In the world of DevOps, ensuring the safety and availability of your data is paramount. For those using a self-hosted GitLab instance running in Docker, setting up a reliable backup strategy is crucial. This article will guide you through the process of backing up your GitLab instance to safeguard your repositories, configurations, and other critical data.

Why Backup Your GitLab Instance?

GitLab is a powerful tool for managing repositories, CI/CD pipelines, and more. However, without a proper backup strategy, you risk losing valuable data due to hardware failures, accidental deletions, or other unforeseen events. Regular backups ensure that you can quickly restore your GitLab instance to a working state, minimizing downtime and data loss.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding, ensure you have the following:

1. A self-hosted GitLab instance running in Docker.
2. Access to the server hosting your GitLab instance.
3. Basic knowledge of Docker commands and shell scripting.
4. Sufficient storage space for backups.

Backup Strategy Overview

The backup process involves creating a snapshot of your GitLab instance, including repositories, configurations, and other data. We’ll use GitLab’s built-in backup utility, which is designed to work seamlessly with Docker installations.

Step-by-Step Backup Process

Step 1: Stop GitLab Services

To ensure data consistency, it’s recommended to stop GitLab services before creating a backup. You can do this by executing the following command:

docker exec -t <gitlab-container-name> gitlab-ctl stop

Replace <gitlab-container-name> with the name of your GitLab Docker container.

Step 2: Create a Backup

GitLab provides a built-in command to create a backup. Run the following command to generate a backup file:

docker exec -t <gitlab-container-name> gitlab-backup create

By default, the backup file will be stored in /var/opt/gitlab/backups within the container. You can customize the backup location by setting the GITLAB_BACKUP_DIR environment variable.

Step 3: Start GitLab Services

Once the backup is complete, restart the GitLab services:

docker exec -t <gitlab-container-name> gitlab-ctl start

Step 4: Copy Backup to Host

To ensure the backup is safe, copy it from the container to the host machine:

docker cp <gitlab-container-name>:/var/opt/gitlab/backups/<backup-file> /path/to/host/backup/directory

Replace <backup-file> with the name of the backup file and /path/to/host/backup/directory with the desired location on your host machine.

Step 5: Automate the Backup Process

To automate the backup process, consider creating a shell script and scheduling it with cron. Here’s a simple example script:

#!/bin/bash

# Variables
CONTAINER_NAME="<gitlab-container-name>"
BACKUP_DIR="/path/to/host/backup/directory"

# Stop GitLab services
docker exec -t $CONTAINER_NAME gitlab-ctl stop

# Create a backup
docker exec -t $CONTAINER_NAME gitlab-backup create

# Start GitLab services
docker exec -t $CONTAINER_NAME gitlab-ctl start

# Copy backup to host
docker cp $CONTAINER_NAME:/var/opt/gitlab/backups/$(date +%s)_gitlab_backup.tar $BACKUP_DIR

Schedule the script using cron to run at your desired frequency.

Conclusion

Backing up your self-hosted GitLab instance running in Docker is a straightforward process that can save you from potential data loss. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can ensure that your GitLab data is safe and recoverable. Remember to regularly test your backups to verify their integrity and restore capabilities.

References

• GitLab Backup and Restore Documentation
• Docker Documentation