Given how frequently I tinker with different web-based app installs (WordPress, drupal, Magento, etc.), I’ve always found it a bit of a pain to regularly backup the databases for those installations. Of course, however painful it may be, it’s always worth it in the event of a disaster!

I’ve found many MySQL backup solutions but none of them seem to be perfect in my eyes. (Hey, what is perfect these days?)

DESKTOP APPS

There’s Backup Watcher for MySQL but a) it costs $$ and b) you have to “activate” the software in order to use it. For someone like myself – who is constantly reformatting the various machines on which I work – that’s far too annoying given that you have to wait for a new activation code from the company. Of course, if you’re just gonna set this up on a server or desktop that you touch maybe once every three years – it may very well be worth it. Setting up automated backups is fool-proof and the interface isn’t too archaic. Plus, support usually responds within one business day – even if they aren’t that fluent in the English language.

One benefit to the above app is that it runs on Windows. For me, at least, that makes administration much easier. Another such app is Auto Backup for MySQL. (I’ll try and download and install this to post a review here soon.) This one also costs money (still less than $100) but the fact that it appears to be continually updated – it’s now Windows 7 and Server 2008 compatible – puts my mind at ease.

For more advanced MySQL DB management, you might also look at Navicat for MySQL – an all-in-one mgmt app that not only enables scheduled database backups but also provides you with options to interact with the data itself as well as the overall structure of the database. Pricing is much better than I remember. You can probably stay close to the price-range of the apps mentioned above and wind up with many more features at the same time. Plus, the interface is quite a bit more polished than the other apps.

WEB-BASED SCRIPTS

A more universal option (for those on different platforms beyond Windows) is a self-install script like Backup2Mail… which costs absolutely nothing. (The song “Born Free” from the last episode of the first season of Dexter is now running through my mind.)

Scripts like this one reside on your server, alongside your MySQL install, and regularly emails you backups of your database(s). The company recommends that you use a secure email environment given the risk involved in sending potentially-confidential data through email.

AutoMySQLBackup is a free script that’s been around for a while. Much like Backup2Mail, this script enables scheduled backups via the web but, with this one, you can not only send backups by email but also dump them to a directory on your web server. That way, if you’ve got the available space, you never need worry about the size of your DB backups.

What backup solution are you using/do you recommend? Let other readers know in the comments below.

According to an official press release from the big boys in Redmond, WA, using Windows 7 along with Windows Server 2008 R2 will grant you usage of Microsoft DirectAccess: “a new feature … that gives users the experience of being seamlessly connected to their corporate network any time they have Internet access … without connecting to a virtual private network.”

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We’ve covered how to improve your Outlook experience before; either by enhancing it with plug-ins (like Taglocity, for the organization of emails or OutTwit & FBLook, for the integration of social media) or just by finding ways to improve the overall performance of Outlook. However, the latest tip may just dwarf them all. To what exactly am I referring? Why, the latest cumulative update from Microsoft, of course.

Typically, these things just don’t make a big difference at all but there are some big changes in store with the arrival of the “Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 February 2009 Cumulative Update.”

Performance for “startup, shutdown, general responsiveness and folder or view switches” are four areas that are said to be dramatically improved in this update. Currently, the hotfix is available as a standalone download but will eventually be included in the forthcoming Service Pack 2 for Office 2007.

[via msexchangeteam.com]

I use Remote Desktop fairly frequently so I couldn’t help but be excited when I heard that Remote Desktop within Windows 7 would soon support dual-screen functionality. That’s a reality now with the new Windows 7 beta. Under the “Display” tab of the initial RDC screen (type “remote” in your start menu and it should be the first result), you’ll find a check box labeled “Use all my monitors for the remote session.”

This really will be a miracle tool and, who knows, perhaps the next version of Windows will allow you to specify which monitors to use (if you’re using more than two) for a remote desktop connection.

In addition, RDC within Windows 7 also supports the functionality that was recently announced for Windows Server 2008 R2: Remote Desktop Services [Bink.nu] including support for the new Remote Desktop Gateway service.

What is the Remote Desktop Gateway? Basically, the port used to create a connection between your computer and a remote computer (port 3389) isn’t as secure as you might think. The Remote Desktop Gateway enables you to use port 443 (SSL) for remote desktop connections coming into your facility.

From the Windows 7 help file on the subject:

A Remote Desktop Gateway (RD Gateway) server is a type of gateway that enables authorized users to connect to remote computers on a corporate network from any computer with an Internet connection. RD Gateway uses the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) along with the HTTPS protocol to help create a more secure, encrypted connection.

In earlier versions of Remote Desktop Connection, people couldn’t connect to remote computers across firewalls and network address translators because port 3389—the port used for Remote Desktop connections—is typically blocked to enhance network security. However, an RD Gateway server uses port 443, which transmits data through a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) tunnel.

The Bink.nu article to which I linked a few paragraphs ago has a fantastic overview of the new Remote Desktop Services.

[Update] If you’re in the enterprise environment (or even if you’re not) and you’re interested in tinkering with the new Remote Desktop Services functionality, you can download the new Windows Server 2008 beta (also introduced on Friday) or read more about the R2 beta release on Microsoft’s TechNet site. [/update]

Beginning today, GoDaddy (you most likely have – or someone you know has – a domain parked at GoDaddy) is offering hosted Microsoft Exchange plans. 

There are two plans currently available: individual access (dubbed “Outlook with Mobile”) with 2GB of storage for $9.99/mo and group access (dubbed “Group Outlook with Mobile”) with 20GB storage space for $56.99/mo.  The latter enables up to 5 users and both plans come with Outlook 2007 for each user to use on your desktop or laptop (MS Licensing may even permit both but don’t quote me on that).  Here’s a snippet of Microsoft’s official press release:

“GoDaddy.com Inc., the world’s largest domain registrar and largest hosting provider in North America, and Microsoft Corp. today announced that GoDaddy.com is delivering mobile and group e-mail plans with Microsoft Outlook, powered by Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, to help small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) improve worker productivity and communications regardless of physical location. The new e-mail plans from GoDaddy.com, including Personal Outlook, Outlook with Mobile, and Group Outlook with Mobile, give SMBs the ability to manage all of their online services from one place.”

GoDaddy certainly isn’t the first to offer hosted Exchange plans but they are a company you’re almost certain to see around tomorrow (although you can’t be too sure now) and that’s definitely something to consider when it comes to your email. You can find plenty of other hosted Exchange providers by just doing a Web search for “hosted Exchange plans.”

Microsoft Exchange, in my humble opinion, offers a much more pleasant and stable experience than, for instance, IMAP with Gmail.  (I can’t quite emphasize “stable” enough.)

Plus, of all the services you should be paying money for, email might just be one of the ones you should consider – especially given how critical it can be sometimes.  I mean, you wouldn’t want to find yourself, oh – I don’t know, locked out of your email account with no sign of support whatsoever… would you?