# Backup & Restore MariaDB


Zerops provides automated data backup for MariaDB services with full encryption and flexible management options.

For general backup information including configuration, scheduling, and management options, see the [Zerops Backups](/features/backup) documentation, which covers:
- Backup scheduling and retention policies
- Tagging system and storage quotas
- Manual backup creation and CLI tools
- Security and encryption details

This page focuses on MariaDB-specific backup details.

## MariaDB Backup Format

MariaDB backups are created using `mariabackup` and stored in `.xb.gz` format:

- **Format**: `.xb.gz` (single archive)
- **Tooling**: `mariabackup`
- **Compression**: Uses `xbstream` format, gzip compressed
- **Storage**: Encrypted and stored in isolated object storage

## Restoring MariaDB Backups

To restore a MariaDB backup, follow these steps:

:::tip
If the backup is large and the export/import has higher demands, consider scaling up the RAM in the container before starting. You can use [zsc](/references/zsc) to temporarily scale up:
```bash
zsc scale ram +2GB 10m
```
:::

### Step 1: Deploy the restore helper service

Import the [MariaDB restore recipe](https://github.com/zeropsio/recipe-mariadb-restore) as a service into the project where your MariaDB service is located.

Use the `zerops-import.yaml` file from the repository to import the service. See the [import documentation](/references/import) for details, or follow the steps in the [recipe README](https://github.com/zeropsio/recipe-mariadb-restore?tab=readme-ov-file#deploy-on-zerops).

### Step 2: Get the backup download URL

1. Navigate to your MariaDB service in the Zerops GUI
2. Go to the **Backups List & Configuration** section
3. Find the backup you want to restore
4. Click the **three dots menu** (⋮) on that backup
5. Select **Copy download link**

### Step 3: Run the backup script

Connect to the `mariadbrestore` service using the GUI terminal or via [VPN](/references/networking/vpn) and [SSH](/references/networking/ssh).

:::note
To use environment variables from your MariaDB service in the backup and restore commands, make sure the `envIsolation` project variable is set to `none`. See [Environment Variable Isolation](/features/env-variables#environment-variable-isolation) and [Referencing Variables](/features/env-variables#referencing-variables) for details.
:::

Run the backup script:

```bash
backup.sh -d <source_database_name> -u "<backup_download_url>"
```

Verify the backup was created:

```bash
ls -lh backup.sql
```

:::note
You can also verify the backup file exists by checking the **File browser** in the `mariadbrestore` service.
:::

:::info
After the export completes, the terminal may become unresponsive. If this happens, refresh the terminal.
:::

### Step 4: Import data to the target database

Import the data to your target MariaDB database:

```bash
mariadb -u <target_user> -h <target_host> -p<target_password> <target_database_name> < backup.sql
```

Alternatively, you can download the `backup.sql` dump file for later use or to restore to a database outside of Zerops.

## High Availability

For MariaDB services running in High Availability mode:
- Backups are created on a randomly selected healthy node
- Other nodes remain operational during the backup process
- Manual backups typically run on the primary node

## Best Practices

- Always create a manual backup with a protected tag before database migrations or major schema changes
- Test your restore process periodically in a non-production environment
- Monitor your backup storage usage in the Project Overview
- Use descriptive tags like `pre-migration-v2` for important snapshots

For additional best practices and troubleshooting, refer to the [main backup documentation](/features/backup).