---
title: 'Backup guide'
linkTitle: 'Backup guide'
weight: 11
---

<!--lint disable heading-style-->

## About CVAT data volumes

Docker volumes are used to store all CVAT data:

- `cvat_db`: PostgreSQL database files, used to store information about users, tasks, projects, annotations, etc.
  Mounted into `cvat_db` container by `/var/lib/postgresql/data` path.

- `cvat_data`: used to store uploaded and prepared media data.
  Mounted into `cvat` container by `/home/django/data` path.

- `cvat_keys`: used to store user ssh keys needed for [synchronization with a remote Git repository](/docs/for-users/user-guide/task-synchronization/).
  Mounted into `cvat` container by `/home/django/keys` path.

- `cvat_logs`: used to store logs of CVAT backend processes managed by supevisord.
  Mounted into `cvat` container by `/home/django/logs` path.

- `cvat_events`: this is an optional volume that is used only when [Analytics component](/docs/for-developers/analytics/)
  is enabled and is used to store Elasticsearch database files.
  Mounted into `cvat_elasticsearch` container by `/usr/share/elasticsearch/data` path.

## How to backup all CVAT data

All CVAT containers should be stopped before backup:

```console
docker-compose stop
```

Please don't forget to include all the compose config files that were used in the docker-compose command
using the `-f` parameter.

Backup data:

```console
mkdir backup
docker run --rm --name temp_backup --volumes-from cvat_db -v $(pwd)/backup:/backup ubuntu tar -cjvf /backup/cvat_db.tar.bz2 /var/lib/postgresql/data
docker run --rm --name temp_backup --volumes-from cvat -v $(pwd)/backup:/backup ubuntu tar -cjvf /backup/cvat_data.tar.bz2 /home/django/data
# [optional]
docker run --rm --name temp_backup --volumes-from cvat_elasticsearch -v $(pwd)/backup:/backup ubuntu tar -cjvf /backup/cvat_events.tar.bz2 /usr/share/elasticsearch/data
```

Make sure the backup archives have been created, the output of `ls backup` command should look like this:

```console
ls backup
cvat_data.tar.bz2  cvat_db.tar.bz2  cvat_events.tar.bz2
```

## How to restore CVAT from backup

Note: CVAT containers must exist (if no, please follow the [installation guide](/docs/for-users/installation/#quick-installation-guide)).
Stop all CVAT containers:

```console
docker-compose stop
```

Restore data:

```console
cd <path_to_backup_folder>
docker run --rm --name temp_backup --volumes-from cvat_db -v $(pwd):/backup ubuntu bash -c "cd /var/lib/postgresql/data && tar -xvf /backup/cvat_db.tar.bz2 --strip 4"
docker run --rm --name temp_backup --volumes-from cvat -v $(pwd):/backup ubuntu bash -c "cd /home/django/data && tar -xvf /backup/cvat_data.tar.bz2 --strip 3"
# [optional]
docker run --rm --name temp_backup --volumes-from cvat_elasticsearch -v $(pwd):/backup ubuntu bash -c "cd /usr/share/elasticsearch/data && tar -xvf /backup/cvat_events.tar.bz2 --strip 4"
```

After that run CVAT as usual:

```console
docker-compose up -d
```

## Additional resources

[Docker guide about volume backups](https://docs.docker.com/storage/volumes/#backup-restore-or-migrate-data-volumes)