PlanetScale CLI commands: backup

Getting Started

Make sure to first set up your PlanetScale developer environment. Once you’ve installed the pscale CLI, you can interact with PlanetScale and manage your databases straight from the command line.

The `backup` command

This command allows you to create, list, show, update, restore, and delete branch backups for Vitess, Neki, and Postgres databases, and manage scheduled backup policies. Usage:

pscale backup <SUB-COMMAND> <FLAG>

Available sub-commands

Sub-command	Sub-command flags	Description	Product
`create <DATABASE_NAME> <BRANCH_NAME>`	`--name`	Backup a branch’s data and schema	Postgres, Vitess, Neki
`delete <DATABASE_NAME> <BRANCH_NAME> <BACKUP_ID>`	`--force`	Delete a branch backup	Postgres, Vitess, Neki
`list <DATABASE_NAME> <BRANCH_NAME>`		List all backups of a branch	Postgres, Vitess, Neki
`policy list <DATABASE_NAME>`		List backup policies for a database	Postgres, Vitess, Neki
`policy show <DATABASE_NAME> <POLICY_ID>`		Show a backup policy	Postgres, Vitess, Neki
`policy create <DATABASE_NAME>`	`--target`, `--retention-value`, `--retention-unit`, `--frequency-value`, `--frequency-unit`, `--schedule-time`, `--name`, `--schedule-day`, `--schedule-week`	Create a backup policy	Postgres, Vitess, Neki
`policy update <DATABASE_NAME> <POLICY_ID>`	`--name`, `--target`, `--retention-value`, `--retention-unit`, `--frequency-value`, `--frequency-unit`, `--schedule-time`, `--schedule-day`, `--schedule-week`	Update a backup policy	Postgres, Vitess, Neki
`policy delete <DATABASE_NAME> <POLICY_ID>`	`--force`	Delete a backup policy	Postgres, Vitess, Neki
`restore <DATABASE_NAME> <NEW_BRANCH_NAME> <BACKUP_ID>`	`--cluster-size`, `--replicas`, `--config-profile`, `--router`	Restore a backup to a new branch	Postgres, Vitess, Neki
`restore show <DATABASE_NAME> <SOURCE_BRANCH_NAME> <BACKUP_ID>`		Preview the Neki configuration-profile and router sizes a restore will use if you do not override them	Neki
`show <DATABASE_NAME> <BRANCH_NAME> <BACKUP_ID>`		Show a specific backup of a branch	Postgres, Vitess, Neki
`update <DATABASE_NAME> <BRANCH_NAME> <BACKUP_ID>`	`--protected`*	Update a backup’s protected status	Postgres, Vitess, Neki

* Flag is required

Sub-command flag descriptions

Sub-command flag	Description	Applicable sub-commands
`--name`	Optional name for an on-demand backup or backup policy.	`create`, `policy create`, `policy update`
`--cluster-size`	Cluster size for the restored branch. Optional for Neki; omit it to keep the source default configuration-profile size.	`restore`
`--replicas`	Number of additional replicas for a Postgres or Neki restore. `0` creates a single-node Postgres branch; Neki requires a highly available configuration. Omit to use the target cluster size default. Not used for Vitess.	`restore`
`--config-profile`	Neki restore override: `name=<profile>[,cluster-size=<size>][,replicas=<n>]`. Repeatable. Omitted profiles inherit the source.	`restore`
`--router`	Neki restore override: `name=<router>[,size=<sku>][,replicas-per-cell=<n>]`. Repeatable. Omitted routers inherit the source.	`restore`
`--target`	Branch target: `production` or `development`.	`policy create`, `policy update`
`--retention-value`	Retention period value.	`policy create`, `policy update`
`--retention-unit`	Retention unit: `hour`, `day`, `week`, `month`, or `year`.	`policy create`, `policy update`
`--frequency-value`	Frequency value.	`policy create`, `policy update`
`--frequency-unit`	Frequency unit: `hour`, `day`, `week`, or `month`.	`policy create`, `policy update`
`--schedule-time`	Schedule time of day in `HH:MM` format.	`policy create`, `policy update`
`--schedule-day`	Day of week (`0`=Sunday … `6`=Saturday); used for weekly/monthly schedules.	`policy create`, `policy update`
`--schedule-week`	Week of month (`0`=first … `3`=fourth); used for monthly schedules.	`policy create`, `policy update`
`--force`	Delete a backup or backup policy without confirmation.	`delete`, `policy delete`
`--protected`	Protect the backup from deletion (`--protected=false` to disable). Required on `update`.	`update`

Available flags

Flag	Description
`-h`, `--help`	View help for `backup` command
`--org <ORGANIZATION_NAME>`	The organization for the current user

Global flags

Command	Description
`--api-token <TOKEN>`	The API token to use for authenticating against the PlanetScale API.
`--api-url <URL>`	The base URL for the PlanetScale API. Default is `https://api.planetscale.com/`.
`--config <CONFIG_FILE>`	Config file. Default is `$HOME/.config/planetscale/pscale.yml`.
`--debug`	Enable debug mode.
`-f`, `--format <FORMAT>`	Show output in a specific format. Possible values: `human` (default), `json`, `csv`.
`--no-color`	Disable color output.
`--service-token <TOKEN>`	The service token for authenticating.
`--service-token-id <TOKEN_ID>`	The service token ID for authenticating.

