Backup DB & files to Git You want these in a folder that is part of a sparse checkout.

backup.sh

#!/bin/bash

##
# Backup Folders to Git
#
# Creates a local cached backup of the source folder using rsync and then
# synchronises that and the database with Git.
#
# It is assumed you have rsync installed on the server.
#
# Author: Aaron Gustafson (@aarongustafson)
#
# 0.1 | 2014-01-06 | Internal Development Version
##

# Setup procedure
# 1. Just fill in the variables in the configuration section below
# 2. run the sync script using ./run.sh

## CONFIGURATION
REPO_FOLDER="/PATH/TO/BACKUP/FOLDER"
REPO_BRANCH="master"

# database settings
DB_NAME="DB_NAME"
DB_USER="DB_USER"
DB_PASS="DB_PASS"
DB_FILENAME="${REPO_FOLDER}/sql/${DB_NAME}.sql"

# RSYNC SETTINGS
LOCAL_BACKUP_PATH="${REPO_FOLDER}/DESTINATION_FOLDER/"
SOURCE_PATH="/PATH/TO/SOURCE_FOLDER"
RSYNC_DELETE_REMOVED="ON"

## STOP EDITING

# build the rsync command
rsync_cmd="rsync -a ${SOURCE_PATH} ${LOCAL_BACKUP_PATH}"
rsync_msg="Rsyncing ${SOURCE_PATH} to ${LOCAL_BACKUP_PATH}."

if [[ "$RSYNC_DELETE_REMOVED" == "ON" ]]; then
  rsync_cmd="${rsync_cmd} --delete"
  rsync_msg="${rsync_msg} Removed files will be deleted."
fi

echo "$(date -u): Updating from Git"

cd $REPO_FOLDER
git pull --quiet origin $REPO_BRANCH

echo "$(date -u): ${rsync_msg}"

# run rsync
eval $rsync_cmd

echo "$(date -u): RSync Complete"

echo "$(date -u): Backing up DB"

# dump the database using the mysql administrator - so we can see all dbs
mysqldump -u$DB_USER -p$DB_PASS --opt --routines --compact --force "${DB_NAME}" > "${DB_FILENAME}"

echo "$(date -u): DB Backup Complete"

echo "$(date -u): Sending to Git"

# add everything we have - will throw a warning but its fine
git add .
# commit
git commit --quiet -m "Nightly Backup"
# push
git push --quiet origin $REPO_BRANCH

echo "$(date -u): Done"