I’m using a DigitalOcean Managed PostgreSQL database for my production app and I’d like to set up automatic backups to a DigitalOcean Space (similar to how you’d use S3).
Is there a way to schedule regular dumps of the database (e.g., daily pg_dump) and upload them to a Space automatically? Ideally, I’d like to run this as a lightweight job, maybe using a Droplet or some App Platform automation.
Has anyone implemented something like this? Looking for best practices or sample scripts!
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Accepted Answer
Hi there,
DigitalOcean Managed Databases come with daily automated backups by default, which you can use to restore your database to any point within the backup window:
If you still want to maintain your own backup copies (for extra redundancy, long-term archiving, or exporting to Spaces), you can set up a simple automation like this:
-
Create a Space and generate access keys.
-
Use a lightweight Droplet that has access to your database.
-
Install
pg_dumpands3cmd(orrclone). -
Here is a very simple script that you could use:
#!/bin/bash
TIMESTAMP=$(date +%F-%H-%M)
pg_dump "$DATABASE_URL" > backup-$TIMESTAMP.sql
s3cmd put backup-$TIMESTAMP.sql s3://your-space-name/backups/
rm backup-$TIMESTAMP.sql
- Add a cron job to schedule it:
0 2 * * * /home/youruser/backup.sh
If you want a fully managed option without maintaining a script or server, check out SnapShooter for PostgreSQL on DigitalOcean, it’s built specifically for this use case.
- Bobby
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