---
title: Restoring a policy database from a backup
description: The policy database stores Policy Editor items such as the Trust Framework, policies, and commit history. If someone accidentally deletes or changes those items or the database gets corrupted, restore the database from a backup.
component: pingauthorize
version: 11.0
page_id: pingauthorize:pingauthorize_server_administration_guide:paz_restore_policy_db_backup
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingauthorize/11.0/pingauthorize_server_administration_guide/paz_restore_policy_db_backup.html
revdate: June 11, 2024
section_ids:
  restoring-a-database-when-not-using-docker: Restoring a database when not using Docker
  about-this-task: About this task
  steps: Steps
  restoring-a-database-when-using-docker: Restoring a database when using Docker
  about-this-task-2: About this task
  steps-2: Steps
---

# Restoring a policy database from a backup

The policy database stores Policy Editor items such as the Trust Framework, policies, and commit history. If someone accidentally deletes or changes those items or the database gets corrupted, restore the database from a backup.

Learn more about configuring backups in [Policy database backups](paz_policy_db_backups.html).

|   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| - | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
|   | If you are using a managed RDBMS, such as PostgreSQL, instead of the default H2 database, make sure you implement backup strategies in line with your organization's best practices. |

* Not Using Docker

* Using Docker

## Restoring a database when not using Docker

### About this task

To restore a policy database when not in a Docker environment:

### Steps

1. Ensure the Policy Editor server is no longer running by either using `bin/stop-server` or killing the process.

2. Locate the backup `.zip` archive that you want to restore.

   The default location is `SERVER_ROOT/policy-backup`. However, the location might have been changed using the `PING_H2_BACKUP_DIR` environment variable.

3. Extract the `.zip` archive to the configured database location overwriting the previous policy database file, if present.

   The default location is the root of the Policy Editor server installation directory. If it's not there, check the location specified by the `PING_H2_FILE` environment variable.

4. Start the Policy Editor server.

   ```shell
   $ bin/start-server
   ```

## Restoring a database when using Docker

### About this task

To restore a policy database in a Docker environment:

### Steps

1. Locate the backup `.zip` archive that you want to restore.

   The location should be a directory specified using the `PING_H2_BACKUP_DIR` environment variable, as mentioned in [Policy database backups](paz_policy_db_backups.html).

2. Extract the `.zip` archive to the database location that you'll specify using the `PING_H2_FILE` environment variable when you start the Docker container.

3. Start the Policy Editor Docker container with a mounted volume that has the extracted backup file and use `PING_H2_FILE` to specify that backup file in the container file system.

   For example, the following command assumes the uncompressed database file is named `Symphonic.mv.db` in the host file system. The `PING_H2_FILE` environment variable specifies the file name without the `.mv.db` extension.

   ```shell
   $ docker run --network=<network_name>  --env-file ~/.pingidentity/config \
     --env PING_H2_FILE=/opt/out/Symphonic \
     --volume  <HOST_BACKUP_DIR>:/opt/out pingidentity/{PAP_CONTAINER_NAME}:<TAG>
   ```

   |   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
   | - | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
   |   | For proper communication between containers, create a Docker network using a command such as `docker network create --driver <network_type> <network_name>`, and then connect to that network with the `--network=<network_name>` option. |

   |   |                                                                                                                                                                               |
   | - | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
   |   | The Docker image *\<TAG>* used in the example is only a placeholder. You can find actual tag values in the [Docker Hub](https://hub.docker.com/r/pingidentity/pingauthorize). |