> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.alpha-security.app/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.alpha-security.app/deployment/backups.md).

# Backups

All persistent data lives in PostgreSQL. Back up the database and you've backed up everything that matters.

## Docker Compose

If you're running the production compose file, the database is in the `pgdata` volume. Dump it with:

```bash
docker compose -f docker-compose.prod.yml exec postgres \
  pg_dump -U al alpha > backup_$(date +%Y%m%d).sql
```

To restore:

```bash
docker compose -f docker-compose.prod.yml exec -T postgres \
  psql -U al alpha < backup_20260718.sql
```

## Standalone Postgres

```bash
pg_dump -h localhost -U al alpha > backup_$(date +%Y%m%d).sql
```

## What's covered

The database holds everything: engagements, runs, raw output, parsed entities, the graph, operator accounts, findings, and report data. A database backup is a full backup.

If you're using the S3 object store for large binary artifacts, those are stored outside the database. Back up the S3 bucket (or MinIO data directory) separately.

## Automation

A cron job is the simplest way to automate backups:

```bash
# Daily at 2 AM, keep 30 days
0 2 * * * docker compose -f /path/to/docker-compose.prod.yml exec -T postgres pg_dump -U al alpha | gzip > /backups/alpha_$(date +\%Y\%m\%d).sql.gz
0 3 * * * find /backups -name "alpha_*.sql.gz" -mtime +30 -delete
```

## Testing restores

A backup you've never restored is a backup you don't have. Test it periodically:

```bash
createdb -U al alpha_restore_test
psql -U al alpha_restore_test < backup_20260718.sql
# verify data, then drop it
dropdb -U al alpha_restore_test
```


---

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