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Version: Nightly

Data Export & Import

This guide describes how to use GreptimeDB's Export and Import tools for database data backup and restoration operations.

For detailed command-line options and advanced configurations, please refer to Data Export & Import.

Overview​

Export Operations​

Full Databases Backup​

Export all databases backup. This operation exports each database into a single directory, including all tables and their data.

# Export all databases backup
greptime cli data export \
    --addr localhost:4000 \
    --output-dir /tmp/backup/greptimedb

The output directory structure is as follows:

<output-dir>/
└── greptime/
    └── <database>/
        ├── create_database.sql
        ├── create_tables.sql
        ├── copy_from.sql
        └── <data files>

Schema-Only Operations​

Export only schemas without data. This operation exports CREATE TABLE statements into SQL files, allowing you to backup table structures without the actual data.

# Export only schemas
greptime cli data export \
    --addr localhost:4000 \
    --output-dir /tmp/backup/schemas \
    --target schema

Time-Range Based Backup​

# Export data within specific time range
greptime cli data export --addr localhost:4000 \
    --output-dir /tmp/backup/timerange \
    --start-time "2024-01-01 00:00:00" \
    --end-time "2024-01-31 23:59:59"

Specific Database Backup​

# To export a specific database
greptime cli data export \
    --addr localhost:4000 \
    --output-dir /tmp/backup/greptimedb \
    --database '{my_database_name}'

Import Operations​

Full Databases Backup​

Import all databases backup.

# Import all databases
greptime cli data import \
    --addr localhost:4000 \
    --input-dir /tmp/backup/greptimedb

Schema-Only Operations​

Import only schemas without data. This operation imports CREATE TABLE statements from SQL files, allowing you to restore table structures without the actual data.

# Import only schemas
greptime cli data import \
    --addr localhost:4000 \
    --input-dir /tmp/backup/schemas \
    --target schema

Specific Database Backup​

# The same applies to import tool
greptime cli data import \
    --addr localhost:4000 \
    --input-dir /tmp/backup/greptimedb \
    --database '{my_database_name}'

Best Practices​

  1. Parallelism Configuration

    • Adjust --export-jobs/--import-jobs based on available system resources
    • Start with a lower value and increase gradually
    • Monitor system performance during operations

  2. Backup Strategy

    • Incremental data backups using time ranges
    • Periodic backups for disaster recovery

  3. Error Handling

    • Use --max-retry for handling transient failures
    • Keep logs for troubleshooting

Performance Tips​

  1. Export Performance

    • Use time ranges for large datasets
    • Adjust parallel jobs based on CPU/Memory
    • Consider network bandwidth limitations

  2. Import Performance

    • Monitor database resources

Troubleshooting​

  1. Connection Errors

    • Verify server address and port
    • Check network connectivity
    • Ensure authentication credentials are correct

  2. Permission Issues

    • Verify read/write permissions on output/input directories

  3. Resource Constraints

    • Reduce parallel jobs
    • Ensure sufficient disk space
    • Monitor system resources during operations