This guide outlines the steps to back up and restore a Dockerized instance of the FlexVertex Database Iron Edition, which uses bind mounts for persistent data storage and a Docker image for its runtime environment.
Note: If you haven't installed FlexVertex Iron Edition yet, refer to the Installation Guide before proceeding.
Note: FlexVertex configuration is stored within the bind-mounted directory.
Note: This guide assumes you initially created the ~/flexvertex directory during installation, mapped to /flexvertex inside the container. On Windows, the bind mount location will be elsewhere:
\wsl$\docker-desktop\mnt\docker-desktop-disk\data\docker\volumes
Adjust paths accordingly if you used a different directory.
Tip: The example image tag 1.0.46 reflects the current version used in the installation guide. Your deployment may use a different version number.
Find your version with:
docker images | grep flexvertex
Important: To ensure data consistency and integrity, stop the running FlexVertex container before performing a backup.
docker stop flexvertex
If the container was started in interactive mode with the --rm flag, it will be removed after stopping and must be re-created with your original docker run command.
Locate the Bind Mounts:
~/flexvertex directory on the host, mapped to /flexvertex in the container.docker inspect flexvertex
Backup the Data (Linux/macOS):
tar -czvf flexvertex_data_backup.tar.gz ~/flexvertex
Or use rsync:
rsync -av ~/flexvertex /backup/location/flexvertex
Backup the Data (Windows PowerShell):
Compress-Archive -Path "$env:USERPROFILE\flexvertex" -DestinationPath "flexvertex_data_backup.zip"
Save the Docker Image:
docker save flexvertex/datamultiverse-iron:1.0.46 > flexvertex_image_backup.tar
Verify the Backup:
ls -lh flexvertex_image_backup.tar
docker inspect flexvertex > flexvertex_config_backup.json
Warning: This will overwrite any existing data/configuration in the target directory.
Linux/macOS:
tar -xzvf flexvertex_data_backup.tar.gz -C ~/
Or:
rsync -av /backup/location/flexvertex ~/flexvertex
Windows PowerShell:
Expand-Archive -Path "flexvertex_data_backup.zip" -DestinationPath "$env:USERPROFILE"
Verify the Restoration: Ensure that files and subdirectories match the original.
Load the Saved Image:
docker load < flexvertex_image_backup.tar
Verify the Image:
docker images
You can start the service in daemon mode (recommended) or interactive mode (for testing/troubleshooting).
docker run -d --name flexvertex -p 8000:8000 -p 8080:8080 -p 10000:10000 \
--user $(id -u):$(id -g) \
-v ~/flexvertex:/flexvertex \
-e PASSWORD=your_chosen_administrative_password \
flexvertex/datamultiverse-iron:1.0.46
docker run --rm -it --name flexvertex -p 8000:8000 -p 8080:8080 -p 10000:10000 \
--user $(id -u):$(id -g) \
-v ~/flexvertex:/flexvertex \
-e PASSWORD=your_chosen_administrative_password \
flexvertex/datamultiverse-iron:1.0.46
Replace your_chosen_administrative_password with the admin password you originally set during installation.
Note: This mode uses --rm, which deletes the container when it stops. Useful for testing, but not ideal for long-running services.
Confirm the container is running:
docker ps
Check the logs:
docker logs flexvertex
Visit the login page:
http://localhost:8080
Use:
marco@flexvertex.com and Password: Polo for the sample DB/System/System/System/Admin and Password: your_chosen_administrative_password for admin accessCtrl-C (or Cmd-C on macOS)docker stop flexvertex
Backing up both ensures complete recoverability.
tar, rsync, or backup scripts.docker-compose.yml for easier orchestration and recovery.