./backup-plex.sh                    # Standard backup
./backup-plex.sh --check-integrity  # Integrity check only
./backup-plex.sh --non-interactive  # Automated mode
./backup-plex.sh --auto-repair      # Auto-repair database issues

`restore-plex.sh`

Safe restoration script with validation

Backup validation before restoration
Dry-run mode for testing
Current data backup before restoration
Interactive backup selection

Usage:

./restore-plex.sh                                        # List available backups
./restore-plex.sh plex-backup-20250125_143022.tar.gz    # Restore specific backup
./restore-plex.sh --dry-run backup-file.tar.gz          # Test restoration

`validate-plex-backups.sh`

Backup validation and health monitoring

Archive integrity checking
Backup freshness validation
Comprehensive reporting
Automated fix suggestions

Usage:

./validate-plex-backups.sh          # Validate all backups
./validate-plex-backups.sh --report # Generate detailed report
./validate-plex-backups.sh --fix    # Auto-fix issues where possible

Testing and Monitoring

`test-plex-backup.sh`

Comprehensive testing framework

Unit tests for core functionality
Integration tests for full system testing
Performance benchmarks

Usage:

./test-plex-backup.sh all           # Run all tests
./test-plex-backup.sh unit          # Unit tests only
./test-plex-backup.sh performance   # Performance benchmarks

`integration-test-plex.sh`

Integration testing for Plex backup system

End-to-end testing
System integration validation
Environment compatibility checks

`monitor-plex-backup.sh`

Real-time backup monitoring

Live backup status
Performance metrics
Error detection and alerting

Utility Scripts

`plex.sh`

Plex Media Server service management

Service start/stop/restart
Status monitoring
Safe service management

`plex-recent-additions.sh`

Recent media additions reporting

New content detection
Addition summaries
Media library analytics

Configuration

Environment Variables

Key configuration parameters in backup-plex.sh:

# Retention settings
MAX_BACKUP_AGE_DAYS=30        # Remove backups older than 30 days
MAX_BACKUPS_TO_KEEP=10        # Keep maximum of 10 backup archives

# Directory settings
BACKUP_ROOT="/mnt/share/media/backups/plex"
LOG_ROOT="/mnt/share/media/backups/logs"

# Feature toggles
PARALLEL_VERIFICATION=true    # Enable parallel verification
PERFORMANCE_MONITORING=true  # Track performance metrics
AUTO_REPAIR=false            # Automatic database repair

Backup Strategy

The enhanced backup system implements:

Archive-only structure: Direct .tar.gz storage
Timestamp naming: plex-backup-YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.tar.gz
Automatic cleanup: Age and count-based retention
Integrity validation: Comprehensive archive verification

Directory Structure

/mnt/share/media/backups/plex/
├── plex-backup-20250125_143022.tar.gz    # Latest backup
├── plex-backup-20250124_143011.tar.gz    # Previous backup
├── plex-backup-20250123_143008.tar.gz    # Older backup
└── logs/
    ├── backup_log_20250125_143022.md
    ├── plex-backup-performance.json
    └── plex-backup.json

Enhanced Features

Performance Monitoring

JSON performance logs: All operations timed and logged
Performance reports: Automatic generation of metrics
Operation tracking: Backup, verification, service management times

Database Management

Integrity checking: Comprehensive SQLite database validation
Automated repair: Optional auto-repair of corruption
WAL file handling: Proper SQLite Write-Ahead Logging management

Notification System

Console output: Color-coded status messages
Webhook notifications: Custom webhook URL support
Email notifications: SMTP-based email alerts
Default webhook: Automatic notifications to configured endpoint

Safety Features

Pre-flight checks: Disk space and system validation
Service management: Safe Plex service start/stop
Backup verification: Checksum and integrity validation
Error handling: Comprehensive error detection and recovery

Automation and Scheduling

Cron Integration

Example crontab entries for automated operations:

# Daily Plex backup at 04:15
15 4 * * * /home/acedanger/shell/plex/backup-plex.sh --non-interactive --auto-repair 2>&1 | logger -t plex-backup -p user.info

# Daily validation at 07:00
0 7 * * * /home/acedanger/shell/plex/validate-plex-backups.sh --fix 2>&1 | logger -t plex-validation -p user.info

Log Monitoring

Monitor backup operations with:

# Real-time monitoring
sudo journalctl -f -t plex-backup -t plex-validation

# Historical analysis
sudo journalctl --since '24 hours ago' -t plex-backup

# Performance analysis
jq '.[] | select(.operation == "backup") | .duration_seconds' logs/plex-backup-performance.json

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Database corruption: Use --auto-repair flag or manual repair
Insufficient disk space: Check space requirements (2x backup size)
Service management: Ensure Plex service accessibility
Archive validation: Use validation script for integrity checks

Debug Mode

Enable verbose logging:

# Add environment variable for debug output
PLEX_DEBUG=true ./backup-plex.sh

Log Analysis

# Check backup success rate
grep "SUCCESS" logs/plex-backup-*.log | wc -l

# Analyze errors
grep "ERROR" logs/plex-backup-*.log | tail -10

# Performance trends
jq '[.[] | select(.operation == "backup") | .duration_seconds] | add/length' logs/plex-backup-performance.json

Security Considerations

File Permissions

Backup files created with appropriate permissions
Sensitive files maintain original ownership
Temporary files properly cleaned up

Access Control

Script requires appropriate sudo permissions
Backup locations should have restricted access
Log files contain operational data only

Network Security

Webhook notifications use HTTPS when possible
No sensitive data included in notifications
Email notifications respect system configuration

Documentation

Detailed Documentation

plex-backup.md: Comprehensive backup script documentation
plex-management.md: Plex management and administration guide

Integration Notes

All scripts follow repository coding standards
Consistent logging and error handling
Color-coded output for readability
Comprehensive help systems

Migration Notes

When migrating from legacy backup scripts:

Backup current configuration: Save any custom modifications
Test new scripts: Run with --check-integrity first
Update automation: Modify cron jobs to use new options
Monitor performance: Check performance logs for optimization

The enhanced scripts maintain backward compatibility while adding significant new capabilities.

For additional support and advanced configuration options, refer to the detailed documentation files in this directory.