Backups

Every database is backed up automatically each day. There is nothing to configure, schedule, or remember. PostgreSQL databases keep point-in-time recovery on top of the daily backups, so they can be restored to a moment, not just to last night.

Export#

The Backup tab exports the database as a .sql (or compressed .sql.gz) dump - the standard format psql and mysql understand. Use it for:

• An extra copy before a risky migration.
• Moving data between databases - a dump from one imports into another.
• Taking your data with you. It is a plain SQL file; nothing about it is platform-specific.

Import#

The Backup tab also imports .sql and .sql.gz dumps into an existing database.

Creating a new database? The Shared tier can import a dump at create time - pick the file on the create form and it loads the moment the database is ready. Dedicated instances provision for 10-20 minutes, so their imports run from the Backup tab once ready. See Seed from dump.

If an import fails, the database survives as it was and the import can be retried from the Backup tab.

Restore#

• PostgreSQL can be restored to a point in time - to just before the bad migration, not just to last night's backup.
• MySQL restores from the daily backups.
• Any database can be rebuilt from an exported dump: create a new database, import, and repoint DATABASE_URL.

A move-in, step by step#

Migrating an existing database onto the platform:

1. Dump it at the old provider: pg_dump --format=plain mydb > backup.sql (or mysqldump).
2. Create a database - on the Shared tier, attach the dump on the create form; on a dedicated tier, import from the Backup tab when it is ready.
3. Set the new connection string on your app's environments.
4. Redeploy, verify, and retire the old database.

Related#