What is this?

BackDown is a python project for uploading folders to a samba/SMB server and Downloading from server to client device. The idea came from me having to manually backu my coworkers Data to the main server because they forget to do it manually. It simply works using pysmb library

This is not a complete Project and hasn't been fully tested yet.

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How does it works?

1. How to run the project

Since the project was written in python, You need python3, python3-pip and python3-venv or "python3 virtual enviroment" packages. other packages will be installed automatically with pip3.

First clone the project using git or download and extract the zip file, then head to the parent folder and enter a Terminal(or Powershell for Windows). write python3 -m venv BackDown to recreate the python enviroment. Then type source BackDown/bin/activate (or BackDown\bin\Activate.ps1 for PowerShell) now to install required packages, run pip install -r requirements.txt and then run the project : python3 BackDown/main.py

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2. General workaround

User first initializes a profile and enters the information. Then will choose to upload files to the server or download from server. if user needs, they will create new profiles and if they want, they can choose between what profiles to use

User --> main.py (early choice) --> Initialize.py (data entry) --> main.py (choose other options)--> upload.py or download.py (file transfer) --> main.py (choose again)

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3. Describing files

Upload and Download

The upload.py and download.py files are for uploading a folder to a server (defined by user). they both require a object of Profile method which is inside initialize.py. Then using the variables they will try to stablish a connection with server. Download_folder_from_samba inside download.py will try to recursivally download every file in server_remote_folder parameter of the recieved profile and Upload_folder_to_samba from upload.py tries to upload the file from client_folder_path to the server. These two parts of program both import os, platform, smb.SMBConnection.

Name of Lib	Usage
os	Using for finding pathes on the clients system, copying and pasting files, get different kind of pathes
smb	For working with remote files on smb server
platform	only for platform independent User information

Download_folder_from_samba inside download.py, will first recieve a object called platform, then tries to establish a connection using server_username, server_password, server_remote_folder, client_name, server_ip

ntlm_v2 is the microsoft security standard for SMB

Then tries to connect to server using port 445 and IPv4. Then lists every file and folder inside the server. Then checks for local folder and if doesn't exist, it will create one. Then for every file, copies the file from the server into the local folder, and for every folder on server, changes relative path to the old relative path + folders name and restarts the function to recursively copy every file over to client computer

Upload_folder_to_samba from upload.py does similarlly the same thing, Just instead of recursive function methods, it loops inside the folder and send every file with full path to Samba server using StoreFile() method.

Main file

main.py contains a function called Main() which is for when the program starts and handling early user input. it also contains profiles[] which is the array of different profiles as Objects, and current_profile which defines what profile user wants to work with. main.py will get user options to choose what function to call, or to make a new object of Profile method. Main() will start with showing the menu and prompt user for input, to then call the related function. Also Change_profile is for changing the profile if any other exists.

Initialization

Finally initialize.py contains a class called Profile which is for defining a new profile, and contains these parameters:

• name : name of the object created by the program itself, pattern is profile_x where x is a natural number.
• client_folder_path : Address of the folder on client machine which program will write data to/ read data from it.
• server_ip : IPv4 address of the server which client wants to work with.
• server_share : Name of the Shared folder on the server(root folder of share)
• server_remote_folder : Address of the folder on server which user wants to work with(optional - because user can use the whole shared folder as backup folder).
• server_username : Username of the server(optional).
• server_password : Password for the server(optional).

Profile has an instructor just in case if we want to connect DB later, but now it will only create a name profile_x for every profile and calls Initialize(), then Initialize will loop every part to ensure every variable is not empty. These variables would be saved as parameters of a class. and be returned to Main() to be saved in a new object.

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4. Describing functions and methods and their usage

Name	Usage
function Main	Run the project and interact with user
function Download_folder_from_samba	Download the Folder and copy it to specified Folder
function Upload_folder_to_samba	Upload the specified Folder to the server
function Initialize	Get every parameter from user and save to an object
function Change_profile	Change current profile that user is working on
class Profiles	Creating profiles for handling Variables

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5. Future of the project

Main things I want to add:

1. Save profiles to a file so User won't have to enter data every time. Possibly add DataBase to store more data.
2. Terminal Arguments so User won't have to interact with interface every time.
3. Add TUI to make it more convinient.
4. Set a scheduler for Automatic Backups