Table of Contents
Backing up the FotoWeb databases
27. May 2026
Table of Contents
Note
These settings are configured under Site Configuration > Server Configuration > Database Server.
These settings allow a FotoWeb system administrator to configure the connection to the SQL database and schedule automatic backups of SQL and MongoDB databases.
Important: FotoWeb can back up the database only on the embedded MS SQL Server included with the installer. If the system is configured to use an external SQL server to host the database, that server must be configured separately for database backup.
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Scheduling automatic backups of SQL Server and MongoDB
To set a routine for automatic database backups, turn on the Automatically create database backups toggle and enter the username and password for the SQL server. The database backup, like the automatic log flushing, runs every night at 00:00 local server time.
Username: The username FotoWeb should use to connect to the SQL database for backup purposes. The account must have System Administrator (SA) privileges on the SQL server.
Password: The password for the account to use for the SQL backup procedure.
Use trusted connection: If you want to use a trusted connection instead of SQL authentication, check this option. This requires that the FotoWeb Administrative account has system administrator privileges on your SQL server.
Database backup location
The default locations for backed-up databases are:
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SQL server backup files: C:\ProgramData\Fotoware\FotoWeb\Site Settings\[SITENAME]\Backup
(The SQL database backup folder is relative to the site base folder set in the Operations Center) - MongoDB backup files: C:\ProgramData\Fotoware\FotoWeb\Server Settings\Backup
Manually backing up the SQL database
The FotoWeb Administration Console application can be used to manually create a backup of the SQL database. It can be started from the Windows Start screen.
After starting the FotoWeb Administration Console, right-click the site and select All Tasks > Backup database. A dialog opens, where you can choose a folder to place the backup. Note that although the default folder has the correct permissions set, if you select an alternative folder, you must manually ensure that the SQL Server process account has permissions to modify files in that folder. When running FotoWeb on the embedded SQL Server Express, the process account defaults to NETWORK SERVICE unless it has been changed after installation.
Note
Choosing another folder besides the default one when performing a manual database backup does not affect the folder used by FotoWeb for automatic backups.
Manually backing up the MongoDB database
For reliable backup and restore procedures, we recommend following MongoDB’s official documentation. MongoDB provides detailed and up-to-date guidance on supported backup methods and best practices.
Restoring databases
For more information about restoring databases, see Backing up a Fotoware system, where you can find complete Python scripts to do so.