Backup and restore

Note

This feature is available in Community, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions only.

DBeaver backs up and restores databases with each database's own native client tools, instead of moving data through DBeaver like the standard Data Transfer feature.

You can back up a single table, a schema, or a whole database. Select the object in the Database Navigator, right-click, and choose the backup command under Tools (or the main toolbar menu under Database -> Tools). To restore, pick the matching Restore command and point it at a backup file.

Tip

To run a SQL script directly through the database's native client, outside of restore, use the Execute script command. See Execute script with local client.

Supported databases¶

Classic databases	Cloud databases
CrateDB	AlloyDB
Greenplum	Google Cloud SQL for MySQL
MariaDB	Google Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL
Materialize
MySQL
PostgreSQL
SingleStore
TiDB
TimescaleDB
Yellowbrick
YugabyteDB
EnterpriseDB

Database specific settings¶

Each database system has its own backup and restore settings. This section covers the settings for MySQL and PostgreSQL.

MySQL¶

Backup MySQL database¶

Select the desired database.
Right-click on the database and choose Tools -> Dump database.
The Dump window opens. Select the objects you need and click Next.

The Export configuration tab opens with these checkboxes and fields:

Option/Field	Description
Execution Method	Method for execution. The default is Normal (no locks).
Execution Method options:	Normal (no locks): Default method. Dumps without locking any tables, so it causes minimal disruption.
	Online backup in single transaction: Dumps within a single transaction for a consistent snapshot. Best for transactional engines like InnoDB. Doesn't interrupt other operations but needs a higher isolation level.
	Lock all tables: Locks every table during the dump. Guarantees a consistent snapshot but can interrupt other operations.
No CREATE statements	Do not include `CREATE` statements in the dump.
Compressed	Include the `--compress` flag to enable network compression during dump.
Add DROP statements	Include `DROP` statements before CREATE statements.
Disable keys	Disable keys during the dump process.
Extended inserts	Use extended `INSERT` statements in the dump.
Dump events	Include events in the dump.
Additional comments	Include comments in the dump.
Remove DEFINER	Remove `DEFINER` clause from the dump.
Dump binaries in hex	Display binary data as `HEX` in the dump.
Structure only	Only dump table structures, not data.
Output folder	Specify the directory where the dump file will be saved. For Ultimate Edition, Team Edition, and CloudBeaver versions, users have the option to save to a remote file system using the Browser remote file system button .
Extra command args	Provide additional command-line arguments. See details in the Extra command arguments section.
Authenticate	Click to open the Authentication window where you can fill in the Username/Password for override.
Reset to default	Reset credentials to their default values.
Override host credentials	Use different host credentials, if necessary.
Local Client	Open a window to specify the path to the Local client. Learn more.

Note

The particular set of configuration options depends on the database type.

After configuring the settings, click Start.
When the process finishes, a notification appears with the details.
You'll find the backup file in the folder you set in the Export configuration step.

Restore MySQL database¶

Select the desired database.
Right-click on the database and choose Tools -> Restore database.

The Restore window opens. Enter the path to the SQL file you want to restore from in the designated field.

Example

path: /path/to/file.sql

Below are the settings for the restore process:

Setting Name	Description
Log Level	Choose the level of logging for the restore process.
Log Level options:	Normal: Standard logging. Captures the essential details of the restore and keeps logs short.
	Verbose: More detail than Normal. Adds context when you want to follow the process closely, without full debug output.
	Debug: The most detailed logging. Captures every event, including low-level operations. Best for troubleshooting.
Extra command args	Provide additional command-line arguments. See details in the Extra command arguments section.
Disable foreign key checks	Disable foreign key checks during the restore process.
Authenticate	Click to open the Authentication window where you can fill in the Username/Password for override.
Reset to default	Reset credentials to their default values.
Override host credentials	Use different host credentials, if necessary.
Local Client	Specify the path to the Local client.

After configuring the settings, click Start.
When the process finishes, a notification appears with the details.

Tip

In the input field for specifying the path to the SQL file, you can choose a file from a local directory or use the Browser remote file system button to select a file from a remote file system. This functionality is accessible to users of the Ultimate Edition, Team Edition, and CloudBeaver.

PostgreSQL¶

Backup PostgreSQL database¶

Select the desired database.
Right-click on the database and choose Tools -> Backup.
The Dump window opens. Select the objects you need and click Next.

Note
By default, when all schemas are selected, DBeaver enables the Complete backup checkbox and skips -n flags in the pg_dump command to include all database objects. Clear the checkbox to add -n for each selected schema and back up only those. For details, see the pg_dump --schema documentation.

Warning
When you select more than one schema, DBeaver ignores individual table selections and backs up each selected schema in full. To back up specific tables, select a single schema.

