Backup and Recovery

Backup

Backing up your critical files and sequences should be done regularly – as good practice.

What should be backed up ? Anything you require to run your show, but in particular your XML sequences, your media files and your user specific xLights configuration files.

The xLights configuration files are located in your show directory and are: xlights_keybindings.xml, xlights_networks.xml and xlights_rgbeffects.xml

The files are saved in a subfolder with a timestamp and ‘_onstart’ suffix.

It will also create a backup when the show directory is changed. If you have enabled Backup on Save, it will also take a snapshot after every Save operation.

Alternatively, from the File menu, select Backup.

You will be presented will a message indicating where a backup will be created. Click Yes to proceed. Every time this step is executed, a copy will be created of all the ‘*xml’ files from your show directory into the Backup subdirectory of your show directory. A new subfolder is created each time a backup is executed.

The F11 function does not do an auto (in memory) backup of the current sequence if you have one open. It will backup the open sequence XML contents from when it was last saved.

Backing up the show directory (and media directory if it is different) to an alternate location is the simplest way to ensure that you have the files required.

Recovery

To summarise the backup functionality:

  • When xlIghts starts up - a folder timestamp_OnStart is created and the XML and XBKP files in the show directory are backed up there.

  • When F10 / F11 is pressed , a folder (timestamp) is created in the show/alt location and the above files are backed up there (referred to as an on demand save).

  • Every x (3,10,15,30) minutes , the current open XML file (i.e xxx.xml) is backed up (overwrite) to xxx.xbkp or __.xbkp (for a new unnamed sequence) in the show directory. This will occur if there have been any changes since the last auto save or on demand (F10/F11) save.

  • Every x minutes (same value as set above), the xlights_rgbeffects.xml is backed up to xlights_rgbeffects.xbkp in the show directory. This includes the layout as well. This will occur if there have been any changes since the last auto save or on demand (F10/F11) save.

Restore Backup

If you need to recover, File -> Restore Backup

Select the backup folder from the left list and "check" which files to restore. The right list display basic data about the files found in the selected backup folder.

  • xlights_networks.xml file contains the controller tab data.

  • xlights_rgbeffects.xml file contains the layout, model, preview and preset data .

  • xlights_keybindings.xml files contains the keyboard shortcut settings.

The Sequence Tab can be used to backup sequence files.

Click the "Restore Files" button to start the restore process.

Last updated