# Backup in PostgreSQL


Zerops provides automated data backup for PostgreSQL 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 PostgreSQL-specific backup details.

## PostgreSQL Backup Format

PostgreSQL backups are created using `pg_dump` and stored in `.zip` format:

- **Format**: `.zip` (containing per-schema `.dump` files)
- **Tooling**: `pg_dump`
- **Compression**: Custom format (`-Fc`), schema files named `schemaName.dump`
- **Storage**: Encrypted and stored in isolated object storage

## Restoring PostgreSQL Backups

To restore a PostgreSQL backup:

1. **Download** the backup file (`.zip`) from the Zerops UI
2. **Extract** the zip file to access the individual schema dump files
3. **Prepare** your target environment (clean existing data or use a new instance)
4. **Restore** using PostgreSQL native tools. Follow the [official PostgreSQL backup documentation](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/backup-dump.html) for detailed restore procedures, or use web-based management tools like phpMyAdmin or Adminer as described in [PostgreSQL Management](/postgresql/how-to/manage).

For assistance with the restoration process, contact Zerops support.

## High Availability

For PostgreSQL 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
- Consider the order of schema restoration if you have dependencies between schemas

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