# Backup and restore Node-red

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/backup-and-restore-node-red/86856>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [30 March 2024 00:00 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/backup-and-restore-node-red/86856 "2024-03-30T00:00:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 15\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jbudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5f8ce5/32.png) [@jbudd](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/jbudd)\
**Post date:** [30 March 2024 00:00 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/backup-and-restore-node-red/86856/1 "2024-03-30T00:00:54Z")

</div>

Can anyone confirm / improve on these backup and restore instructions?

## Linux

#### Backup

Assuming that everything for your Node-red installation (flows, file based context, static content, any external scripts run from exec, etc) resides within ~/.node-red you can make a backup file `nodered.tar` with this command

```auto
cd 
sudo systemctl stop nodered
tar cvf nodered.tar --exclude=node_modules .node-red
sudo systemctl start nodered

```

#### Restore

With the backup file in the home directory

```auto
cd
sudo systemctl stop nodered
tar xvf nodered.tar
cd .node-red
npm install # restores the node_modules folder which was excluded from the backup
sudo systemctl start nodered

```

## Windows
Who knows?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KarolisL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a4c791/32.png) [@KarolisL](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/KarolisL)\
**Post date:** [30 March 2024 08:10 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/backup-and-restore-node-red/86856/2 "2024-03-30T08:10:52Z")

</div>

cannot comment on Windows, but as for Linux what works fine are scripts by @TotallyInformation

> **[alternate-node-red-installer/templates/master/scripts at master ·...](https://github.com/TotallyInformation/alternate-node-red-installer/tree/master/templates/master/scripts)**
>
> An alternative installer for Node-RED. Avoids global installs, no admin rights required. - TotallyInformation/alternate-node-red-installer

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jbudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5f8ce5/32.png) [@jbudd](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/jbudd)\
**Post date:** [30 March 2024 09:03 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/backup-and-restore-node-red/86856/3 "2024-03-30T09:03:06Z")

</div>

Thanks for showing me that @KarolisL, it never occurred to me to look for backup info in an installer!

Mind you, I see no restore script there...

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TotallyInformation](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/totallyinformation/32/31_2.png) [@TotallyInformation](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/TotallyInformation)\
**Post date:** [30 March 2024 13:07 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/backup-and-restore-node-red/86856/4 "2024-03-30T13:07:40Z")

</div>

> [@jbudd](#):
>
> it never occurred to me to look for backup info in an installer

🤣

> [@jbudd](#):
>
> I see no restore script there...

Well that's because you really don't need one. If you need to restore, either rename your live instance and COPY the appropriate folder back to the live folder name. Or, you can restore any part(s) simply by copying and overwriting stuff.

If you really want a script, look in the backup script and simply reverse the rsync commands. 😀

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Buckskin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Buckskin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Buckskin)\
**Post date:** [30 March 2024 17:20 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/backup-and-restore-node-red/86856/5 "2024-03-30T17:20:16Z")

</div>

I use a variation of a previously published backup to Dropbox to backup to a local directory. (Uses a `dsm` node) (I also backup to Dropbox)

This was designed to run on a Debian instance in a VM, hence the use of a function node to create the Date (creating it in Debian was beyond me as the Pi version didn't work)

