tpaw Docs

Backup & Recovery

Create and restore PostgreSQL database backups in tpaw using pg_dump and pg_restore.

The Backup panel provides a graphical interface for pg_dump and pg_restore. Create a full database dump, schedule regular backups, or restore from a previous backup — all without writing shell commands.

Requirements

tpaw uses the pg_dump and pg_restore command-line tools that come with PostgreSQL. They must be installed and accessible on your system.

macOS installation:

brew install postgresql

Verify installation:

pg_dump --version

If tpaw can't find pg_dump, check that /usr/local/bin or /opt/homebrew/bin is in your PATH.

Creating a backup

  1. Open the Backup panel from the Monitor section
  2. Click Create Backup
  3. In the backup modal, configure:
    • Version — PostgreSQL version for the pg_dump binary (auto-detected from server)
    • Scope — Full (schema + data), Schema only, or Data only
    • Compression — 0 (none), 1 (fast), 6 (default), 9 (max)
    • Options — No owner, Clean (DROP before restore), If exists
  4. Click Backup and choose an output file path

tpaw runs pg_dump in the background and shows progress. A status bar at the bottom of the screen tracks ongoing backups.

Backup scope options

ScopeWhat it includesUse case
Full (schema + data)Complete schema and all dataStandard database backup
Schema onlyTable/index/constraint definitions, no dataCopy DB structure to another environment
Data onlyRow data only, no DDLMigrate data into an existing schema

pg_dump not found

If tpaw shows "pg_dump not found", install the PostgreSQL client tools:

brew install postgresql

Or download Postgres.app which includes pg_dump. Restart tpaw after installation.

Restoring from a backup

  1. Click Restore in the Backup panel
  2. Select a backup file (.dump or .sql)
  3. For .dump files, tpaw shows a restore preview — a list of objects that will be restored
  4. Review the preview and click Confirm Restore

tpaw runs pg_restore (for .dump files) or executes the SQL file directly (for .sql files).

Warning: Restore is destructive. Restoring will overwrite existing data. Use with caution on production databases.

Backup history

The Backup panel shows a list of recent backups with:

  • File path
  • Creation timestamp
  • File size
  • Status (success / in progress / failed)

Scheduled backups

tpaw supports scheduled backups on a configurable interval. To set up a schedule, click Schedule in the backup panel and choose a frequency (daily, hourly, etc.) and output directory.

Monitoring backup progress

Active backups show a progress indicator in the Backup panel and a status bar at the bottom of the app window. You can continue using tpaw normally while a backup runs.

Troubleshooting

pg_dump: not found Install PostgreSQL client tools: brew install postgresql

connection refused Ensure tpaw is connected to the database before starting a backup.

Backup fails with permission denied Check that the PostgreSQL user has pg_dump rights. The user needs at least SELECT on all tables and CONNECT on the database.

On this page