Skip to content

backups.md

Latest commit

 

History

History
65 lines (41 loc) · 3.69 KB

backups.md

File metadata and controls

65 lines (41 loc) · 3.69 KB
Raw

Backups and restore

Protect PostgreSQL, uploads and the deployment environment. Bundles contain db.dump, manifest.json and optionally uploads.tar.gz; they do not contain deployment environment variables. Database-stored secrets remain in the dump, including sealed settings. Keep the original AUTH_SECRET separately to decrypt sealed settings and authenticator secrets.

Schedule backups

  1. Open Admin → Settings → Backups.
  2. Select daily/weekly timing in UTC, count/age retention and upload inclusion.
  3. Configure and test an off-site destination.
  4. Request a backup under Admin → System → Backups and inspect completion.

A worker is required. Zero age disables age-based expiry; the newest bundle is retained. Failed off-site shipping is a failed run even if the local bundle exists. Failed runs do not prune the last good backups.

Local and Blob uploads are included automatically; S3 uploads are skipped by default. Select Always include for a self-contained S3 bundle.

Off-site configuration

Destination Required Optional
S3 BACKUP_S3_BUCKET, BACKUP_S3_REGION, BACKUP_S3_ACCESS_KEY_ID, BACKUP_S3_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY BACKUP_S3_ENDPOINT, BACKUP_S3_PREFIX
WebDAV BACKUP_WEBDAV_URL collection URL BACKUP_WEBDAV_USERNAME and BACKUP_WEBDAV_PASSWORD together

Use HTTPS for remote WebDAV. Environment destinations override saved settings. Incomplete or simultaneous S3/WebDAV configurations are rejected. Backup credentials are separate from upload credentials. Verify an actual remote bundle, not only a connection test.

Manual backup

In a board checkout configured for the intended database:

npm run meith -- backup --out /secure/backups/board.tar.gz --uploads include

The parent must exist; the output must not. Use a new filename each time. For Compose:

mkdir -p backups
docker compose run --rm --no-deps --user "$(id -u):$(id -g)" \
  -v "$PWD/backups":/backup web \
  meith backup --out /backup/board.tar.gz --uploads include

DIRECT_DATABASE_URL is preferred for the dump. --dir writes a timestamped ring, --keep overrides retention, and --uploads include|skip overrides inclusion.

Exit 0 means complete. Exit 2 means a bundle exists but its manifest names missing objects: preserve it, repair the cause and take another backup. Other failures require investigation; do not use empty or truncated files.

Restore into a separate destination

Caution

Keep the source board and backup intact. CLI restore requires an empty database; do not run migrations or installation on that destination first.

Set RESTORE_DATABASE_URL to the empty destination and configure its file store. Then, from a board checkout:

npm run meith -- restore /secure/backups/board.tar.gz --uploads-dir /restore/uploads

Use an empty upload directory. Omit --uploads-dir to use the destination's configured store. DATABASE_URL alone cannot select a restore target.

Alternatively, unlock /install on a fresh deployment and select its restore flow. This route can replace an uninstalled schema but refuses a board with members. Both routes reject unsupported newer backups. Restore applies missing migrations; inspect any partial-failure message before retrying against the now-populated target.

Verify

Start privately and check accounts, private forums, old/recent posts, attachments, avatars and sealed settings. Record recovery time and results. Excluded uploads need a separate recovery copy.

Run serverless backups/restores externally with PostgreSQL tools and storage access. Back up before migrating can require a pre-migration backup but does not replace restore testing. See Disaster recovery.