The only remaining issue for me is how to exclude the `node_modules` folder in uibuilder - without specifying all the folders I DO want.

```auto
[{"id":"216f880395c9bdcf","type":"group","z":"8428164b1645b4b8","name":"Backup Node-RED Flows to Local Drive","style":{"label":true,"fill":"#e3f3d3","label-position":"n","color":"#000000"},"nodes":["8aaff02f6aa94d51","7ac4cb95d54817ad","52950de559414189","b5233c43e1cea7f1","e2dbf7db77d0c7ad","76dd9fe208e111cc","3903b94699774ca5","8d51bf8c3e6d0ccc"],"x":1434,"y":1019,"w":912,"h":154},{"id":"8aaff02f6aa94d51","type":"inject","z":"8428164b1645b4b8","g":"216f880395c9bdcf","name":"reset","props":[{"p":"payload","v":"","vt":"date"},{"p":"topic","v":"reset","vt":"str"}],"repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"topic":"reset","payload":"","payloadType":"date","x":1530,"y":1120,"wires":[["52950de559414189"]]},{"id":"7ac4cb95d54817ad","type":"inject","z":"8428164b1645b4b8","g":"216f880395c9bdcf","name":"Start Backup","props":[{"p":"payload"},{"p":"backup","v":"start","vt":"str"},{"p":"topic","vt":"str"}],"repeat":"","crontab":"15 03 * * *","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"topic":"Backup","payload":"IoTDevelopment","payloadType":"str","x":1560,"y":1060,"wires":[["e2dbf7db77d0c7ad"]]},{"id":"52950de559414189","type":"dsm","z":"8428164b1645b4b8","g":"216f880395c9bdcf","name":"Zip Node-RED \\n Directory","sm_config":"{\n \"triggerInput\": \"backup\",\n \"stateOutput\": \"postState\",\n \"currentState\": \"step1\",\n \"states\": {\n \"step1\": {\n \"start\": \"step2\",\n \"reset\": \"step1\"\n },\n \"step2\": {\n \"zip\": \"step3\",\n \"reset\": \"step1\"\n },\n \"step3\": {\n \"upload\": \"step1\",\n \"reset\": \"step1\"\n }\n },\n \"data\": {\n },\n \"methods\": {\n \"init\": [\n \"sm.udir = RED.settings.userDir + '/';\",\n \"sm.exec = require('child_process').exec;\",\n \"sm.hostname = require('os').hostname();\",\n \"sm.unlink = require('fs').unlink;\"\n],\n \"start\": [\n \"/* delete old backup file */\",\n \"var zipfile = sm.udir + 'node-red.zip';\",\n \n \"sm.fill = 'grey';\",\n \"sm.text = 'deleting';\",\n \"output = false;\",\n\n \"sm.unlink(zipfile, function (err) {\",\n \" if (err) {\",\n \" node.warn('no file '+zipfile);\",\n \" }\",\n \" resume('zip', msg);\",\n \"});\"\n],\n \"zip\": [\n \"let pre = ' ' + sm.udir;\",\n \"let cmd = 'zip -r';\",\n \"cmd += pre + 'node-red.zip';\",\n \"cmd += pre + 'flows*.json';\",\n \"cmd += pre + '.config*.json';\",\n \"cmd += pre + 'settings.js';\",\n \"cmd += pre + 'package.json';\",\n \"cmd += pre + 'package-lock.json';\",\n \"cmd += pre + '.config.modules.json';\",\n \"cmd += pre + 'lib/*';\",\n \"cmd += pre + 'context/*';\",\n \"cmd += pre + 'cronplusdata/*';\",\n \"cmd += pre + 'uibuilder/*';\",\n\n \"sm.fill = 'grey';\",\n \"sm.text = 'zipping';\",\n \"output = false;\",\n \n \"sm.exec(cmd, function(error, stdout, stderr) {\",\n \" if (error) {\",\n \" node.warn(error);\",\n \" } else {\",\n \" resume('upload', msg);\",\n \" }\",\n \"});\"\n],\n \"upload\": [\n \"let localFilename = sm.udir + 'node-red.zip';\",\n \"let targetDirectory = '/home/pi/documents/data/';\",\n \"msg.payload = localFilename + ' ' + targetDirectory + msg.payload;\",\n\n \"sm.fill = 'green';\",\n \"sm.text = sm.day;\"\n],\n \"reset\": [\n \"sm.fill = 'grey';\",\n \"sm.text = 'reset';\",\n \"output = false;\"\n],\n \"status\": {\n \"fill\": {\n \"get\": \"sm.fill\"\n },\n \"shape\": \"dot\",\n \"text\": {\n \"get\": \"sm.text\"\n }\n }\n }\n}","x":1900,"y":1120,"wires":[["76dd9fe208e111cc","8d51bf8c3e6d0ccc"]],"info":" \"sm.ts = msg.payload.ts;\",\r\n \"sm.days = ['Sunday','Monday','Tuesday','Wednesday','Thursday','Friday','Saturday'];\",\r\n \"sm.day = msg.payload.day;\", \r\n \"msg.filename = msg.payload + '_' + sm.day + '_nodered.zip';\",\r\n\r\n "},{"id":"b5233c43e1cea7f1","type":"debug","z":"8428164b1645b4b8","g":"216f880395c9bdcf","name":"Copy Output","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"true","targetType":"full","statusVal":"","statusType":"auto","x":2230,"y":1120,"wires":[]},{"id":"e2dbf7db77d0c7ad","type":"function","z":"8428164b1645b4b8","g":"216f880395c9bdcf","name":"Create Filename","func":"/** \n * Input\n * mgs.payload - Name of system to be backed up\n */\n\nconst currentDate = new Date()\nconst weekDays = ['Sunday','Monday','Tuesday','Wednesday','Thursday','Friday','Saturday']\nconst currentDay = weekDays[currentDate.getDay()]\n\nmsg.payload = msg.payload + '_' + currentDay + '_nodered.zip'\n\nreturn msg","outputs":1,"timeout":0,"noerr":0,"initialize":"","finalize":"","libs":[],"x":1740,"y":1060,"wires":[["52950de559414189"]]},{"id":"76dd9fe208e111cc","type":"exec","z":"8428164b1645b4b8","g":"216f880395c9bdcf","command":"cp ","addpay":"payload","append":"","useSpawn":"false","timer":"","winHide":false,"oldrc":false,"name":"Copy File","x":2080,"y":1120,"wires":[["b5233c43e1cea7f1"],[],[]]},{"id":"3903b94699774ca5","type":"debug","z":"8428164b1645b4b8","g":"216f880395c9bdcf","name":"DSM Output","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"true","targetType":"full","statusVal":"","statusType":"auto","x":2230,"y":1060,"wires":[]},{"id":"8d51bf8c3e6d0ccc","type":"junction","z":"8428164b1645b4b8","g":"216f880395c9bdcf","x":2020,"y":1060,"wires":[["3903b94699774ca5"]]}]

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TotallyInformation](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/totallyinformation/32/31_2.png) [@TotallyInformation](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/TotallyInformation)\
**Post date:** [30 March 2024 20:02 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/backup-and-restore-node-red/86856/6 "2024-03-30T20:02:29Z")

</div>

Not checked your flow. But if you are using node.js 16+, you can use the experimental `cp` or one of its variants - have a look at the docs for node's `fs` module. Or, if you want a slightly easier life, try out the `fs-extra` package - Node-RED uses this itself. Those functions have include and exclude filters.

I have been using `fs-extra` in UIBUILDER and it is good. But I'm trying to reduce the number of dependencies at the moment so it will eventually go.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Paul-Reed](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/paul-reed/32/66906_2.png) [@Paul-Reed](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Paul-Reed)\
**Post date:** [31 March 2024 20:25 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/backup-and-restore-node-red/86856/7 "2024-03-31T20:25:16Z")

</div>

> [@Buckskin](#):
>
> The only remaining issue for me is how to exclude the `node_modules` folder

I assume you mean exclude the `node_modules` in the DSM node config??  
I've previously asked the same, but not yet found an answer, and like you, I have to list each file or folder that I **DO** need which is a pain.

If you do find a solution please let me know, and I'll update my original topic - [node-RED Backup Flow](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-red-backup-flow/25033)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jbudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5f8ce5/32.png) [@jbudd](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/jbudd)\
**Post date:** [31 March 2024 21:29 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/backup-and-restore-node-red/86856/8 "2024-03-31T21:29:10Z")

</div>

The backup flows linked above use `zip -r`, while my minimal command at the top uses `tar -c`.

With `tar` you can use the `--exclude=node_modules` parameter. thus archiving the entire .node-red directory.  
And with zip it seems you have to list all the required files. The version I have grabs these files:

