<p>The Bitcoin client's <a href="https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Api" rel="nofollow">RPC interface</a> provides a wallet backup command. It's "backupwallet &lt;<em>filename</em>>".</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-31T07:47:47.280Z
2011-12-31T07:47:47.280Z
David Schwartz
<p>I am building a website, and would like to backup my wallet.dat file after every transaction occurs, but I would not like to have to shut down bitcoind every time I make a backup.</p>

<p>The common wisdom seems to be that you should shut down your bitcoin client when making a backup, but that doesn't seem absolutely necessary as long as the wallet has been fully written to and flushed to disk.</p>

<p>Would locking the wallet be enough to ensure that the wallet has been written to before making a backup? Are there any other techniques that websites typically deploy for making "hot backups"?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-31T10:28:59.540Z
You might want to check out Stratum - it's (one of several) infrastructures being built for thin clients, including thin web servers with no wallet management required. https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=55842.0
ripper234
<bitcoind><backup>
When backing up a wallet, is it required to shut down the bitcoin client?
AlrightOK
# When backing up a wallet, is it required to shut down the bitcoin client?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2011-12-31)

I am building a website, and would like to backup my wallet.dat file after every transaction occurs, but I would not like to have to shut down bitcoind every time I make a backup.

The common wisdom seems to be that you should shut down your bitcoin client when making a backup, but that doesn't seem absolutely necessary as long as the wallet has been fully written to and flushed to disk.

Would locking the wallet be enough to ensure that the wallet has been written to before making a backup? Are there any other techniques that websites typically deploy for making "hot backups"?

**Tags:** bitcoind, backup

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: You might want to check out Stratum - it's (one of several) infrastructures being built for thin clients, including thin web servers with no wallet management required. https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=55842.0  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2011-12-31. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

The Bitcoin client's [RPC interface](https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Api) provides a wallet backup command. It's "backupwallet <*filename*>".


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