backup-script-gen

What This Skill Does

The backup-script-gen skill is an advanced automation agent designed to streamline the complex process of database lifecycle management. Instead of manually writing shell scripts, configuring cron jobs, or memorizing specific CLI flags for tools like pg_dump or mongodump, users can simply describe their infrastructure requirements. The skill analyzes the requested database type, desired frequency, storage destination (S3, GCS, Azure, or local), and retention policy to generate a production-ready, shell-based backup script. It automatically incorporates best practices such as compression, error logging, and cleanup routines for old backups, ensuring that your data management strategy is robust and standardized across all your projects.

Installation

To integrate this tool into your environment, use the OpenClaw CLI tool to add the skill from the central repository. Run the following command in your terminal:

clawhub install openclaw/skills/skills/lxgicstudios/backup-gen

Ensure you have Node.js 18 or higher installed on your machine. Since the skill leverages AI to interpret your configuration requirements, you must have an active OPENAI_API_KEY environment variable configured to enable the generation engine. No local database or complex configuration files are required for setup; the skill is designed for zero-config, on-demand execution.

Use Cases

This skill is perfect for developers managing multiple environments who need consistency. Use it when setting up a new production database to ensure automated disaster recovery is in place from day one. It is also an excellent tool for side projects where you need a 'set it and forget it' backup solution. Furthermore, it serves as a great starting point for DevOps engineers who need to generate boilerplate scripts that can be further customized for specific cloud provider IAM roles or encryption requirements.

Example Prompts

1. "I need a daily backup script for my PostgreSQL database that uploads the compressed file to an S3 bucket named 'my-app-backups' and keeps them for 7 days."
2. "Generate a bash script to dump my local MongoDB instance every 6 hours and move the output to a specific folder on my Google Cloud Storage bucket."
3. "Create a weekly backup script for MySQL that performs a full dump and clears out any files older than 30 days on my local filesystem to save space."

Tips & Limitations

While the generated scripts are high-quality, they should always be audited by a human before being deployed in a mission-critical environment. Always verify that your machine has the necessary cloud CLI tools (e.g., aws-cli, gcloud-sdk) installed and configured with proper credentials. Remember that the backup-script-gen creates the scripts, but you are responsible for testing the 'restore' functionality regularly. A backup that hasn't been tested for restoration is not a reliable backup strategy. Additionally, ensure your system clock is accurate, as these scripts often rely on system-level cron scheduling.