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If the disk is still readable, copy the data while the application is quiet or stopped. For a database, use the database’s own dump and restore tools, or a stopped-server file copy. Copying a live database’s files while it writes is the usual way to end up with a backup that restores but is internally inconsistent.
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Reduce writes and record what you are running
If the disk is deteriorating, the first goal is to stop generating unnecessary writes. Avoid large rebuilds, image pulls, log-heavy debugging, and maintenance jobs that rewrite data. Do not run filesystem repair tools on a disk that is already returning I/O errors without first having a copy of what matters; a repair run can make a marginal situation worse. This article covers planned migration, not recovery from a disk that is actively losing data.
Then record the deployment so you can rebuild it elsewhere. Run these on the current host and save the output off the failing disk:
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docker compose lsanddocker compose -f /path/to/compose.yaml configto capture the fully resolved configuration, including interpolated environment values.docker compose ps --format jsonto record image tags, published ports and restart policies.docker volume lsto list named volumes, anddocker inspect -f '{{ json .Mounts }}' CONTAINER_NAMEfor each container to see the source and destination of every volume and bind mount.- The contents of every
.envfile, secrets files, and any TLS or key material the app reads from the host. - The application’s own backup documentation, copied to a location that is not the failing disk.
Keep in mind that a volume name tells you almost nothing about what is stored in it. Before you copy anything, confirm which application or database writes to each volume, and whether that software can be backed up while running.
Find every place the application keeps state
Named volumes are only part of the picture. Compose bind mounts, anonymous volumes, and application-specific paths outside Docker can each hold data you cannot afford to lose. A useful inventory covers these categories:
- Database files: the data directory of PostgreSQL, MySQL/MariaDB, MongoDB or another engine, in a named volume or a bind mount.
- User uploads and attachments: media folders, document stores, and object-storage caches on local disk.
- Configuration and secrets: environment files, config files mounted read-only into containers, API keys, and signing or encryption keys.
- Repositories and generated content: git repositories, search indexes, and build outputs the app treats as authoritative.
- Queues and scheduled work: job queues or cron state that determines whether background work resumes correctly.
OpenProject’s migration guide is a useful model because it treats the migration as several datasets: a database dump, attachments, configuration and secrets, and repository data where the installation uses it. Your app will differ, but the checklist shape is the same.
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Choose a copy method for each dataset
There are four workable approaches. They differ mainly in consistency guarantees, downtime, and how much you can verify afterward.
| Method | Best for | Consistency | Downtime | Verification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application or database native dump and restore | Databases and apps with an export feature | Consistent as of the dump, when the tool takes it in a transactional way | Usually a write freeze while the dump runs; length depends on data size | Restore into the new host and run the app’s own checks |
| Stopped database file copy | Large database clusters where a dump is slow | Usable only if the server shut down cleanly; PostgreSQL 17 documentation states the server must be shut down to get a usable file-level backup | Full stop of the database for the copy | Start the restored cluster and check it |
| Consistent filesystem snapshot or staged rsync | Large data on filesystems that support atomic snapshots | Only when the database’s snapshot requirements are met; all files must be captured together, including WAL where the engine requires it | Short if snapshots are taken correctly; a stop is still needed for a final sync in some engines | Restore to a test host before relying on it |
| Docker volume archive | Uploads, attachments, and other non-database volume contents | A transfer mechanism. It does not by itself make a running database’s files consistent | Stop the writing container for the archive | Check the archive is readable and restore into a test volume |
For most self-hosted stacks, the database should go through its native dump or a stopped-server copy, and the uploads should go through a volume archive or file copy with the application stopped. Mixing those, with a dump taken at one time and uploads taken at another, can leave the database and files out of step. Take them within the same quiet window and note the time.
Why live copies of database files are risky
A running database keeps data in memory, in write-ahead logs, and in data files that are updated at different moments. Copying those files while the server runs captures a moment that may never have existed on disk as a single state. PostgreSQL’s documentation on file-system-level backups states that a raw copy is only usable if the server is shut down, unless you use a supported consistent snapshot method. If the data spans more than one filesystem, the snapshots must be taken at the same instant, and the write-ahead log needed to replay them must be included. Other engines have their own rules. Check the documentation for yours before assuming a live copy will restore.
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Prepare the destination host
- Provision a server with enough free disk for your measured data size plus room for the archives and the restored copy. Measure with
du -shon each bind mount directory anddocker system df -vfor volumes, rather than guessing. - Install Docker Engine and the Compose plugin following Docker’s official instructions for the destination operating system.
