System Maintenance

Backup and Restore

When deployed as described in the installation guide, the USO system uses a PostgreSQL database to store all data. It is crucial to regularly back up this database and any user data to prevent data loss. Backing up the database for an instance using the containerized deployment is straightforward, as the database is stored in a persistent volume.

The easiest way to backup the database in this case is to create an archive of the database directory, which contains the PostgreSQL data files. This can be done using the following command:

tar -czf backup-$(date +"%Y-%m-%d").tar.gz ./database

Restoring the database from this backup is as simple as extracting the archive into the database directory of USO instance.

Warning

To avoid data corruption, it is advisable to stop the application before backing up or restoring it.

Alternatively, if using an external database, follow the instructions at PostgreSQL documentation to create a backup of the database.

It is also recommended to back up the local directory, which contains site-specific configuration files. These files will not be overwritten during updates, but it is good practice to keep a backup of them as well.

Updating the USO System

The deployment scheme described in the installation guide allows for easy updates to the USO system. To update your instance, follow these steps:

Stop the Application: Before updating, it is a good practice to stop the application to prevent any data corruption or inconsistencies. You can do this by running:
```
podman-compose down
```
This command will stop all running containers associated with your USO instance.
Backup your current database: Using the method described under the Backup and Restore section above. For example:
```
tar -czf backup-$(date +"%Y-%m-%d").tar.gz ./database
```
Pull the Latest Changes: Navigate to the directory where you cloned the USO repository and pull the latest changes from the GitHub repository:
```
git pull origin main
```
Rebuild the Docker Image:
After pulling the latest changes, you need to rebuild the Docker image to include the updates. Run the following command:
```
./deploy/build-image.sh
```
This script will rebuild the Docker image with the latest code changes and create images tagged with the current version and will also change the label of the usonline:latest image to point to the newly built image.
Restart the Application: If your docker-compose.yml file is set up to reference the usonline:latest image, you can restart the application using the following command:
```
podman-compose up -d
```
This command will start the application in detached mode. All database migrations since the last release will be automatically applied and the application will start.