PostgreSQL Backup Console

A .NET Core console application that automates PostgreSQL database backups with configurable settings, logging, and retention policies. Perfect for scheduling regular backups of your PostgreSQL databases.

Features

• 🗃️ Automated backup of multiple PostgreSQL databases
• 📅 Configurable backup retention period
• 📝 Detailed logging with retention management
• 🔄 Compatible with Windows Task Scheduler
• ☁️ Configurable backup location (supports cloud storage paths)
• 🔒 Secure password handling
• ⚡ Asynchronous operations
• ❌ Robust error handling

Tested and found to work with:

• PostreSQL 13
• PostreSQL 17

Prerequisites

• .NET 8.0 or later
• PostgreSQL installed with pg_dump utility available in PATH
• Appropriate PostgreSQL user permissions for backup operations

Installation

1. Clone the repository or download the latest release
2. Configure the application settings in appsettings.json
3. Build the application:

dotnet build

Configuration

Update the appsettings.json file with your PostgreSQL settings:

json
{
  "PostgresSettings": {
    "Host": "localhost",
    "Port": 5432,
    "Username": "postgres",
    "Password": "your_password",
    "Database": "postgres",
    "BackupType": "Full",
    "BackupRetentionDays": 7,
    "BackupPath": "C:\\Your\\Backup\\Path"
  }
}

Configuration Parameters

Parameter	Description	Default
Host	PostgreSQL server hostname	localhost
Port	PostgreSQL server port	5432
Username	PostgreSQL user with backup privileges	postgres
Password	User password	-
Database	Default database (not used for backup selection)	postgres
BackupType	Type of backup to perform	Full
BackupRetentionDays	Number of days to keep backups	7
BackupPath	Directory where backups will be stored	-

Usage

Manual Execution

Run the application from the command line:

dotnet PostgresBackupConsole.dll

Task Scheduler Setup

1. Open Windows Task Scheduler
2. Create a new Basic Task
3. Set the trigger (schedule) as needed
4. Action: Start a program
5. Program/script: Path to PostgresBackupConsole.exe
6. Start in: Application directory path

Logging

• Logs are stored in the Logs directory
• Log files are named backup_log_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.txt
• Logs older than 30 days are automatically cleaned up
• Each backup operation is logged with timestamp and status

Backup Files

• Backups are stored in the configured backup path
• File naming format: DatabaseName_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.backup
• Files use PostgreSQL's custom format (.backup)
• Old backups are automatically removed based on retention days

Restoring Backups

To restore a backup, use the pg_restore utility: bash pg_restore -h localhost -p 5432 -U postgres -d database_name backup_file.backup

Error Handling

The application includes comprehensive error handling for:

• Database connection issues
• Backup process failures
• File system operations
• Configuration problems

All errors are logged to both console and log file.

Development

Project Structure

PostgresBackupConsole/
├── Models/
│ └── PostgresSettings.cs
├── Services/
│ ├── IPostgresService.cs
│ └── PostgresService.cs
├── Program.cs
├── appsettings.json
├── README.md
└-- MIT License

Building from Source

dotnet restore
dotnet build
dotnet publish -c Release

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Commit your changes
4. Push to the branch
5. Create a Pull Request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• Built with .NET 8.0
• Uses Npgsql for PostgreSQL connectivity
• Inspired by the need for simple, reliable database backups for my Davinci Resolve Project Server

Support

For issues, questions, or contributions, please create an issue in the GitHub repository.