backup_course

SERVERMoodle SOURCE@falkenslab/moodle-mcp

Medium RISK CLASS

Category Write

Parameters 72 required

Recommended Rate-limitedsee the rule below

Registry record Grade F, identity unverified Pull the record →

This record as markdown: /tools/falkenslab-moodle-mcp/backup-course.md

WHAT IT DOES

What backup_course does on Moodle

AI agents use backup_course to create or update resources in Moodle, usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Moodle environment.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`destDir`	string	Yes	An absolute local folder for the file
`courseId`	integer	Yes
`sections`	array	—	Only these sections, by id (get_course_structure), each with everything in it
`anonymize`	boolean	—	With users: Moodle makes their names and contact data anonymous
`anonymous`	boolean	—	The file names no person and no site or course of origin: true by default for sections or activities, false for a whole course
`withUsers`	boolean	—	Also its participants' data (default false)
`activities`	array	—	Only these activities and resources, by course module id

Parameters from the server's own tool schema.

RISK

Why backup_course is rated Medium

An AI agent can call backup_course faster than any human can review: one bad instruction and it creates or modifies resources in Moodle by the hundred, each call as confident as the last.

Risk signalsBulk/mass operation — affects multiple targets

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

RECOMMENDED RULE

The rule that runs backup_course safely

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Moodle, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For backup_course, this is the rule to start with:

backup_course Rate-limited

backup_course stays usable, but capped: an agent stuck in a loop can't make hundreds of changes a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "backup_course": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "backup_course_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 30,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

LIMIT THIS TOOL → Instant setup, no code required.

The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Moodle, apply this rule, and every backup_course call is checked against it from then on.

FAQ

Questions about backup_course

What does the backup_course tool do? +

Back a course up to a .mbz file in a local folder, through Moodle's backup wizard: its content, and with withUsers its people's data too (anonymize makes their names anonymous). Or only some of it: sections (each with everything in it) and activities, never with people's data, and the file naming no one and no site unless anonymous is false. Moodle keeps a copy in the course's backup area. Restore it with restore_course, on this site or another. It can take minutes: Moodle does it in steps, and waits up to ten. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Moodle MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

What parameters does backup_course accept? +

backup_course accepts 7 parameters: destDir, courseId, sections, anonymize, anonymous, withUsers, activities. Required: destDir, courseId. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.

How do I enforce a policy on backup_course? +

Register the Moodle MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for backup_course: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Moodle. Nothing to install.

What risk level is backup_course? +

backup_course is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.

Can I rate-limit backup_course? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the backup_course rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.

How do I block backup_course completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for backup_course. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.

What MCP server provides backup_course? +

backup_course is provided by the Moodle MCP server (@falkenslab/moodle-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

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