> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.stackshift.cloud/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Back up and restore a database

> Use the current S3-backed database backup and restore model with the correct operational expectations.

<Tip>
  **Live.** This area is documented as current, user-reliable behavior.
</Tip>

## Goal

Restore a database confidently without assuming legacy AWS/EBS behavior.

## Prerequisites

* A managed database
* S3 backup storage configured on the control plane

## Workflow

<Steps>
  <Step>
    Create or inspect completed backups from the database view.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Restore only from a completed backup.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Verify connectivity and application behavior after restore.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What backups cover

Database backups are S3-backed snapshots taken on the control plane — not the older AWS/EBS model some stale docs describe. Manual backups are a plan feature, and backup testing lets you validate a backup is restorable before you depend on it.

## Restore, then verify

* Only restore from a completed backup; the database moves through a restoring state during recovery.
* After restore, verify connectivity with the current credentials and check application behavior.
* A finished restore means the data is back — confirm the app actually works rather than trusting the status alone.

## Clone vs restore

Restore recovers a database from one of its backups. Clone makes a separate copy of a database (a plan feature) — useful for spinning up a staging or test copy without touching the original. Reach for clone when you want a parallel copy, and restore when you need to recover.

## Expected result

<Check>
  Database backup and recovery behavior is predictable and grounded in the current implementation.
</Check>

## Common failures

<Warning>
  * S3 backup storage is not configured on the control plane, so backups cannot be created.
  * Restoring from an incomplete or failed backup.
  * Manual backups or clone are unavailable on the current plan.
</Warning>

## Related guides

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Database troubleshooting" href="/databases/database-troubleshooting">
    Common issues around provisioning, connectivity, backup configuration, and restore progress.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Create a database" href="/databases/create-a-database">
    Provision a managed database and understand the minimum runtime and recovery expectations around it.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Recovery states, logs, and troubleshooting" href="/operations/recovery-logs-and-troubleshooting">
    Read the operation state on a resource — its status, current step, attempt count, retryable flag, and last error — together with logs, instead of treating a single “error” badge as the whole story.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>