How to Backup and Restore DHIS2 (LXD-based Setup)¶

This guide explains in simple terms how to back up and restore a DHIS2 database when using LXD containers. Backups are automated using scripts provided by the dhis2-server-tools project.

What You Need to Know¶

• Backups protect your data in case of server crashes or corruption.
• Restoring a database inside an LXD container is a bit complex, but the restore script simplifies the process.

Backup Instructions¶

1. Automated Backup Script¶

The system already includes a script: /usr/local/bin/dhis2-backup

It does the following:

• Runs daily backups.
• Stores dumps in /var/pgbackups.
• Excludes analytics-related tables.
• Dumps and truncates the audit table.
• Supports encrypted backups.

2. What It Backs Up¶

• Regular database tables (excluding analytics)
• Audit table (and truncates it after backup)

3. Where the Backups Go¶

• All backups are saved in: /var/pgbackups/db-backup/ /var/pgbackups/audit-backup/

• Encrypted backups (optional) are stored similarly.

4. How It Works (Simplified)¶

• Settings are loaded from: /usr/local/etc/dhis/dhis2-env

• For each database, it:

• Dumps audit table.

• Truncates audit table.
• Dumps main database (excluding analytics).
• Optionally encrypts the dump.

Restore Instructions¶

1. Restore Script¶

Use this script: /usr/local/bin/dhis2-restoredb

You need:

• A .sql.gz file (your backup)
• The name of the database

2. What the Script Does¶

• Drops the old database (inside LXD container)
• Recreates the database with correct owner
• Restores the dump, ignoring ownership issues
• Reassigns any remaining root-owned objects

3. How to Run It¶

sudo /usr/local/bin/dhis2-restoredb /var/pgbackups/db-backup/mybackup.sql.gz dhis2

Make sure:

• PostgreSQL is running inside an LXD container named postgres
• The DB user matches the DB name (usually true in DHIS2)

Sample Restore Logic¶

sudo lxc exec postgres dropdb dhis2
sudo lxc exec postgres -- createdb -O dhis2 dhis2
zcat mybackup.sql.gz | grep -v 'ALTER .* OWNER' | sudo lxc exec postgres -- psql dhis2
echo "REASSIGN OWNED BY root TO dhis2" | sudo lxc exec postgres -- psql dhis2

Bonnes Pratiques¶

• Use dedicated PostgreSQL users for backups.
• Encrypt sensitive backups.
• Protect backup folders: chmod 750 on dirs, chmod 600 on files.

Résumé¶

DHIS2 deployments using dhis2-server-tools come pre-configured with backup and restore scripts:

• Backups happen daily, automatically.
• Backups are saved to /var/pgbackups.
• Restore is done using a script that handles permissions and ownership inside LXD.

These tools make PostgreSQL backup and restore reliable and simple, even in complex LXD environments.