# pgdrive-backup

> A Go streaming pipeline for PostgreSQL backups, gzip compression, AES-256 encryption, and Google Drive storage.

Author: Nirdesh Pokharel

Canonical URL: https://nirdeshpokhrel.com.np/work/pgdrive-backup

## Architecture

pg_dump → gzip → AES-256-CTR → Google Drive; encrypted archive → Decrypt / decompress → pg_restore

## Pipeline design

The utility connects pg_dump output to compression, encryption, and upload using Go io.Pipe stages. It avoids writing a complete intermediate backup to local disk. That makes streaming and failure propagation central to the design, rather than treating upload as a separate step after a full file is created.

## Compression and storage

The documented pipeline uses gzip at maximum compression and a resumable Google Drive upload. Retention management purges backups older than the configured retention period. Compression saves transfer and storage space at a CPU cost; that tradeoff should be measured on representative databases.

## Encryption boundary

AES-256-CTR encrypts the stream with a random IV per backup. CTR encryption does not authenticate the ciphertext, so encryption alone should not be described as tamper detection. Key storage and backup integrity need separate consideration.

## Restore workflow

The decrypt utility reverses encryption and compression. The README specifies that the resulting archive uses PostgreSQL custom format and should be restored with pg_restore. A backup that uploaded successfully still needs a restore drill to establish recoverability.

## Operational tools

The repository includes a command-line backup browser, a web restore interface, Docker packaging, and configuration for automated runs. A useful operational check covers interrupted streams, failed uploads, retention behavior, and restoration into a separate test database.

## Evidence and limitations

This note follows the public README. It describes the streaming architecture without claiming a measured constant-memory result, recovery-time objective, or tested database-size ceiling.

## Source

https://github.com/codernirdesh/pgdrive-backup