Back up PostgreSQL

Back up the PostgreSQL metadata databases. They store users, workspaces, and platform state.

Production recommendation: use a hosted / managed PostgreSQL instance.

It simplifies backups, restores, and upgrades.

What to back up

Deployments use two databases on the same PostgreSQL host:

• Backend Database

• Core API Database

If you use external PostgreSQL

This is the recommended setup for production.

Back up both databases using your standard PostgreSQL tooling.

Examples:

• Managed snapshots

• PITR

• pg_dump (logical backup)

Make restores part of the plan. A backup without a tested restore is not a backup.

If you use the bundled PostgreSQL

Use this for dev/test only.

The Compose bundle typically creates a Docker volume named database-data.

Back up the Docker volume (for example using docker-volume-backup).

Configure external PostgresSQL (recommended)

It's recommended to use a managed PostgresSQL database host instead of the one created by Syntho docker compose manifest. Syntho application creates two databases on this host:

• syntho-backend for Backend service

• syntho-core for Core API service

To change the application to use an external database add the entries below to the .env file

DB_HOST=
DB_NAME=
DB_PORT=
DB_USER=
DB_PASSWORD=

After changing database settings restart the application

docker compose stop
docker compose up -d

Do not delete embedded volumes until the external database is verified working.