backup-script-gen

What This Skill Does

The backup-script-gen skill is an essential developer utility that automates the creation of robust database backup procedures. Instead of manually writing complex shell scripts, configuring cron jobs, or debugging cloud storage CLI authentication, you simply describe your database, schedule, and destination. The agent generates a production-ready bash script tailored to your specific requirements. It automatically incorporates industry-standard tools such as pg_dump, mysqldump, or mongodump, handles compression, manages secure cloud uploads to S3, GCS, or Azure, and implements automated retention and rotation policies. By leveraging this skill, you ensure that your data infrastructure is resilient, compliant, and backed up according to best practices without the heavy lifting of manual configuration.

Installation

To integrate this capability into your OpenClaw environment, use the standard install command within your terminal:

clawhub install openclaw/skills/skills/lxgicstudios/ai-backup-script

Ensure that you have Node.js version 18 or higher installed on your system. Additionally, because the skill generates AI-powered scripts based on your specific infrastructure, you must have a valid OPENAI_API_KEY environment variable set in your shell session to allow the generator to construct accurate command syntax.

Use Cases

This skill is ideal for developers managing production databases, side projects, or migration tasks. Use it when setting up a new PostgreSQL instance on a VPS where managed backups aren't available, when migrating data between cloud providers, or when you need to standardize backup procedures across a team of developers. It is particularly useful for creating disaster recovery plans that require specific retention policies, such as keeping 30 days of daily backups or weekly archives.

Example Prompts

1. "Generate a backup script for my production MySQL database that runs nightly, uploads the dump to an AWS S3 bucket named 'my-app-backups', and keeps only the last 14 days of files."
2. "Create a shell script to perform an hourly MongoDB dump, compress it, and sync it to a Google Cloud Storage bucket with lifecycle rules for long-term cold storage."
3. "I need a script for my local Redis server to snapshot the current state and move it to a specific local directory with rotation to ensure I never use more than 5GB of disk space."

Tips & Limitations

To maximize the effectiveness of these generated scripts, always prioritize security by never hardcoding cloud credentials inside your scripts; utilize environment variables or IAM roles instead. While the tool generates high-quality code, it remains your responsibility to verify the integrity of your backups. Always test the generated restore process in a staging environment. Remember that this skill focuses on the generation of the script logic; ensure your server has the necessary CLI tools (like aws-cli or gsutil) installed and pre-configured before running the generated commands.