As XStudio is running, a significant number of database tables, preference and settings files are being created, updated and maintained. These files contain the key elements of your system setup and operating information. As such, a total loss of some or all of the files - as might occur if the host PC fails - can leave you with the formidable task of rebuilding your system configuration manually.
To help prevent having to rebuild the system from scratch, XStudio has a task (System Backup) that can be executed on a manual or scheduled basis (just like any other XStudio task). The backup operation occurs in the background and does not affect XStudio operations.
When executed, the XStudio system database tables are backed up to a target location defined in the task. Optionally, XStudio preference and settings files, including hot button configuration files, can be backed up. The task also has a option to zip the backed-up files to save disk storage space.
Setting Up a System Backup
Setting up a system backup is fairly simple. There are just a few basic steps:
1.Create a System Backup task. A key property of the task is the Backup Target Folder - the location where backed-up files will be placed. The files could be located on the XStudio PC, but a better choice might be a server on your local area network (LAN). That way, if the XStudio PC fails, you will still have access to the backup files.
2.Create an XStudio Action that contains the System Backup task.
3.Determine when and how you want the backup Action to execute. To have the backup execute on a regularly-scheduled basis, you could create a Scheduled Event and decide what day(s) of the week and time to perform the backup. Typically, a good time to do a backup is sometime overnight like 3:20 AM. If you are located in a time zone that uses Daylight Savings Time, avoid the 1:00 AM to 3:00 AM time period to prevent either doubling up or skipping of a scheduled backup.
You can perform a backup on-demand by assigning the backup Action to a hot button.
What is Backed Up?
When a system backup is performed, XStudio system database files are always backed up. For additional information on the database tables that are backed up, see the Database Reference topic.
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Audio inventory database files are not backed up when doing a system backup. The audio inventory database is automatically maintained by XStudio and will be rebuilt automatically if needed. |
If the "backup non-database system files option" is enabled, the following file types are backed up from the XStudio application folder only:
1.Preference files. These files have a file extension of ".ini" and include the main XStudio preferences file (XStudio.ini), which contains your registration information, and the audio engine preferences file. For details on information contained in the XStudio.ini file, see the topic Preferences File Documentation.
2.Settings files. These files have a file extension of ".dat" and include music dialog settings and Cart Wall settings.
3.Log display and cart mask configuration files you may have saved. These files have a file extension of ".?cf".
4.Hot button file sets. These files have a file extension of ".btn".
5.Exported station information files. These files have a file extension of ".stns".
Refer to the List of Files topic for details on specific file names in this group of file types.
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When backing up non-database systems files, only those files located in the XStudio application folder are backed up. For instance, if you have placed hot button files in another location, they will not be backed up. |
Restoring Backed-Up Files
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Restoring backed-up XStudio system database and/or settings files is a manual process. XStudio must not be running at the time you restore any of the backed-up files or your restoration of files will fail. In most cases, when restoring backed-up files you will be overwriting an existing XStudio file of the same name. |
To restore some or all of the backed-up files, locate the folder in which the backup data is stored. If your backup was configured for daily backups, you may have as many as seven (7) sets of backup files, one for each day of the week. The daily backup sets are located in individual folders under the base backup folder. If you have multiple backups, you will need to decide which group of files to use, typically the most recent.
Backup files may have been zipped to a single file as part of the backup task (if so configured). You need to have a utility to unzip the backup. Recent Windows operating systems typically have support for zip files built-in, but you may wish to use another utility if you have a preference. If the backup you wish to use is zipped, you should unzip the files to a temporary location as an initial step.
Backup files are grouped together without regard to the folder location they originated from and fall into two (2) categories; a) database files, and b) preference and settings files. Database files will always be present in a backup while the preference and settings files are optionally included when you create the System Backup task. The two groups of files are handled differently in the restore process, as outlined in the following sections.
Restoring System Database Files
System database files all have a file extension of ".nx1". As a general rule, database files should be restored as a complete set of files as most files are tables that are related to one another (a relational database). Further, XStudio will fail to operate correctly if a partial set of database files is present at launch of the program. See the Database Reference topic for a list of the files that make up the system database.
Restoring the database files is a matter of copying all of them to the XStudio system database folder. Typically, this is a folder named "Data" located under the XStudio application folder. During the copy process, it is likely you will be overwriting files that already exist in the folder, replacing the contents with the backed-up content.
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There are two (2) database files that can be restored individually if needed. They are "Music.nx1" (the imported music database) and "LogData.nx1" (an archive of log snapshots and log changes). These tables are not related to any other tables in the system database and can thus be safely restored individually if needed. |
Restoring Preference and Settings Files
All backed-up preference and settings files originated from the XStudio application folder and must be restored to that same folder. The application folder is determined by the user during the installation of XStudio.
Backed-up preference and settings files are not interrelated, so you can selectively restore these files depending on your needs. See the section on what is backed up for information on each of the file types that are a part of this group.
Using a Backup to Clone XStudio
If you are in the process of installing XStudio in multiple control rooms or are adding another XStudio to your operation, you may wish to use an XStudio backup to speed up the process of setup. This might be desirable if you have created a large number of Tasks and Actions and want to do the same things in another XStudio installation. The steps to take are as follows:
1.Install and launch XStudio on your new control room PC. At first launch, XStudio will automatically create a new system database. Initially, all database tables are empty.
2.Close down XStudio.
3.Copy all but two (2) of the backup system database files to your new installation's "Data" folder. The files to exclude are "Music.nx1" and "LogData.nx1". The effect of this step is to have all defined Tasks, Actions, scheduled events and audio switcher definitions from the backup now a part of the new system. You skip the two files mentioned because it's likely you'd be using different music for the new system and you'd want the archive of log snapshots and changes to be empty to start.
4.Optionally, copy selected preference and settings files to the new installation's application folder. Refer to to the what is backed up section for information on which files you might want to use.
5.Restart XStudio, register the software and complete the system setup.
