adding automatic backup to docker

[sbOogway]

Description

hello, id like to implement a backup restore system into docker. it should work similarly to the following bash script.

backup() {
  BACKUP_NAME=$1
  COMPOSE_PATH=$2

  pushd $COMPOSE_PATH > /dev/null || exit
    docker compose config --images | xargs docker save -o images.tar
    docker compose down > /dev/null 2>&1
    tar -cpzf $BACKUP_NAME.tar.gz .
    docker compose up -d > /dev/null 2>&1

  popd > /dev/null

}

restore() {
    BACKUP_NAME=$1
    RESTORE_PATH=$2

    mkdir -p $RESTORE_PATH

    pushd $RESTORE_PATH > /dev/null || exit

        tar -xpzf $BACKUP_NAME.tar.gz 

        docker load -i images.tar

        docker compose up -d > /dev/null 2>&1

    popd > /dev/null
}

i think right now docker lacks a built in backup system and it may be beneficial to have one.
the syntax should be docker compose backup <stack-name> and docker compose restore <tar.gz>.

edge cases to consider

there are some case where further considerations need to be made like for bind volumes and named volumes. also when a stack is built using multiple compose files it can be problematic. further planning need to be made

i tried to generate with ai some oneliners and a basic go implementation but it is sloppy and not clean. https://github.com/sbOogway/compose-backup if u want to take a look.

let me know if u think this can be useful and if i can be part of the effort to implement.

thanks

mattia papaccioli

[ndeloof]

You already can push compose model and images to an OCI registry, and run compose app from there, so I guess we have a backup feature in place.

[sbOogway]

what do u mean by compose model?

[ndeloof]

compose file(s) + env + used docker images

[sbOogway]

but volumes are missing. that s the point of the feature i want to implement. include volumes for full restore

[ndeloof]

Assuming by "volume" you mean some local content being exposed to services by a bind mount.
Managing user data clearly is out of the scope of Docker Compose, up to you to implement your own mechanism