PostgreSQL Backup & Restore

Databases
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Managing PostgreSQL databases efficiently involves the crucial tasks of backing up and restoring data. Using the command line, the pg_dump tool enables seamless backups, while the pg_restore command facilitates easy restoration. This article will walk you through using these tools to perform backups and restores of your PostgreSQL databases.

Backing Up a PostgreSQL Database:

  1. Open Command Prompt or Terminal:
  • Access the command line interface on your operating system.

  1. Run the pg_dump Command:

    pg_dump -h [host] -U [username] -d [database_name] -F c -f [backup_file.dump]

  • Replace [host] with your PostgreSQL server’s hostname or IP address.
  • Replace [username] with your PostgreSQL username.
  • Replace [database_name] with the name of the database you want to back up.
  • Replace [backup_file.dump] with the desired name for your backup file.
  1. Enter PostgreSQL Password:
  • If prompted, enter your PostgreSQL password.
  1. Verify Backup:
  • Check the directory for the generated backup file (usually in the custom format with a .dump extension).

Restoring a PostgreSQL Database:

  1. Open Command Prompt or Terminal:

  2. Run the pg_restore Command:

    pg_restore -h [host] -U [username] -d [database_name] -F c -c [backup_file.dump]

  • Replace [host] with your PostgreSQL server’s hostname or IP address.
  • Replace [username] with your PostgreSQL username.
  • Replace [database_name] with the name of the database you want to restore into.
  • Replace [backup_file.dump] with the path to your backup file.
  1. Enter PostgreSQL Password:
  • If prompted, enter your PostgreSQL password.
  1. Verify Restoration:
  • Confirm the successful restoration of the database and check for any error messages.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team of engineers if you encounter issues or have any questions.