> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.dbdock.xyz/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Local storage

> Store backups on the local filesystem.

Local storage writes backups to a directory on disk. It's the fastest option and requires no cloud account.

## Configuration

```json theme={null}
{
  "storage": {
    "provider": "local",
    "local": {
      "path": "./backups"
    }
  }
}
```

Or via environment:

```bash theme={null}
STORAGE_PROVIDER=local
STORAGE_LOCAL_PATH=./backups
```

## File layout

```
./backups/
  dbdock_backups/
    backup-2026-04-16-08-00-00-abc123.sql
    backup-2026-04-16-08-00-00-abc123.meta.json
    ...
```

## Recommended practices

### Directory permissions

Owner-only access:

```bash theme={null}
chmod 700 ./backups
```

### Use an absolute path in production

Relative paths resolve from wherever DBDock is invoked, which gets confusing fast:

```json theme={null}
{
  "storage": {
    "provider": "local",
    "local": { "path": "/var/backups/myapp" }
  }
}
```

### Enable filesystem encryption

Local backups are not encrypted by DBDock if the `encryption` config is off. Rely on disk encryption (LUKS, FileVault, BitLocker) or enable DBDock's encryption layer for defense in depth.

### Watch disk space

Local backups accumulate. Set a retention policy:

```json theme={null}
{
  "backup": {
    "retention": {
      "enabled": true,
      "maxBackups": 14,
      "maxAgeDays": 14,
      "minBackups": 3,
      "runAfterBackup": true
    }
  }
}
```

## When local is the right choice

* Single-server setup with dedicated backup disk
* Development and testing
* Staging databases you don't mind losing in a host failure
* A first hop before syncing to cloud (e.g., rsync to another host)

## When local is the wrong choice

* **Production data you can't afford to lose.** If the server dies, the backups die with it.
* **Multi-server deployments.** Backups get fragmented across hosts.
* **Compliance environments.** Audit trails are usually easier with object storage.

Pair local with a cloud provider for disaster recovery — take backups locally for speed, then sync to S3/R2 on a schedule.

## See also

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="AWS S3" icon="aws" href="/storage/s3">
    Offsite backup destination.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Cloudflare R2" icon="cloudflare" href="/storage/r2">
    Cheaper cloud alternative.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>