Automated_Database_Backups.md

Skill: Automated Database Backups

Purpose

To ensure data is preserved and recoverable in case of corruption, accidental deletion, or catastrophic failure.

When to Use

• Always. For every production database.

Procedure

1. Scripting: Write a script (bash/python) to run pg_dump (Postgres) or mysqldump.
   • pg_dump -h $HOST -U $USER $DB | gzip > backup.sql.gz.
2. Upload: Stream or upload the file to offsite storage (AWS S3, Google Cloud Storage).
   • aws s3 cp backup.sql.gz s3://my-backups/$(date +%F)/.
3. Scheduling: Add to crontab: 0 2 * * * /path/to/backup.sh (Runs at 2 AM).
4. Retention Policy: Configure S3 Lifecycle Rules to delete backups older than X days.
5. Verification: Crucial. Regularly attempt to restore a backup to a test DB to ensure it works.

Constraints

• Encrypt backups at rest.
• Do not store backups on the same server as the database.
• Monitor the backup job (alert if it fails).

Expected Output

A reliable, automated system that produces daily/hourly backups stored securely offsite.