```auto
 flows*.json
 .config*.json
 settings.js
 package.json
 package-lock.json
 .config.modules.json
 lib/*
 context/*
 cronplusdata/*
 uibuilder/*

```

- Are there advantages to using zip over tar (or other archive command)?
- Does zip preserve the ownership of files? I'm thinking of the current advice to `chown root:root settings.js` for security.
- If a user chose to call their flow file eg myflowfile.json, it would not be covered by this default list. Similarly any static content directory will not be caught. Yet a backup flow could determine these by parsing settings.js.
- Is there anything in settings.js to indicate that uibuilder or cronplusdata directories exist?
- What other Node-red add-ons would one hope an automatic backup program would know about?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TotallyInformation](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/totallyinformation/32/31_2.png) [@TotallyInformation](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/TotallyInformation)\
**Post date:** [1 April 2024 11:30 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/backup-and-restore-node-red/86856/9 "2024-04-01T11:30:24Z")

</div>

> [@jbudd](#):
>
> Are there advantages to using zip over tar (or other archive command)?

No, not really. As long as you gzip the tar file.

> [@jbudd](#):
>
> Is there anything in settings.js to indicate that uibuilder or cronplusdata directories exist?

For UIBUILDER, there would be a `uibuilder` section in settings.js - but only if you wanted any of the custom settings - you put it there, it isn't automatic.

The package.json file in the userDir folder tells you what is installed. As it is JSON, it is pretty easily parsed. But there is, in any case, no harm in trying to backup the extra folders, it shouldn't fail if they aren't there.

If you wanted to separate out the uibuilder backup, you could always move it to a different folder. The custom settings in settings.js lets you do that.

Oh, and remember that uibuilder may introduce more `node_modules` folders. One set under the uibuilder root folder but each uibuilder node instance has the opportunity to also install its own modules. So you should generally be excluding ALL `node_module` folders.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Buckskin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Buckskin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Buckskin)\
**Post date:** [1 April 2024 14:30 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/backup-and-restore-node-red/86856/10 "2024-04-01T14:30:57Z")

</div>

> [@jbudd](#):
>
> Are there advantages to using zip over tar (or other archive command)?

Only that I understand zip and have never used tar (other than as directed in a how-to-do-it). I can check the zipped files in Windows easily. Looking at tar as used in Windows it seems a bit limited.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Buckskin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Buckskin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Buckskin)\
**Post date:** [1 April 2024 14:34 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/backup-and-restore-node-red/86856/11 "2024-04-01T14:34:15Z")

</div>

Apparently you can exclude files with zip

