Perform an in-place restore operation

This page describes how to restore data in a backup to a database with the same name as the source database of the backup. Before you read this page, you should be familiar with Back up and restore data.

In-place restore

An in-place restore lets you restore a database from a backup to the source database that created the backup while the original database still exists. An in-place restore helps you avoid rerouting traffic or creating a database with a different name.

Warning: Once you start the in-place restore process, the original database is permanently lost, and you can't undo this operation.

A restore operation must use a destination database that doesn't already exist. You can, however, simulate an in-place restore by deleting the source database and then restoring from a backup to a new database with the same name as the source database.

Perform an in-place restore

To perform an in-place restore, follow these steps:

1. Identify the backup to use for the restore operation.
2. Delete the existing database.
3. Use the backup and the database ID of the deleted database to complete the restore operation.

Caution: If your database is Firestore in Native mode and your clients use an offline cache, an in-place restore might flush your writes to the restored database instead of discarding the writes. This situation can occur if the client that is connected to the deleted database goes offline and, while offline, the cache accumulates writes at the time when you perform an in-place restore.

Before you begin

We recommend completing the following steps before starting the in-place restore process:

1. Export the data in the database you will delete.

   If you need to recover the deleted database, import the data from export operation. To recover the deleted database to the same database ID, you must wait until any running restore operations complete and then:

   1. Delete the existing database with the database ID and wait at least 5 minutes
   2. Create a new database with the database ID
   3. Start an import operation

2. Retrieve and copy the index configuration of your database. Export operations do not capture index definitions. Use the index configuration to re-create indexes after you complete the in-place restore operation. Use the following commands to retrieve the index configuration of your database:

   • Use gcloud firestore indexes composite list to retrieve a list of composite indexes:

     gcloud firestore indexes composite list --database=DATABASE_ID
     

     Replace DATABASE_ID with the ID of your database.

   • Use gcloud firestore indexes fields list to retrieve a list of single-field (built-in) index exemptions.

     gcloud firestore indexes fields list --database=DATABASE_ID
     

Perform an in-place restore

Complete the following steps to perform an in-place restore operation. This process requires downtime between the moment you delete the database and when the restore operation completes.

Once a restore operation begins, you cannot cancel the operation and must wait until the operation completes. The restore operation immediately occupies the database ID used in the operation.

1. Use the gcloud alpha firestore backups list command to identify the backup to use for the restore operation and note the resource name. The resource name uses the following format:

       projects/PROJECT_ID/locations/LOCATION/backups/BACKUP_ID
   

2. Use the gcloud firestore databases delete command to delete the existing database:

       gcloud firestore databases delete --database='DATABASE_ID'
   

   Replace DATABASE_ID with the database ID.

3. Wait at least 5 minutes after you delete the database for the database ID to become available again. Initiate a restore operation using the gcloud alpha firestore databases restore command:

   gcloud alpha firestore databases restore \
   --source-backup=projects/PROJECT_ID/locations/LOCATION/backups/BACKUP_ID \
   --destination-database='DATABASE_ID'
   

   Replace DATABASE_ID with the database ID.

What's next

• Learn more about backup schedules and restore operations
• Learn about configuring point-in-time recovery (PITR)