To run a php-script as a regular job, you need just point to the php-cli instance with the path to your script:

/usr/local/bin/php /home/username/public_html/scripts/your_script.php

Thanks to Jason for original tip @ http://forum.textdrive.com/viewtopic.php?id=863

Doing dumps is a common task but I always forget exact code to do that, and looking for exact page manual is dull. Here goes the generic code:

Mysql Pre-4.1

mysqldump -u username -p password --quick [database [table1, table2, ...]] > backup_db.sql

4.1 and up

mysqldump -u username -p password [database [table1, table2, ...]] > backup_db.sql

Great for doing maintenance backups via cron, or just occasional dumps for off-site storage and archival.

And useful shorthand for the manual:
http://dev.mysql.com/doc/mysql/en/mysqldump.html