```auto
-x "node_modules*"

```

Will be giving it a go.

Edit. Tried it and it worked. Probably still a bit long winded. Replace the `zip` section in the `dsm` node

```auto
        "zip": [
            "let pre = ' ' + sm.udir;",
            "let cmd = 'zip -r';",
            "cmd += pre + 'node-red.zip';",
            "cmd += pre + '*';",
            "cmd += pre + '.config*.json';",
            "cmd += ' -x ' + '\"**/node_modules/*\"';",
            "cmd += ' -x' + pre + '\"*.backup\"';",
            "cmd += ' -x' + pre + '\"*.zip\"';",
            "msg.command = cmd;",

            "sm.fill = 'grey';",
            "sm.text = 'zipping';",
            "output = false;",

            "sm.exec(cmd, function(error, stdout, stderr) {",
            " if (error) {",
            " node.warn(error);",
            " } else {",
            " resume('upload', msg);",
            " }",
            "});"
        ],

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jbudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5f8ce5/32.png) [@jbudd](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/jbudd)\
**Post date:** [2 April 2024 12:27 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/backup-and-restore-node-red/86856/12 "2024-04-02T12:27:43Z")

</div>

It's possible I broke something trying your solution Jeff.

The paths in the zip file start from home (not /home)

```auto
pi@zerotwogreen:~ $ unzip -v node-red.zip | head -5
Archive: node-red.zip
 Length Method Size Cmpr Date Time CRC-32 Name
-------- ------ ------- ---- ---------- ----- -------- ----
       0 Stored 0 0% 2024-04-02 12:55 00000000 home/pi/.node-red/context/
       0 Stored 0 0% 2024-04-02 12:55 00000000 home/pi/.node-red/context/78c9efc5cc8c54ee/

```

So if I unzip the file in /home/pi it creates the wrong structure /home/pi/home/pi/.node-red  
Is that what you get or have I broken it?

I think absolute pathnames would be wrong, then you couldn't restore to a different directory eg ~/oldnodered. Not sure of the best approach.

