shell/docs/plex-backup.md

# Enhanced Plex Backup Script Documentation

This document provides comprehensive documentation for the enhanced `backup-plex.sh` script. This advanced backup solution includes performance monitoring, parallel processing, intelligent notifications, WAL file handling, and automated testing capabilities.

## Script Overview

The enhanced script performs the following advanced tasks:

1. **Performance Monitoring**: Tracks backup operations with JSON-based performance logging
2. **Intelligent Backup Detection**: Only backs up files that have changed since last backup
3. **WAL File Handling**: Properly handles SQLite Write-Ahead Logging files
4. **Database Integrity Verification**: Comprehensive integrity checks with automated repair options
5. **Parallel Processing**: Concurrent verification for improved performance
6. **Multi-Channel Notifications**: Console, webhook, and email notification support
7. **Checksum Caching**: Intelligent caching to avoid recalculating unchanged file checksums
8. **Enhanced Service Management**: Safe Plex service management with progress indicators
9. **Comprehensive Logging**: Detailed logs with color-coded output and timestamps
10. **Automated Cleanup**: Configurable retention policies for old backups

## Enhanced Features

### Performance Tracking

- **JSON Performance Logs**: All operations are timed and logged to `logs/plex-backup-performance.json`
- **Performance Reports**: Automatic generation of average performance metrics
- **Operation Monitoring**: Tracks backup, verification, service management, and overall script execution times

### Notification System

The script supports multiple notification channels:

#### Console Notifications

- Color-coded status messages (Success: Green, Error: Red, Warning: Yellow, Info: Blue)
- Timestamped log entries with clear formatting

#### Webhook Notifications

```bash
./backup-plex.sh --webhook=https://your-webhook-url.com/endpoint
```

Sends JSON payloads with backup status, hostname, and timestamps.

#### Email Notifications

```bash
./backup-plex.sh --email=admin@example.com
```

Requires `sendmail` to be configured on the system.

### WAL File Management

The script now properly handles SQLite Write-Ahead Logging files:

- **Automatic Detection**: Identifies and backs up `.db-wal` and `.db-shm` files when present
- **WAL Checkpointing**: Performs `PRAGMA wal_checkpoint(FULL)` before integrity checks
- **Safe Backup**: Ensures WAL files are properly backed up alongside main database files

### Database Integrity & Repair

Enhanced database management features:

- **Pre-backup Integrity Checks**: Verifies database health before backup operations
- **Automated Repair**: Optional automatic repair of corrupted databases using advanced techniques
- **Interactive Repair Mode**: Prompts for repair decisions when issues are detected
- **Post-repair Verification**: Re-checks integrity after repair operations

### Parallel Processing

- **Concurrent Verification**: Parallel backup verification for improved performance
- **Fallback Safety**: Automatically falls back to sequential processing if parallel mode fails
- **Configurable**: Can be disabled with `--no-parallel` for maximum safety

### Command Line Options

```bash
Usage: ./backup-plex.sh [OPTIONS]

Options:
  --auto-repair        Automatically attempt to repair corrupted databases
  --check-integrity    Only check database integrity, don't backup
  --non-interactive    Run in non-interactive mode (for automation)
  --no-parallel        Disable parallel verification (slower but safer)
  --no-performance     Disable performance monitoring
  --webhook=URL        Send notifications to webhook URL
  --email=ADDRESS      Send notifications to email address
  -h, --help          Show help message
```

## Detailed Steps

### 1. Create Log Directory

```bash
mkdir -p /mnt/share/media/backups/logs || { echo "Failed to create log directory"; exit 1; }
```

This command ensures that the log directory exists. If it doesn't, it creates the directory. If the directory creation fails, the script exits with an error message.

### 2. Define Log File

```bash
LOG_FILE="/mnt/share/media/backups/logs/backup_log_$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S).md"
```

This line defines the log file path, including the current date and time in the filename to ensure uniqueness.

### 3. Define Log File Details Function

```bash
log_file_details() {
    local src=$1
    local dest=$2
    local size=$(du -sh "$dest" | cut -f1)
    echo "Source: $src" >> "$LOG_FILE"
    echo "Destination: $dest" >> "$LOG_FILE"
    echo "Size: $size" >> "$LOG_FILE"
}
```

This function logs the details of the copied files, including the source, destination, and size.