Examples

The `list` sub-command with `--org` flag

Command:

pscale backup list <DATABASE_NAME> <BRANCH_NAME> --org <ORGANIZATION_NAME>

Output:

ID             NAME                  STATE     SIZE    CREATED AT    UPDATED AT    STARTED AT    EXPIRES AT          COMPLETED AT
-------------- --------------------- --------- ------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------------- --------------
xxxxxxxx   2022.02.11 16:01:03   success   24.1M   3 hours ago   3 hours ago   3 hours ago   1 day from now      3 hours ago
xxxxxxxx   2022.02.10 16:01:03   success   23.2M   1 day ago     1 day ago     1 day ago     20 hours from now   1 day ago

The `show` sub-command

Command:

pscale backup show <DATABASE_NAME> <BRANCH_NAME> <BACKUP_ID>

You can find the <BACKUP_ID> by running the pscale backup list <DATABASE_NAME> <BRANCH_NAME> command. Output:

ID             NAME                  STATE     SIZE    CREATED AT    UPDATED AT    STARTED AT    EXPIRES AT          COMPLETED AT
-------------- --------------------- --------- ------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------------- --------------
xxxxxxxx   2022.02.11 16:01:03   success   24.1M   3 hours ago   3 hours ago   3 hours ago   1 day from now      3 hours ago

Manage backup policies

Backup policies define automatic backup frequency, schedule, and retention for production or development branches. This is separate from one-off backups created with pscale backup create.

pscale backup policy list <DATABASE_NAME>
pscale backup policy create <DATABASE_NAME> \
  --target production \
  --retention-value 7 \
  --retention-unit day \
  --frequency-value 1 \
  --frequency-unit day \
  --schedule-time 02:00
pscale backup policy update <DATABASE_NAME> <POLICY_ID> --retention-value 14
pscale backup policy delete <DATABASE_NAME> <POLICY_ID>

Restore a backup to a new branch

<NEW_BRANCH_NAME> is the branch to create. It must not already exist. Identify the backup by ID; the source branch is not a restore argument.

pscale backup restore <DATABASE_NAME> <NEW_BRANCH_NAME> <BACKUP_ID>

For Neki, omitted configuration-profile and router sizes inherit the live source branch. Preview those defaults first:

pscale backup restore show <DATABASE_NAME> <SOURCE_BRANCH_NAME> <BACKUP_ID>

Override individual Neki configuration profiles or routers. name is required; size and replica count are optional per entry.

pscale backup restore <DATABASE_NAME> <NEW_BRANCH_NAME> <BACKUP_ID> \
  --config-profile name=default,cluster-size=PS_40,replicas=2 \
  --config-profile name=analytics,replicas=2 \
  --router name=default,size=NKR-20,replicas-per-cell=1

--config-profile and --router are Neki-only. Sidecar, admin, and parameter settings are not restored. You can also restore with pscale branch create --restore.

Protect a backup from deletion

--protected is required. Use --protected=false to turn protection off.

pscale backup update <DATABASE_NAME> <BRANCH_NAME> <BACKUP_ID> --protected
pscale backup update <DATABASE_NAME> <BRANCH_NAME> <BACKUP_ID> --protected=false

Need help?

Get help from the PlanetScale Support team, or join our Discord community to see how others are using PlanetScale.

Introduction

Using the pscale CLI

CLI command reference

PlanetScale CLI commands: backup

Getting Started

The `backup` command

Available sub-commands

Sub-command flag descriptions

Available flags

Global flags

Examples

The `list` sub-command with `--org` flag

The `show` sub-command

Manage backup policies

Restore a backup to a new branch

Protect a backup from deletion

Need help?

​Getting Started

​The backup command

​Available sub-commands

​Sub-command flag descriptions

​Available flags

​Global flags

​Examples

​The list sub-command with --org flag

​The show sub-command

​Manage backup policies

​Restore a backup to a new branch

​Protect a backup from deletion

​Need help?

Getting Started

The `backup` command

Available sub-commands

Sub-command flag descriptions

Available flags

Global flags

Examples

The `list` sub-command with `--org` flag

The `show` sub-command

Manage backup policies

Restore a backup to a new branch

Protect a backup from deletion

Need help?