Configuration¶

docker-backup is configured through a combination of:

CLI flags - Daemon startup options
Environment variables - Alternative to CLI flags, useful for secrets
Container labels - Per-container backup configuration

Daemon Configuration¶

CLI Flags¶

docker-backup daemon \
  --docker-host=unix:///var/run/docker.sock \
  --poll-interval=30s \
  --socket=/var/run/docker-backup.sock \
  --storage=<pool>.<option>=<value> \
  --notify=<provider>.<option>=<value> \
  --default-storage=<pool> \
  --dashboard=:8080 \
  --dashboard.auth.basic=<htpasswd> \
  --log-level=info \
  --log-format=text

Flag Reference¶

Flag	Default	Description
`--docker-host`	`unix:///var/run/docker.sock`	Docker daemon socket
`--poll-interval`	`30s`	How often to scan for container changes
`--socket`	`/var/run/docker-backup.sock`	Unix socket for CLI communication
`--storage`	-	Storage pool configuration (repeatable)
`--notify`	-	Notification provider configuration (repeatable)
`--default-storage`	-	Default storage pool name
`--temp-dir`	System temp	Temporary directory for backup files
`--dashboard`	-	Dashboard listen address (e.g., `:8080`)
`--dashboard.auth.basic`	-	htpasswd file or inline credentials
`--log-level`	`info`	Log level: debug, info, warn, error
`--log-format`	`text`	Log format: text, json

Environment Variables¶

All configuration can be set via environment variables. This is useful for passing secrets without exposing them in CLI arguments.

Storage Configuration¶

Format: DOCKER_BACKUP_STORAGE_<POOL>_<OPTION>=value

# S3 storage pool named "s3prod"
DOCKER_BACKUP_STORAGE_S3PROD_TYPE=s3
DOCKER_BACKUP_STORAGE_S3PROD_BUCKET=my-bucket
DOCKER_BACKUP_STORAGE_S3PROD_REGION=us-east-1
DOCKER_BACKUP_STORAGE_S3PROD_ACCESS_KEY=AKIA...
DOCKER_BACKUP_STORAGE_S3PROD_SECRET_KEY=secret...

# Default storage pool
DOCKER_BACKUP_DEFAULT_STORAGE=s3prod

Notification Configuration¶

Format: DOCKER_BACKUP_NOTIFY_<PROVIDER>_<OPTION>=value

# Telegram provider
DOCKER_BACKUP_NOTIFY_TELEGRAM_TYPE=telegram
DOCKER_BACKUP_NOTIFY_TELEGRAM_TOKEN=123456:ABC-DEF...
DOCKER_BACKUP_NOTIFY_TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID=-1001234567890

Container Labels¶

Backup configuration is defined on containers using labels. See Container Labels for the complete reference.

Quick Example¶

labels:
  - docker-backup.enable=true
  - docker-backup.db.type=postgres
  - docker-backup.db.schedule=0 3 * * *
  - docker-backup.db.retention=7
  - docker-backup.db.storage=s3
  - docker-backup.notify=telegram

Configuration Sections¶

Container Labels

Complete reference for container label configuration

Container Labels
Storage

Configure local, S3, and MinIO storage backends

Storage
Notifications

Set up Telegram and Discord notifications

Notifications
Dashboard

Enable and secure the web dashboard

Dashboard