Backup and restore

Backup and restore

Three things make up your Docveta:

What	Where
The database (document details, tags, users, search index)	PostgreSQL
The files (originals, searchable PDFs, thumbnails)	blobs/ in the data folder
docveta.conf in the data folder (database connection, secret key)	the data folder

Back up all three, and keep at least one copy on another device or in the cloud.

Built-in database: everything, the database included, is in the data folder (the database in its postgres subfolder). Stop Docveta, copy the whole data folder, start Docveta again. To restore, put the folder back while Docveta is stopped. The sections below are for your own PostgreSQL server.

Files are never changed after they're stored, and files Docveta no longer needs are only deleted a week later. So the safe order is: database first, then files. A backup taken that way is always consistent, even while Docveta runs.

Back up

Linux / macOS

# 1. database (adjust user/host; on Debian/Ubuntu run it as the postgres user)
pg_dump -Fc -U docveta -h localhost docveta > docveta-$(date +%F).dump
# 2. files and settings (restic, borg, rsync, or any backup tool)
restic -r /mnt/backup/docveta backup /var/lib/docveta

Run it nightly with cron or a systemd timer.

Windows

:: 1. database (pg_dump comes with PostgreSQL)
"C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\17\bin\pg_dump.exe" -Fc -U postgres -h localhost -f D:\Backup\docveta.dump docveta
:: 2. files and settings
robocopy C:\ProgramData\Docveta D:\Backup\DocvetaData /MIR /XD tmp logs

Put both lines in a .bat file and schedule it with Task Scheduler. Tools like Veeam Agent, Duplicati or Macrium also work for the data folder.

Docker

docker compose exec -T db pg_dump -U docveta -Fc docveta > docveta-$(date +%F).dump
restic -r /mnt/backup/docveta backup ./data

Restore

1. Install Docveta and PostgreSQL (same or newer versions).
2. Create an empty database and restore it:

   createdb -U postgres -O docveta docveta
   pg_restore -U postgres -d docveta --no-owner --role=docveta docveta-YYYY-MM-DD.dump

3. Put the data folder back, including its docveta.conf (adjust DOCVETA_DATABASE_URL in it if the database moved).
4. Start Docveta and check everything:

   docveta doctor --verify-blobs

Without the original DOCVETA_SECRET_KEY, everything still works except stored passwords (email server, single sign-on, notification channels), which you then enter again.

Moving to a new computer

Same as a restore: back up on the old machine, install on the new one, restore, start.