Exporting Backups to External Storage

Export backup collections to S3-compatible storage or filesystem for disaster recovery.

Export to S3

For large backups or disaster recovery, export directly to S3-compatible storage:

# Export a backup collection to S3
ydb export s3 \
  --s3-endpoint storage.yandexcloud.net \
  --bucket my-backup-bucket \
  --item src=.backups/collections/production_backups,dst=backups/production_backups

# Export specific backup to S3
ydb export s3 \
  --s3-endpoint storage.yandexcloud.net \
  --bucket my-backup-bucket \
  --item src=.backups/collections/production_backups/20250821141425Z_full,dst=backups/20250821141425Z_full

Export to filesystem

For smaller backups or local testing, export to local filesystem:

# Export a backup collection
ydb tools dump -p .backups/collections/production_backups -o /backup/exports/production_backups_export

# Export specific backup from a collection
ydb tools dump -p .backups/collections/production_backups/20250601120000Z_full -o /backup/exports/backup_20250601

Export best practices

  • Export each backup separately: Export full backups and incrementals individually to maintain chain integrity
  • Preserve chain order: When exporting a chain, export the full backup first, then incrementals in order
  • Verify exports: Check that exported data is complete before deleting cluster-stored backups
  • Schedule regular exports: Automate exports to external storage for disaster recovery

Next steps