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Supported databases

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Which databases does DBDock support?

DBDock supports nine connection types: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQL Server, CockroachDB, Amazon Redshift, TimescaleDB, MongoDB, and Redis. The PostgreSQL family uses pg_dump / pg_restore. MySQL and MariaDB use mysqldump. SQL Server uses mssql-scripter and sqlcmd. Redis uses a bundled worker that streams a binary DUMP/RESTORE format. MongoDB has no native backup engine in DBDock today. Use it for analysis and MongoDB ↔ PostgreSQL migration.

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Which Postgres versions are supported?

Whatever your installed pg_dump supports — in practice Postgres 12+. Match the client tool version to your server version.

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Does DBDock support MySQL, MariaDB, SQL Server, or Redis backups?

Yes. Backup, restore, and same-engine copy jobs work for MySQL, MariaDB, SQL Server, and Redis. Native client tools must be on your PATH (mysqldump, mssql-scripter, sqlcmd, etc.).

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General

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Is DBDock free?

Yes — MIT licensed, free forever, self-hosted CLI. No vendor lock-in. The hosted dashboard at dbdock.xyz has a free tier with managed storage included.

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Who’s behind DBDock?

Created by Naheem Olaide. Open-source project, contributions welcome on GitHub.

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Is DBDock production-ready?

Backup and restore pipelines are stable across PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQL Server, and Redis. Cross-database migration (MongoDB ↔ Postgres) is newer — run a dry run before production use.

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How is DBDock different from pg_dump?

pg_dump is the engine for PostgreSQL-family databases. DBDock builds around it (and equivalent tools for other engines) with:
  • Storage adapters (local, S3, R2, Cloudinary)
  • Compression and encryption pipelines
  • Retention and scheduling
  • Restore UX with filtering (PostgreSQL family)
  • Cross-database migration (MongoDB ↔ Postgres)
  • Same-engine copy jobs for MySQL, MariaDB, SQL Server, and Redis
Think of DBDock as the toolkit around your database dump tools.

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Is there a hosted DBDock?

The CLI is self-hosted. The DBDock web app adds a dashboard, managed storage, schedules, alerts, analytics, and billing tiers on top of the same engine layer.

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Is there a GUI?

The hosted dashboard at dbdock.xyz covers connections, backups, restores, copy jobs, migrations, schedules, and alerts. The CLI remains the option for scripts, CI, and fully self-hosted workflows.

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Installation

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Can I use DBDock without installing it?

Yes — npx dbdock <command> works without a global install.

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Does DBDock need Node.js?

Yes, Node 18 or later. If you can’t install Node, a Docker image is the easiest workaround.

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What client tools do I need?

At minimum, install the tools for the engines you use:
  • PostgreSQL family — pg_dump, pg_restore, psql
  • MySQL / MariaDB — mysqldump, mysql
  • SQL Server — mssql-scripter, sqlcmd
  • Redis — bundled worker (no extra install)
  • MongoDB migration — uses the mongodb driver at runtime
Run npx dbdock test to validate your setup.

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Backup behavior

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How long does a backup take?

Depends on database size, compression level, and network. Rough ballpark:
  • 100 MB DB, local storage: ~2–5 seconds
  • 1 GB DB, S3 us-east-1: ~30–60 seconds
  • 10 GB DB, S3 cross-region: ~5–10 minutes
Run a test backup and measure for your setup.

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Can I back up a live production database?

Yes — logical dumps use MVCC or engine equivalents so reads and writes continue. Expect slightly higher CPU during the dump and possible replication lag on replicas. Run during low-traffic windows when you can.

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Can I back up only some tables?

PostgreSQL-family restores support selective restore from custom-format dumps. For partial backups at dump time, use engine flags directly (pg_dump --table=..., etc.) and upload the result yourself. Table-level backup in the CLI is on the issue tracker.

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Does DBDock support incremental backups?

PostgreSQL logical dumps are full each time. For WAL-based incremental backup, use PostgreSQL’s built-in WAL archiving separately. Cross-database migration supports incremental mode — see Incremental migration.

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Restore

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Can I restore to a different database?

Yes. In dbdock restore, choose “New Database Instance (Migrate)” and enter target connection details. Same-engine copy also works via dbdock copydb. See dbdock restore and dbdock copydb.

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Can I restore only specific tables?

PostgreSQL custom-format dumps support selective restore through pg_restore. Other engines restore whole databases. Restore into a temporary database and extract what you need if partial restore isn’t available for your engine.

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Can I preview a backup’s contents?

Not via DBDock currently for all engines. Restore to a temporary database and query it, or use native tools (pg_restore --list for PostgreSQL custom format).

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Storage

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Can I use multiple storage providers simultaneously?

No — one active provider per config. Workarounds:
  • Run multiple configs (different dbdock.config.json paths via DBDOCK_CONFIG_PATH)
  • Sync primary storage to a secondary (S3 cross-region replication, rclone, etc.)

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How do I migrate backups between providers?

DBDock doesn’t have a built-in migrator. Options:
  • AWS CLI / rclone — copy files at the storage layer
  • Manual — dbdock list, download each, re-upload to the new provider
  • Accept split history — switch providers; new backups go to the new location

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Do backups work with S3 Object Lock?

Yes. Object Lock is set at the bucket level; DBDock writes objects normally. Retention policies (dbdock cleanup) can’t delete locked objects — coordinate both retention systems.

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Encryption

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What’s the encryption algorithm?

AES-256-GCM with a versioned backup format. Keys derive via PBKDF2-SHA512 with 100,000 iterations. Legacy backups use AES-256-CBC and still restore.

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Can I use multiple encryption keys?

Not simultaneously. DBDock reads one key at a time. For rotating keys, see Key rotation.

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Can I disable encryption for some backups?

Yes — pass --no-encrypt:

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Does encryption slow backups down?

Measurably, but not dramatically. AES-256 on modern CPUs is fast (AES-NI). Most time is still network and compression.

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Migration

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Can I migrate MongoDB to PostgreSQL?

Yes. See Migration overview.

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Can I migrate MySQL or SQL Server to PostgreSQL?

Not as cross-engine migration. MySQL and SQL Server support same-engine backup, restore, and copy. Cross-engine migration is MongoDB ↔ PostgreSQL only today.

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What about live replication?

DBDock migration is batch-oriented — not live replication. For CDC-style streaming, use Debezium, Airbyte, or similar.

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Development

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Does DBDock have a TypeScript SDK?

Yes. All programmatic APIs have TypeScript definitions. See SDK overview.

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Can I extend DBDock with custom storage providers?

The four built-in providers (local, S3, R2, Cloudinary) are hardcoded. Adding a new provider means contributing a new adapter — open a PR.

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Where do I report bugs?

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