Use this when your runbook calls for a snapshot before a major change (plugin rollout, bulk import, or term rollover).

1. Confirm with your technical contact that on-demand exports are enabled on this environment.
2. Open Platform → Backup database (label may vary slightly by theme).
3. Start the backup and wait for success confirmation in the UI or server logs.
4. Ask your hosting team where the archive was written and that it was copied to off-site storage per institute policy.
5. Record the date and reason in your internal change log.

The button does not download a file to your laptop by default; file location and format depend on server configuration.

Even when on-demand backup works, production sites should have automated backups:

• Frequency: daily at minimum for active admission periods; more often during high-change windows if your policy requires it.
• Retention: align with legal, finance, and academic record requirements.
• Scope: database plus file storage used for LMS and CMS uploads.
• Restore drills: at least one test restore per year on staging, documented with timings and contacts.

Calibyte managed deployments typically configure this on the VM or cloud account; self-hosted institutes coordinate with their own DevOps.

• Administrator: Run on-demand backup when the runbook says so; never share backup files in email or chat
• Technical / hosting: Schedule jobs, encrypt archives, monitor disk space, perform restores
• Institute leadership: Approve retention period and who may request a restore

• Run Backup database or confirm last night’s scheduled job succeeded.
• Export a separate copy of critical CSVs (enrollment lists) if your process requires it.
• Note current Plugins settings if you are about to enable or disable modules.

• Plugins
• Requirements and hosting
• First steps for administrators