Backup, export and restore

The data in your AuraDB instance can be backed up, exported, and restored using snapshots.

A snapshot is a copy of the data in an instance at a specific point in time.

The Snapshots tab within an AuraDB instance shows a list of available snapshots.

Snapshots are kept in the system for 7 days for Professional instances, 30 days for Free instances, and 90 days for Enterprise instances. Only the latest snapshot is available for Free instances.

To access the Snapshots tab:

  1. Navigate to the Neo4j Aura Console in your browser.

  2. Select the instance you want to access.

  3. Select the Snapshots tab.

Snapshot types

There are three different types of snapshot:

  • AuraDB Professional AuraDB Enterprise Scheduled - Runs when you first create an instance, when changes to the underlying system occur (for example, a new patch release), and automatically at a cadence depending on your plan type. Scheduled snapshots are run automatically once a day for Professional instances and once an hour for Enterprise instances.

  • AuraDB Professional AuraDB Enterprise Load - Runs when you load a dump file from the Import Database tab of a instance and when you run the push-to-cloud command from the Import section of the sidebar menu of the Aura Console.

  • On-demand - Runs when you select Take snapshot from the Snapshots tab of an instance.

Snapshot actions

Take a snapshot

You can manually trigger an On-demand snapshot by selecting Take snapshot.

Restore

You can restore data in your instance to a previous snapshot by selecting Restore next to the snapshot you want to restore.

Restoring a snapshot requires you to confirm the action by typing RESTORE and selecting Restore.

Export/Create [1]

By selecting the ellipses (…​) button next to an existing snapshot, you can:

  • Export - Download the instance as .dump file, allowing you to store a local copy and work on your data offline.

  • Create instance from snapshot - Create a new AuraDB instance using the data from the snapshot.

Restoring a snapshot overwrites the data in your instance, replacing it with the data contained in the snapshot.
1. The ability to Export or Create an instance from a Scheduled Enterprise snapshot is limited to 14 days.