Has anyone used this backup approach on Windows? Does it need Windows 10+? WSL?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Buckskin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Buckskin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Buckskin)\
**Post date:** [2 April 2024 16:49 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/backup-and-restore-node-red/86856/13 "2024-04-02T16:49:06Z")

</div>

Nope, that is how it would work for me. I have never noticed because I just copy the zip file to a Windows directory and then go to the `.node-red` directory using normal Windows file manager and copy the files. I have never run unzip.

A good point on the restoring using unzip so I am going to investigate further

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jbudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5f8ce5/32.png) [@jbudd](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/jbudd)\
**Post date:** [2 April 2024 22:49 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/backup-and-restore-node-red/86856/14 "2024-04-02T22:49:54Z")

</div>

My flow to make a compressed backup of Node-red on Linux.

If you only inject a payload, it will backup ~/.node-red to ~/nodered.tar.gz but you can override these with msg.nodereddirectory and msg.backupfilename.

Everything in the directory except for node\_modules\* will be included in the archive

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/1/f/1f15cf6aa3a258dddffb0398e37cab6519c52d78.png)

```auto
[{"id":"7f20ad1a9174e987","type":"tab","label":"Backup Node-red","disabled":false,"info":"","env":[]},{"id":"f854b7672172886b","type":"inject","z":"7f20ad1a9174e987","name":"Node-red location & backup file name","props":[{"p":"payload"},{"p":"nodereddirectory","v":".node-red","vt":"str"},{"p":"backupfilename","v":"$moment().format(\"YYYYMMDD.HHmm\") & \"nr.tar.gz\"","vt":"jsonata"}],"repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"topic":"","payload":"go","payloadType":"str","x":190,"y":80,"wires":[["40ec46521782eb90"]]},{"id":"40ec46521782eb90","type":"template","z":"7f20ad1a9174e987","name":"Backup script","field":"payload","fieldType":"msg","format":"handlebars","syntax":"mustache","template":"# To override defaults pass these as msg properties\nNODEREDDIR={{{nodereddirectory}}}\nBACKUPTO={{{backupfilename}}}\n\n# Default location\nif [-z $NODEREDDIR]\nthen\nNODEREDDIR=.node-red\nfi\n\n# Default backup file\nif [-z $BACKUPTO]\nthen\n BACKUPTO=nodered.tar.gz\nfi\n\n# Don't overwrite backupfile\n#if [-s \"$BACKUPTO\"]\n#then\n# echo \"Error: $BACKUPTO already exists\" >&2\n# exit 1\n#fi\n\necho \"$BACKUPTO: $(tar -cvzf $BACKUPTO --exclude=\"node_modules*\" $NODEREDDIR | wc -l) files\"","output":"str","x":260,"y":140,"wires":[["cf19faaabdfb2dbe"]]},{"id":"cf19faaabdfb2dbe","type":"exec","z":"7f20ad1a9174e987","command":"","addpay":"payload","append":"","useSpawn":"false","timer":"","winHide":false,"oldrc":false,"name":"","x":430,"y":140,"wires":[["fb47ca1393ddc5aa"],["3c4d7bf52fe7f7f6"],[]]},{"id":"fb47ca1393ddc5aa","type":"debug","z":"7f20ad1a9174e987","name":"Count files saved","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":true,"complete":"payload","targetType":"msg","statusVal":"payload","statusType":"auto","x":610,"y":100,"wires":[]},{"id":"3c4d7bf52fe7f7f6","type":"debug","z":"7f20ad1a9174e987","name":"Errors","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"payload","targetType":"msg","statusVal":"","statusType":"auto","x":570,"y":160,"wires":[]}]

```

## Listing backup contents

```auto
tar -tvf nodered.tar.gz

```

## Restoring from the backup
If you backed up the default .node-red directory to the default file, the backup will have relative pathnames eg .node-red/settings.js To restore, put the backup file in the home directory ~ and run

```auto
tar -xf nodered.tar.gz
cd .node-red
npm install

```

Note that if your settings file is owned by root for security, you need to run

```auto
sudo tar -xf nodered.tar.gz

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [1 July 2024 22:50 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/backup-and-restore-node-red/86856/15 "2024-07-01T22:50:41Z")

</div>

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