diff --git a/openbis_all/source/bash/createOpenBISBackup_general.sh b/openbis_all/source/bash/createOpenBISBackup_general.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..8c8d7215fed9c8912f1b837abad23d634b0916a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openbis_all/source/bash/createOpenBISBackup_general.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+#! /bin/bash
+
+# Creates a snapshot of the openbis database
+# 2009, John Ryan, Manuel Kohler D-BSSE
+
+export BACKUP_DIR=~/db_backups
+export DATE=`/bin/date +%Y-%m-%d_%H%M`
+export DAYS_TO_RETAIN=3
+export DATABASES=$1
+
+export MAIL_LIST="manuel.kohler@bsse.ethz.ch"
+export BOX=`uname -n`
+export PLATFORM=`uname -s`
+
+if [ -z "${DATABASES}" ];
+then
+   export DATABASES=openbis_productive
+fi
+
+if [ $PLATFORM = "SunOS" ];
+then
+  export POSTGRES_BIN=/usr/postgres/8.4-community/bin/
+  export MAILX="/usr/bin/mailx"
+else 
+  export POSTGRES_BIN=/usr/bin
+  export MAILX="/bin/mailx"
+fi
+
+umask 077
+echo "* Creating snapshot of productive databases at $DATE"
+for DATABASE in $DATABASES; do
+    $POSTGRES_BIN/pg_dump -Fc $DATABASE > $BACKUP_DIR/${DATE}_$DATABASE-db.dmp
+    if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+        echo -e "Postgres DB backup broken ... :-(" | $MAILX -s "Backup from $BOX for $DATABASE is BROKEN !" $MAIL_LIST
+    else 
+        echo -e "Postgres DB backup ran OK on $BOX for $DATABASE :-)" | $MAILX -s "Backup from $BOX for $DATABASE ran OK" $MAIL_LIST
+    fi
+done
+/usr/bin/find $BACKUP_DIR -type f -mtime +$DAYS_TO_RETAIN -exec rm {} \;
+echo " ** Finished ** "