The Backup settings tab opens with these checkboxes and fields:

Setting	Description
Format	Choose the format for the dump. Options include Directory, Tar, Custom, and Plain.
Format options:	Directory: Splits the output into one file per table. Suitable for larger databases as it facilitates parallel restoration.
	Tar: Produces archive in tar format. Useful for backups since it can be read by standard tools.
	Custom: A flexible format that allows selective restore and other operations.
	Plain: Produces plain-text SQL script file. It can be used with psql for restoring.
Compression	Set the compression level for the dump, ranging from 0 (no compression) to 9 (maximum compression).
Encoding	Select the character encoding for the dump. The available encodings depend on database configuration and locale.
Use SQL INSERT instead of COPY for rows	Use the `INSERT` command instead of the `COPY` command for row data.
Do not backup privileges (GRANT/REVOKE)	Exclude privilege commands (`GRANT`/`REVOKE`) from the dump.
Discard objects owner	Exclude the ownership information from the dump.
Add drop database statement	Include a statement in the dump to drop the database before restoring.
Add create database statement	Include a statement in the dump to create the database when restoring.
Output folder	Specify the directory where the dump file will be saved. For Ultimate Edition, Team Edition, and CloudBeaver versions, users have the option to save to a remote file system using the Browser remote file system button.
File name pattern	Define the naming pattern for the dump file, with variables like `${database}` and `${timestamp}` to customize the filename.
Extra command args	Provide additional command-line arguments. See details in the Extra command arguments section.
Authentication	Click to open the Authentication window where you can fill in the Username/Password for override.
Reset to default	Reset credentials to their default values.
Override host credentials	Use different host credentials, if necessary.
Local Client	Specify the path to the Local client.

Note

The particular set of configuration options depends on the database type.

After configuring the settings, click Start.
When the process finishes, a notification appears with the details.
You'll find the backup file in the folder you set in the Backup settings step.

Global PostgreSQL database backup¶

When performing a Global PostgreSQL database Backup, the entire database is dumped, including roles and tablespaces. This differs from standard backup procedures where only specific schemas and their contents can be selected. Additionally, multiple databases can be chosen for backup at once in the global method.

To run a global backup:

Select the desired database.
Right-click on the database and choose Tools -> Global Backup.
The Global Dump window opens. Select the objects you need and click Next.

The Backup settings tab opens with these checkboxes and fields:

Setting	Description
Encoding	Set the character encoding for the backup.
Dump only the object definitions, not data	Includes only the structure of the database objects, excluding the data.
Dump only global objects, no databases	Includes only global objects and excludes individual databases.
Dump only roles	Includes only user roles.
Dump only tablespaces	Captures only tablespaces without the databases.
Do not backup privileges (GRANT/REVOKE)	Excludes privilege statements like `GRANT` and `REVOKE`.
Discard objects owner	Excludes the ownership information of the database objects.
Dump passwords for roles	Includes passwords associated with the user roles.
Output folder	Specify the directory where the dump file will be saved. For Ultimate Edition, Team Edition, and CloudBeaver versions, users have the option to save to a remote file system using the Browser remote file system button .
File name pattern	Define the naming pattern for the dump file, with variables like `${database}` and `${timestamp}` to customize the filename.
Extra command args	Provide additional command-line arguments. See details in the Extra command arguments section.
Authenticate	Click to open the Authentication window where you can fill in the Username/Password for override.
Reset to default	Reset credentials to their default values.
Override host credentials	Use different host credentials, if necessary.
Local Client	Specify the path to the Local client.

After configuring the settings, click Start.
When the process finishes, a notification appears with the details.
You'll find the backup file in the folder you set in the Global backup settings step.

Restore PostgreSQL database¶

Select the desired database.

Right-click on the database and choose Tools -> Restore.

Setting	Description
Format	Choose the format for the restore operation. Options include Directory, Tar, Custom, and Plain.
Format options:	Directory: Assumes the input consists of one file per table. Suitable for larger databases as it supports parallel restore.
	Tar: Assumes the input is an archive in tar format. This is useful when restoring backups made in tar format.
	Custom: A flexible input format that allows selective restore and other operations.
	Plain: Assumes the input is a plain-text SQL script file. Suitable for scripts that can be executed with psql.
Clean (drop) database objects before recreating them	Drop database objects before recreating them from the backup.
Create database	Create a new database from the backup.
Discard objects owner	Exclude ownership information during the restore.
Backup file	Specify the path to the backup file that you wish to restore. For Ultimate Edition, Team Edition, and CloudBeaver versions, use the Browser remote file system button to select a backup file from a remote file system via Cloud Storage.
Extra command args	Provide additional command-line arguments. See details in the Extra command arguments section.
Authentication	Click to open the Authentication window where you can fill in the Username/Password for override.
Reset to default	Reset credentials to their default values.
Local Client	Specify the path to the Local client.

After configuring the settings, click Start.
When the process finishes, a notification appears with the details.

Extra command arguments¶

The Extra command args field takes extra command-line arguments, giving you finer control over the dump.

For example, when configuring backup/restore for PostgreSQL, you may want to exclude specific tables. To exclude a table named employee_data, use the --exclude-table option. Enter --exclude-table=employee_data in the Extra command args field during the setup process.

By doing this, the resulting process won't contain any data or structure from the employee_data table.

Note

Always consult the database's official documentation for a comprehensive list and explanation of available command-line arguments.

Dump and restore operations as tasks¶

You can set up both restore and dump operations as tasks. To save an operation as a task, click the Save task button during the dump/restore process.

Info

For detailed instructions and features related to task management in DBeaver, refer to Task management article.

Troubleshooting¶

Backup, restore run through the database's native client tools. DBeaver doesn't bundle these tools, so you point it at a local installation.

Native client not found¶

DBeaver reports that the client binaries location isn't set, or that the client home can't be found. It couldn't locate the native client on your machine.

Install the client tools, then set the folder with the Local Client button in the tool window, or in the connection settings.

Info

For details, see Local Client Configuration.