In the "Advanced Options" section you can find a set of options that define the backup behavior of JoomlaPack.

• Database export style. In the event that the host on which you will restore your backup is different than the host which you are taking the backup from, this option might come in handy as it sets the target version the exported MySQL snapshot will be compatible with. This option has only effect to newer versions of MySQL (I think 4.1 at least), otherwise it will be silently ignored. The available options are:
  • Default compatibility (default). JoomlaPack will not try to take corrective actions on the exported backup. If you're running on MySQL 5.0 or later and then try to restore on an older version of MySQL your site will probably be rendered inoperative.
  • Force MySQL 4 Compatibility. JoomlaPack will try to get a backup of your database that is compatible at least with version 4.0 of MySQL. Specifically, it disregards extended MySQL table options (i.e. character set, type of MySQL engine, etc) so that earlier version of MySQL do not choke on the file when creating the tables. Use this on MySQL 5 or greater hosts only, please.
• File list creation algorithm. This option can accept three settings and determines how JoomlaPack works to find out which files it has to compress.
  • Fast. This algorithm tries to execute all steps of the operation at once. If you have a moderately sized site (about 100Mb) and a restrictive max_execution_time (less than 10 seconds) this is bound to fail with a timeout. However, for small sites or for sites without restrictions it is the best setting as it offers great speed. This algorithm does not provide any feedback when the backup process is running.
  • Slow. This is a "failsafe" algorithm that runs each step by itself. Since the component has to perform a whole lot of steps, it becomes very slow, but it should never timeout under regular usage. Using this algorithm, if the server imposes a limitation on the number of times per second any script may run, this might cause the process to fail for no apparent reason.
  • Smart (default). A new option for the 1.1 Series, it tries to provide the best compromise between Fast and Slow algorithms. It keeps on executing steps until it estimates we are approaching the execution time limit imposed by max_execution_time. Then, it will stop and call a new AJAX step to proceed with the rest of the operation. If it detects a server without restrictions, it will fall back to Fast algorithm, when run on a very restrictive server it performs exactly like the Slow algorithm. This is the recommended setting, unless you know what you are doing.
• Database backup algorithm. This option can accept three settings and determines how JoomlaPack works to take a snapshot of your database.
  • Fast. This algorithm tries to execute all steps of the operation at once. If you have a moderately sized site (about 100Mb) and a restrictive max_execution_time (less than 10 seconds) this is bound to fail with a timeout. However, for small sites or for sites without restrictions it is the best setting as it offers great speed. This algorithm does not provide any feedback when the backup process is running.
  • Slow. This is a "failsafe" algorithm that runs each step by itself. Since the component has to perform a whole lot of steps, it becomes very slow, but it should never timeout under regular usage. Using this algorithm, if the server imposes a limitation on the number of times per second any script may run, this might cause the process to fail for no apparent reason.
  • Smart (default). A new option for the 1.1 Series, it tries to provide the best compromise between Fast and Slow algorithms. It keeps on executing steps until it estimates we are approaching the execution time limit imposed by max_execution_time. Then, it will stop and call a new AJAX step to proceed with the rest of the operation. If it detects a server without restrictions, it will fall back to Fast algorithm, when run on a very restrictive server it performs exactly like the Slow algorithm. This is the recommended setting, unless you know what you are doing.
• File packing algorithm. This option can accept three settings and determines how JoomlaPack works to take a compress your backup.
  • Fast. This algorithm tries to execute all steps of the operation at once. If you have a moderately sized site (about 100Mb) and a restrictive max_execution_time (less than 10 seconds) this is bound to fail with a timeout. However, for small sites or for sites without restrictions it is the best setting as it offers great speed. This algorithm does not provide any feedback when the backup process is running.
  • Slow. This is a "failsafe" algorithm that runs each step by itself. Since the component has to perform a whole lot of steps, it becomes very slow, but it should never timeout under regular usage. Using this algorithm, if the server imposes a limitation on the number of times per second any script may run, this might cause the process to fail for no apparent reason.
  • Smart (default). A new option for the 1.1 Series, it tries to provide the best compromise between Fast and Slow algorithms. It keeps on executing steps until it estimates we are approaching the execution time limit imposed by max_execution_time. Then, it will stop and call a new AJAX step to proceed with the rest of the operation. If it detects a server without restrictions, it will fall back to Fast algorithm, when run on a very restrictive server it performs exactly like the Slow algorithm. This is the recommended setting, unless you know what you are doing.
• Archive type. The zip archive type is the only type available in this version.
• Installer Included in Archive.
  • JoomlaPack Installer 2.0 (compatible with Joomla! 1.0.x and 1.5.x). This is an installer written from scratch, designed to be able to restore Joomla! 1.0.x and 1.5.x sites alike, even with huge databases, keeping the original configuration settings. This is the only installer compatible with Joomla! 1.5.x.
  • JoomlaPack Installer 1.0 (derived from standard Joomla! Installer). Derived from the Joomla! 1.0.11 installer, it keeps the original site's configuration settings, but will restore only Joomla! 1.0.x sites. It is designed to support huge databases by restoring them a small chunk at a time, using AJAX technology.
  • Joomla! 1.0.11 modified installer. A slightly modified Joomla! 1.0.11 installer which keeps original configuration settings. It is only suitable for sites with a very small database size. On larger databases (more than 1-2Mb) it is bound to fail.

Important! Please make sure you take a look at the "Security concerns" chapter for a more in-depth discussion of security issues regarding the JoomlaPack configuration.