If you're ready for a change, JoomlaPack makes it a breeze to backup, pack up and move your Joomla! site. With open source JoomlaPack, create a website backup that you can restore on any Joomla capable installer. A full backup is created in a simple single archive that contains all the files with a database snapshot and a restoration script.

JoomlaPack offers a myriad of advantages with outstanding support. With a single click, you have backup of your site files and site database. It can backup non-Joomla scripts and MySQL databases. Restoration is a cinch and the process is plain JavaScript or AJAX powered to minimize server timeouts, even if you have multi-gigabyte sites.

The JoomlaPack Kickstart tool eases the restoration process even in the face of total site destruction. Just upload Kickstart and your backup archive and let Kickstart do the rest. It even gets rid of itself when the restoration ends so you don't have to do a thing.

If you decide to change web hosting services, JoomlaPack makes it easy to move your site. You can set up a staging site to test new layouts and components and debug your site without taking it offline. JoomlaPack makes it possible to restore your site on a different host than the one the backup was taken from, even on a different platform.

A rich collection of filters makes it easy to exclude directories and individual files or database tables. A graphical interface handles the selection process to take the guesswork out of the path to the folder you want to exclude.

A major advantage of using JoomlaPack is the unattended backup mode. Making time to perform manual backup is almost impossible as everyone struggles to keep up in today's fast-paced world. JoomlaPack has a front-end backup mode to schedule automatic backup. You can even avoid meeting your storage quota by allowing JoomlaPack to remove old backups based on number or size.

JoomlaPack is a free, open source component so there's minimal investment for this reliable backup system. Easy backup administration keeps a log of every backup attempt so you can download, delete or restore it. Online help and an active forum mean you get assistance anytime you need it. With active development, releases early and frequently with beta versions out in 17 days. Testing is ongonig to react quickly to potential bugs. Support is available on holidays and weekends.

The possibilities for using JoomlaPack are countless. Perform security backups should your site server fail or a hacker strikes. Create template sites for future clients. Built a website offline then upload it with ease. Test upgrades without risking your live site or losing visitors. Relocate to a new web host so you always have total freedom. Customize your backup sets with wise application of filters including directory exclusion filters, database table exclusion filters, file exclusive filters, multiple database definitions, single click extension exclusion, off-site directory inclusion and even skip files and folders in a certain directory.

JoomlaPack saves you time, money and effort. It's simple to use if you can use Windows Explorer and offers all the rich features you need.

About the author David Tanguay David is the owner of Interactive Online, a web hosting service provider. He specializes in hosting and designing websites built using open source software and contributes to the Joomla, Drupal and WordPress projects.