Database Backup

Quick Navigation

For Developers

• Configuration Guide - Setup BackupConfig
• Storage Backends - Local, S3, Cloudflare R2

For DevOps

• Scheduling - RQ scheduler integration
• Recovery - Restore procedures
• CLI Commands - Manual operations

Why Database Backup?

Data is your most valuable asset. Django-CFG provides a zero-configuration backup solution that:

• Auto-detects database type - PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite
• Integrates with Django-RQ - Automatic scheduled backups
• Supports cloud storage - AWS S3, Cloudflare R2, MinIO
• Provides retention policies - Automatic cleanup of old backups
• Includes admin interface - Visual backup management

Architecture

Key Features

Quick Start

1. Enable Backup Module

from django_cfg import (
    DjangoConfig,
    BackupConfig,
    BackupStorageConfig,
    BackupScheduleConfig,
)
 
class MyConfig(DjangoConfig):
    # Enable backup with minimal configuration
    backup: BackupConfig = BackupConfig(
        enabled=True,
        storage=BackupStorageConfig(backend="local"),
        schedule=BackupScheduleConfig(cron="0 2 * * *"),  # Daily at 2 AM
    )

2. Run Migrations

python manage.py migrate db_backup

3. Create Your First Backup

# Manual backup
python manage.py db_backup
 
# List backups
python manage.py db_backup --list

That’s it! If Django-RQ is enabled, backups will run automatically on schedule.

How It Works

Automatic Scheduling

When both BackupConfig and DjangoRQConfig are enabled:

Without Django-RQ

If RQ is not enabled, use management commands or external cron:

# Crontab entry
0 2 * * * cd /app && python manage.py db_backup --all

Management Commands

Create Backup

# Backup default database
python manage.py db_backup
 
# Backup specific database
python manage.py db_backup --database=analytics
 
# Backup all databases
python manage.py db_backup --all
 
# With verbose output
python manage.py db_backup -v 2

List Backups

# List recent backups
python manage.py db_backup --list
 
# Show backup details
python manage.py db_backup --info <backup_id>

Restore Backup

# Restore to original database
python manage.py db_restore <backup_id>
 
# Restore to different database
python manage.py db_restore <backup_id> --target=test_db
 
# Force restore without confirmation
python manage.py db_restore <backup_id> --force

Cleanup Old Backups

python manage.py db_backup --cleanup

Recovery Procedures

Standard Recovery

1. List available backups

   python manage.py db_backup --list

2. Verify backup integrity

   python manage.py db_backup --info <backup_id>

3. Restore database

   python manage.py db_restore <backup_id>

Point-in-Time Recovery

For PostgreSQL with WAL archiving, combine with pg_basebackup for PITR capability.

Disaster Recovery Checklist

• Verify backup exists in storage
• Check backup file integrity (checksum)
• Stop application services
• Restore database
• Run migrations if needed
• Verify data integrity
• Restart application services

REST API

Endpoints

Example: Create Backup via API

curl -X POST /cfg/db/backups/create/ \
  -H "Authorization: Token <token>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"database_alias": "default"}'

Database Support

PostgreSQL

Uses pg_dump with custom format for efficient backup and pg_restore for recovery:

# Backup (automatic)
pg_dump --format=custom --no-password -h host -p port -U user dbname
 
# Restore (automatic)
pg_restore --no-password --clean --if-exists -h host -p port -U user -d dbname

Requirements: pg_dump and pg_restore must be installed (included with PostgreSQL).

MySQL / MariaDB

Uses mysqldump for backup and mysql for restore:

# Backup (automatic)
mysqldump --single-transaction --routines --triggers -h host -P port -u user -p dbname
 
# Restore (automatic)
mysql -h host -P port -u user -p dbname < backup.sql

Requirements: mysqldump and mysql CLI tools must be installed.

SQLite

Uses VACUUM INTO for consistent backups (SQLite 3.27+):

VACUUM INTO '/path/to/backup.db'

Falls back to file copy with locking for older SQLite versions.

Comparison with Alternatives

See Also

• Configuration Guide - Detailed BackupConfig setup
• Storage Backends - S3, R2, MinIO configuration
• Django-RQ Integration - Task scheduling
• Production Deployment - Production best practices