### 4. Stop Plex Media Server Service

```bash
if systemctl is-active --quiet plexmediaserver.service; then
  /home/acedanger/shell/plex.sh stop || { echo "Failed to stop plexmediaserver.service"; exit 1; }
fi
```

This block checks if the Plex Media Server service is running. If it is, the script stops the service using a custom script (`plex.sh`).

### 5. Backup Plex Database Files and Preferences

The enhanced backup system now creates compressed archives directly, eliminating intermediate directories:

```bash
# Files are copied to temporary staging area for verification
cp "/var/lib/plexmediaserver/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/Plug-in Support/Databases/com.plexapp.plugins.library.db" "$BACKUP_PATH/"
log_file_details "com.plexapp.plugins.library.db" "$BACKUP_PATH/"

cp "/var/lib/plexmediaserver/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/Plug-in Support/Databases/com.plexapp.plugins.library.blobs.db" "$BACKUP_PATH/"
log_file_details "com.plexapp.plugins.library.blobs.db" "$BACKUP_PATH/"

cp "/var/lib/plexmediaserver/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/Preferences.xml" "$BACKUP_PATH/"
log_file_details "Preferences.xml" "$BACKUP_PATH/"
```

These commands copy the Plex database files and preferences directly to the backup root directory. Each file copy operation includes integrity verification and checksum validation.

### 6. Create Compressed Archive

```bash
# Create archive directly with timestamp naming convention
final_archive="${BACKUP_ROOT}/plex-backup-$(date '+%Y%m%d_%H%M%S').tar.gz"
tar -czf "$final_archive" -C "$temp_staging_dir" .
```

The system now creates compressed archives directly using a timestamp-based naming convention (`plex-backup-YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.tar.gz`), eliminating the need for intermediate dated directories.

### 7. Archive Validation and Cleanup

```bash
# Validate archive integrity
if tar -tzf "$final_archive" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
    log_success "Archive created and validated: $(basename "$final_archive")"
    # Clean up temporary staging files
    rm -rf "$temp_staging_dir"
else
    log_error "Archive validation failed"
    rm -f "$final_archive"
fi
```

The system validates the created archive and removes temporary staging files, ensuring only valid compressed backups are retained in the backup root directory.

### 8. Send Notification

```bash
curl \
    -H tags:popcorn,backup,plex,${HOSTNAME} \
    -d "The Plex databases have been saved to the /media/backups/plex folder as plex-backup-YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.tar.gz" \
    https://notify.peterwood.rocks/lab || { echo "Failed to send notification"; exit 1; }
```

This command sends a notification upon completion of the backup process, indicating the compressed archive has been created. If the notification fails, the script exits with an error message.

### 9. Restart Plex Media Server Service

```bash
if systemctl is-enabled --quiet plexmediaserver.service; then
  /home/acedanger/shell/plex.sh start || { echo "Failed to start plexmediaserver.service"; exit 1; }
fi
```

This block checks if the Plex Media Server service is enabled. If it is, the script restarts the service using a custom script (`plex.sh`).

### 10. Legacy Cleanup

```bash
# Clean up any remaining dated directories from old backup structure
find "${BACKUP_ROOT}" -maxdepth 1 -type d -name "????????" -exec rm -rf {} \; 2>/dev/null || true
```

The enhanced system includes cleanup of legacy dated directories from previous backup structure versions, ensuring a clean tar.gz-only backup directory.

## Important Information

- Ensure that the [`plex.sh`](https://github.com/acedanger/shell/blob/main/plex.sh) script is available and executable. This script is used to stop and start the Plex Media Server service.
- The script uses `systemctl` to manage the Plex Media Server service. Ensure that `systemctl` is available on your system.
- **New Directory Structure**: The enhanced backup system stores only compressed `.tar.gz` files directly in the backup root directory, eliminating intermediate dated directories.
- **Archive Naming**: Backup files follow the naming convention `plex-backup-YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.tar.gz` for easy identification and sorting.
- **Legacy Compatibility**: The system automatically cleans up old dated directories from previous backup versions during operation.
- The backup directory path is configurable through the `BACKUP_ROOT` variable. Modify this path as needed to fit your environment.
- The script logs important actions and errors to timestamped log files. Check the log files for details if any issues arise.
- **Backup Validation**: All archives undergo integrity checking to ensure backup reliability.

## Final Directory Structure

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

By following this documentation, you should be able to understand and use the enhanced `backup-plex.sh` script effectively with its new streamlined tar.gz-only structure.