Moodle course backup offers a means to
archive all Moodle course contents in a
single, transportable file. The output
file created, a distinctive .mbz file,
is somewhat similar to the concept
of a .zip archive file, and is a way to
store the information from an entire
course in one compressed repository.
Using the Moodle backup option may be
practical if you teach a module
infrequently and want to be sure that it
is not removed from the platform, or where
you anticipate or schedule a break in
teaching for an extended duration and wish
to be able to restore work you had
previously used.
Moodle course backup files are
specifically designed to facilitate both
exportation from and importation to Moodle
platforms.
It is strongly recommended that you
download and securely store any Moodle
course backup files in an institutional
file storage system, such as OneDrive. Do
not create an important backup file and
leave it on the Moodle server as such
files are periodically and systematically
cleared from the system as part of data
management operations.
Ensure that any Moodle course backup is
compliant with the obligations of the
General Data Protection Regulations and
College policies relating to the retention
of personal data records. Default backup
configurations exclude personal data: if
in doubt, consult with the LEAD or the
Information Compliance Office before
creating and exporting any course
backups.
Where Moodle course contents are jointly
used, ensure that there is either (a)
consent of colleagues for backups to be
created and exported, or (b) the backup is
configured only to include those content
items that you have contributed.
To backup a course
- Browse to a Module to which you are assigned and wish to backup;
- From the Course Navigation Menu locate More and from the drop-down Menu choose Course Reuse;
- From the Drop-down options that are displayed at the top left of the page, Backup should be displayed by default (if not, choose it from the available options);
- The backup process is configured over
5 stages:
- Initial Settings includes the default settings for a course content only (non-user data) backup; this can generally be accepted by scrolling to the bottom of the page and clicking Next;
- Schema Settings allows you to include or exclude specific course content elements. By default all items are checked but items or sections may be excluded. When the schema is configured, scroll to the bottom and click Next;
- Confirmation and Review allows you to give the backup file a name (the default file name includes certain identifies along with the creation date and time). This page also confirms the schema from the previous step. When confirmed, scroll to the bottom and click Perform Backup;
- Perform Backup stage will complete automatically and requires no action until it is complete. The page will automatically advance (or report an error). The duration for this stage will vary depending on the size of the Moodle course and the amount of content on the page. The progress bar may, at times, appear to freeze, but this is usually due to large media items embedded in the page;
- Complete - when complete, a confirmation will display to say the Backup file was successfully created. scroll to the bottom and click Continue;
- Backed-up files in your history are displayed in the User private backup area on the page that is then displayed. From here, locate the just-completed backup file and click Download.
- The downloaded file is stored to the Downloads folder (or specified
folder) on your device. Transfer this
file to secure storage, such as an
Institutional OneDrive folder,
identifying the file carefully for
future restoration and use.