---
title: "oz0 server restore"
description: "Restore an archive from `server backup` into an empty database: --db-file (or OZ0_DB) for a cluster, or a new dev data directory with --dev --data-dir."
canonical_url: "https://docs.oz0.ai/reference/cli/oz0/server/restore"
---
# oz0 server restore

> Restore an archive from `server backup` into an empty database: --db-file (or OZ0_DB) for a cluster, or a new dev data directory with --dev --data-dir.

For: Operators and developers looking up a command.

Restore an archive from `server backup` into an empty database: --db-file (or OZ0_DB) for a cluster, or a new dev data directory with --dev --data-dir. It checks every file's digest, and that the master key unseals the backup's CAs, before it writes anything. Then it inserts every row in one transaction and migrates to this binary's schema.

Nodes keep their certificates and reconnect; operators get new credentials with `server operator issue`, which a dev server does by itself when it starts. With --erasure-ledger, every erasure the ledgers recorded after the backup was taken is applied again before any server takes a job; a line that does not verify with the master key is reported and never applied.

## Usage

```bash
oz0 server restore FILE --master-key-file KEY [flags]
```

## Flags

<table>
<thead>
  <tr>
    <th>
      Flag
    </th>
    
    <th>
      Type
    </th>
    
    <th>
      Default
    </th>
    
    <th>
      Description
    </th>
  </tr>
</thead>

<tbody>
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        --data-dir
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      string
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        ~/.local/share/orchestrator-zero
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      server data directory
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        --db-file
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      file
    </td>
    
    <td>
      
    </td>
    
    <td>
      a file (- for stdin) holding the PostgreSQL URL of the management database, such as postgres://oz0:PASSWORD@db:5432/oz0 (or set OZ0_DB); the URL can carry a password, so it never goes on the command line
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        --dev
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      bool
    </td>
    
    <td>
      
    </td>
    
    <td>
      a dev server's data directory (--data-dir) instead of a cluster's database
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        --erasure-ledger
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      stringArray
    </td>
    
    <td>
      
    </td>
    
    <td>
      an erasure ledger of the cluster's management servers, whose erasures after the backup are applied again (repeatable)
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        --master-key-command
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      command
    </td>
    
    <td>
      
    </td>
    
    <td>
      a command that unwraps the master key from --master-key-file when the file holds it wrapped, such as with an HSM or a KMS: "COMMAND unwrap" prints the key from the wrapped document on stdin, "COMMAND wrap" wraps one, "COMMAND describe" says what holds the wrapping key (see the docs on key commands) (or set OZ0_MASTER_KEY_COMMAND)
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        --master-key-file
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      string
    </td>
    
    <td>
      
    </td>
    
    <td>
      the master key of the cluster the backup is from
    </td>
  </tr>
</tbody>
</table>

## Inherited flags

<table>
<thead>
  <tr>
    <th>
      Flag
    </th>
    
    <th>
      Type
    </th>
    
    <th>
      Default
    </th>
    
    <th>
      Description
    </th>
  </tr>
</thead>

<tbody>
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        --context
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      string
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        $OZ0_CONTEXT or &lt;config dir>/orchestrator-zero/context.json
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      CLI context file written by server init
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        --log-level
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      string
    </td>
    
    <td>
      <code>
        info
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      log level: debug, info, warn or error
    </td>
  </tr>
</tbody>
</table>

See [all `oz0` commands](https://docs.oz0.ai/reference/cli/oz0) and the [global flags](https://docs.oz0.ai/reference/cli/oz0#global-flags).


## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](https://docs.oz0.ai/sitemap.md) for all pages.