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diff --git a/docs/ops.md b/docs/ops.md index 8f21c79..02644c2 100644 --- a/docs/ops.md +++ b/docs/ops.md @@ -2,6 +2,10 @@ ## Upgrades -`hi` will automatically upgrade its database on startup. Before doing so, it will create a backup of your database (at `.hi.backup`, or controlled by `--backup-database-url`). If the migration process succeeds, this backup will be deleted automatically. If the migration process _fails_, however, the backup will be left in place. In addition, `hi` will attempt to restore your existing database from the backup before exiting. +`hi` will automatically upgrade its database on startup. Before doing so, it will create a backup of your database (at `.hi.backup`, or controlled by `--backup-database-url`). If the migration process succeeds, this backup will be deleted automatically. If the migration process _fails_, however, `hi` will attempt to restore your existing database from the backup before exiting. If the restore process also fails, then both the backup database and the suspected-broken database will be left in place. -`hi` will not start if the backup database already exists. To restart `hi` after a failure, move the backup database aside. Once you are satisfied that `hi` has recovered successfully, you can delete it. If you need to restore the database manually, you can also copy it overtop of your database using normal filesystem tools (`cp -a .hi.backup. hi`, for example). +To avoid destroying backups that may still be needed, `hi` will not start if the backup database already exists. **There is no catch-all advice on how to proceed**, but you can try the following: + +* Start the server with **a copy** of the backup database, and determine if any data has been lost. If not, shut it down, replace your main database by copying the backup, and carry on. + +The `hi` database is an ordinary file. While the server is not running, it can be freely copied or renamed without invalidating the data in it. |