- Use the same major version of the database and the same application version as the source. A different major version means an upgrade step, covered below, and should not be combined with the host move on the first attempt.
- Recreate the Compose project from your saved configuration, but do not start it yet against live data. Keep the same project name if you want volume names to match.
- Create destination volumes and bind-mount directories deliberately with
docker volume create DEST_VOLUMEandmkdir -p. A new, empty volume lets the application start cleanly with no data, which looks like success until users report missing records. - Make sure the old and new hosts cannot both accept writes. Stop the new stack’s public endpoint or firewall it until cutover.
Make the final consistent copy
Plan a maintenance window. Its length depends on your data size and how long the application takes to stop cleanly, so measure it on a test copy before the real move if you can.
- Announce and stop writes. Put the application in maintenance mode if it has one, then stop its writing containers. On Compose use
docker compose stop SERVICErather thandocker compose down -v, which removes containers and the volumes must not be removed. - Dump the database with its own tool. For PostgreSQL in a Compose service named
db, a custom-format dump looks like this:docker compose exec -T db pg_dump -U DB_USER -Fc DB_NAME > /mnt/backup/db-$(date +%F).dump
Confirm the dump file is not empty and can be listed withpg_restore --list. Other engines have their own dump tools; use the one your application documents. - Archive non-database volumes. A helper container can read a source volume read-only and write a tar archive to a backup directory:
docker run --rm -v SOURCE_VOLUME:/source:ro -v /mnt/backup:/backup alpine tar czf /backup/SOURCE_VOLUME.tar.gz -C /source .
Use an image tag you have pinned and tested. Running the helper as root keeps file ownership inside the archive. - Copy bind-mounted directories and configuration. Use
rsync -aor a comparable method that preserves ownership, permissions, and timestamps. Copy the configuration and secrets files as well. - Move the backups off the failing disk. Copy them to a different physical device or to a remote destination. An archive stored only on the failing disk is not an independent backup.
- Verify before you rely on it. Record checksums with
sha256sumon the source, recheck them on the destination after transfer, and list each archive withtar tzfto confirm it is readable.
Optional: where to stage the backup
Staging space can be a second internal disk, a network share, a remote object store, or a portable external drive. Choose capacity from the measured size of your data plus the dump and archive copies, and keep at least one copy off the failing host.
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Restore each dataset to its intended destination. The database goes through its restore tool into the database volume; uploads and attachments go to their expected volume or bind mount; configuration and secrets go to the same environment files the Compose project reads. For example, a custom-format PostgreSQL dump restores with pg_restore --clean --if-exists -U DB_USER -d DB_NAME /mnt/backup/db.dump into a running database service on the new host.
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Keep the application’s secret values unchanged where the app documents them as part of session or token continuity. OpenProject’s guide warns that changing its SECRET_KEY_BASE invalidates existing sessions and can disrupt some tokens. Other applications behave differently, so read your own documentation before you regenerate any key.
Start the restored stack and check it in this order:
- Container status and health checks with
docker compose ps, followed by logs withdocker compose logs --tail 200for each service. - Sign-in with an existing account, and a sign-in that uses a session created before the move if you have one.
- Representative records: open a recent item, a historic one, and one that links to other records.
- Uploaded files and attachments: open a file and confirm its checksum matches the source where the app exposes it.
- Background jobs: confirm queued work runs and scheduled tasks fire, since OpenProject’s migration checks include background-job behavior.
Only treat the migration as complete when these checks pass on the new host. A container that says it is running does not show that the data is correct.
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Cut over and keep the old host recoverable
Once the new instance passes the application checks, switch DNS, the reverse proxy, or the load balancer to the new host. The exact steps depend on your deployment. The sources behind this guide do not establish how long DNS changes take to propagate, or how long a rollback window should last in your environment. Work those values out for your own setup and test the rollback path before you need it.
Keep the old host stopped or read-only but intact until the new instance has run long enough to be trusted. If both hosts accept writes, a rollback can overwrite good data or leave two divergent histories. If you must roll back, prefer restoring the old host from the dump you took before cutover, and reconcile any writes made on the new host by hand.
If the move also changes database major versions
A raw data-directory copy only works between compatible server versions. Moving to a new major version is a separate operation. PostgreSQL’s pg_upgrade has version-specific constraints, and its link mode has consequences: after linking, the old cluster can no longer be safely started, so it is not a rollback path. If you need both a host move and a major upgrade, do the host move on the same version first, verify it, then upgrade on the new host with a tested procedure. Keep a fresh dump from before the upgrade.
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