---
layout: wiki
title: TracBackup
updated: 2021-04-16 08:14
author: trac
default: true
---

## Trac Backup

Trac backups are a copied snapshot of the entire [project environment](/briareus/notes/TracEnvironment/) directory, including the database. Backups can be created using the \`hotcopy\` command of [trac-admin](/briareus/notes/TracAdmin/).

**Note**: Trac uses the \`hotcopy\` nomenclature to match that of [Subversion](http://subversion.tigris.org/), to make it easier to remember when managing both Trac and Subversion servers.

### Creating a Backup

Create a backup of a live [TracEnvironment](/briareus/notes/TracEnvironment/) by running:

```sh
$ trac-admin /path/to/projenv hotcopy /path/to/backupdir
```

The database will be locked while hotcopy is running.

The resulting backup directory is safe to handle using standard file-based backup tools like \`tar\` or \`dump\`/\`restore\`.

Please note, the \`hotcopy\` command will not overwrite a target directory. When the target exists the operation will end with an error: \`Command failed: 17 File exists:\` This is discussed in #3198.

### Restoring a Backup

To restore an environment from a backup, stop the process running Trac, ie the web server or [tracd](/briareus/notes/TracStandalone/), restore the contents of your backup to your [project environment](/briareus/notes/TracEnvironment/) directory and restart the process.

If you are using a database other than SQLite, you'll need to restore the database from the dump file. The dump file is saved in the environment \`db\` directory.

To restore a PostgreSQL database backup, use the command:

```sh
$ psql -U <user> -d <database> -f /path/to/postgresql.dump
```

The \`<database>\` option is the same as the database connection string in the "[trac database"\] option of the project's \`trac.ini\` file.

Similarly, for MySQL:

```sh
$ mysql -u <user> -p <database> < /path/to/mysql.dump
```

---

See also: [TracAdmin](/briareus/notes/TracAdmin/), [TracEnvironment](/briareus/notes/TracEnvironment/), TracMigrate