The DB Maintenance module simplifies the process of backing up your site by automating the key steps of site maintenance. To get started, download the 6.x-2 version of the module from http://drupal.org/project/db_maintenance, and install it as described in Chapter 3.
Once you have the module installed, click the Administer | Site configuration | DB Maintenance link, or navigate to admin/settings/db_maintenance.
As you work with your site over time, you will fine-tune the settings for the DB Maintenance module. As we cover how to configure this module, we will discuss how to tune the settings.
The DB Maintenance module performs three related maintenance tasks:
Optimizing the database (which is covered in more detail later in this chapter)
Backing up the database
Backing up the files directory
Once the database and files have been backed up, they are compressed and stored on the server, and a site administrator is sent an email about the backup.