of items?
My point is meant as a counterpoint to the fixed 4:45 backup time.
I host my database on another machine and handle backups of that completely separately.
This means there is zero need to force the backup time to 4:45 since the database can be either not backed up or not present on the machine at all - therefore no need to wait for the database cleanup process.
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If you look at the direction they are thinking of in the video, well, you should look at it. You may not like it.
For 98% of HA users, this is fine. For the rest of us that have advanced systems like putting your database in strange places, do your own thing and don’t use the automatic. It’s really that simple.
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I don’t mind it if it defaulted or strongly recommended a specific time. But not letting me change it is a bit strange. I often tinker with my setup in the afternoon, so odds are it’s going to regularly backup something half baked. I want it to backup at night, like most other things.
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I seems that if we use this way by automation, the auto purge of old backups is not done, you confirm ? I don’t see any parameter like that on the backup action.
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Yes this is correct. I have a calendar reminder to delete my daily backups every sunday. (which I dont do sometimes, but they are about 4GB and I have a 250 GB SSD, so that isnt a problem.
I had a cronjob deleting the old backups nightly:
cd /dozer/docker/homeassistant/backups
ls -tp *.tar | grep -v '/$' | tail -n +6 | xargs -I {} rm -- {}
The new backup way features this automatically, and also encrypts the backups – but doesn’t allow me to schedule the backup to my liking at the moment, so I guess I’ll stick with my old way.
Seems to me like a pretty simple fix to make this work for 100% of people (instead of just the few that don’t tinker) would be to make it so that the database cleanup time can be changed.
The automatic backup sounds like a great idea, especially with a built-in retention policy, however not being able to adjust it’s time is a glaring oversight without any possible defense to it being like this.
“For the rest of us that have advanced systems”, where in the HA OS is the 4:45am time hardcoded? There must be a file somewhere that has that time in it that we could change to be better aligned with our needs.
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