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Backup, restore, and content transfer

Responsibility: trusted operators. Agree on backup frequency, off-host storage, access restrictions, retention, and restoration tests before using real learning records.

Full recovery​

A recoverable installation needs:

  • The complete PocketBase database and uploaded files, including protected clinical/seminar media and consent documents.
  • Protected runtime configuration, especially the stable session and access-code encryption secrets.
  • The tested application revision and compatible image/configuration information.

Store secrets separately from ordinary backups with a controlled recovery procedure. Study/registration private decryption keys belong to the offline custodian, not in application backups.

./run.sh backup

The runner stops services before archiving the volume for SQLite consistency. Schedule downtime accordingly. PocketBase's supported built-in backup facility is another option; use a dedicated protected destination and test the exact restoration process.

Restore safely​

  1. Verify the source backup, compatible software, and required secrets.
  2. Restore first into an isolated environment with outbound email and other side effects controlled.
  3. Check sign-in, content, learner history, protected media, and relevant consent/display functionality.
  4. Approve the production restore and communicate the recovery point.

The runner's restore operation is destructive and requires explicit confirmation. Review ./run.sh help and the current runner before executing it. Never use docker compose down -v as routine maintenance: it deletes the data volume.

Portable medical content​

From the application checkout with its approved environment:

npm run db:export-content

The versioned bundle contains reusable symptoms, case/finding templates, diagnosis/medication references, and medical catalogs. It excludes users, patients, classroom activity, sessions, LTI and other operational records.

The setup tool can provision schema and import a selected content bundle. Confirm the target, compatibility, and stable-ID update behavior before importing. Do not treat an import as a merge tool for live course history.

A content export cannot restore a course, account, conversation, consent record, or seminar run. Keep it separate from the full-backup strategy.