Running an Auction Site Week to Week: Updates, Cron and Backups

A self-hosted auction site doesn't need much looking after, but it does need some. Most problems that reach us come from one of four things: an update applied carelessly, cron not running, no recent backup, or a payment nobody followed up. This guide is a weekly routine for BidKing (it applies equally to RaffKing and PrizeX) that keeps all four in hand.

Software update: what it replaces and what it keeps

The core is updated from Software update in the admin, in one click. It's designed to be safe to run on a live site:

• Signed releases. An update is installed only if the release carries a valid signature and every file matches what the signed manifest lists. A tampered download is refused.
• Your files are left alone. It doesn't touch:
  • your settings file (.env), .htaccess and your storage folder;
  • your plugins, logs and uploads;
  • images, themes and games, except that files new in the release are added.
  An update never deletes a file.
• Rollback. The update is staged first. If the site fails its health check afterwards, the old files are put back. A rollback can also be started from the browser, or from the server's command line.
• A database backup first. The same page can make a database backup, offered as a download and deleted from the server after a day. Take one before every update.

Update at a quiet time, not during a busy auction close, and check the storefront and admin afterwards.

Plugin updates and version floors

Each plugin (auction, shop, payment gateways and so on) updates separately from the core, from the admin's Plugins screen.

Some core releases need a minimum version of certain plugins. If an active plugin is older than that, Software update won't install the release, and offers the plugin updates on the same page. So the order is simple: update the plugins it asks for, then the core.

If a plugin is running below the version the core needs, the admin shows a warning on every page until you update it.

Cron: the job that closes your auctions

Ending auctions, declaring winners and other scheduled work all run from one script, cron/dispatch.php, which your server should run every minute. Each week:

• open Settings › Security Logs › Cron Logs and check the jobs ran recently;
• if they didn't, check the crontab line. The same page shows the exact line for your server.

Without cron, auctions pass their end time and nobody is declared the winner. Our VPS install guide shows how to set it up.

Backups

Back up two things, and keep copies off the server:

• The database. Use the backup on Software update before changes, and a scheduled dump (for example mysqldump from cron, or your host's backup tool) every day.
• The files unique to your site: .env, storage, images, and the plugins and assets/themes folders.

Test a restore before you need one, ideally on a copy of the site.

Payment requests to reconcile

Sometimes a customer pays and never returns to your site, so the payment request stays Pending although the gateway took the money. Each week, open Payment requests and look at anything pending for more than a few hours.

• "Check with gateway". For gateways that support it, including Razorpay, this button asks the gateway about the payment. If the gateway confirms a payment that matches the amount and currency, the request is settled and fulfilled the normal way. Anything else is shown to you and nothing changes, and every check is logged.
• Other gateways: look the payment up in that gateway's dashboard and settle it with the customer.
• Manual payments (bank transfer, UPI and the like) wait for you to approve them under Manual payments. Check the transaction ID against your bank before approving.

A weekly checklist

• Cron Logs show recent runs.
• Pending payment requests checked and resolved.
• Manual payments reviewed.
• A recent database backup exists off the server.
• Plugin and core updates applied, after a backup, at a quiet time.
• Winners have claimed and paid, or have been chased.

Common questions

Does updating BidKing overwrite my settings or plugins?

No. Software update leaves your .env, .htaccess, storage, plugins, logs and uploads alone, only adds new files to images and themes, and never deletes a file. Plugins update separately.

Can I roll back an update?

Yes. Updates are staged, and the old files are put back if the site fails its health check. A rollback can also be started from the browser or the command line.

Why are my auctions not ending?

Cron is probably not running. Make sure cron/dispatch.php runs every minute, and check Settings › Security Logs › Cron Logs.

A customer paid but the order is still pending. What do I do?

Open Payment requests and use "Check with gateway" if the gateway supports it. A confirmed payment that matches is settled automatically. Otherwise, look it up in the gateway's dashboard and settle it with the customer.