# Back Up and Restore Data

You can make a full backup or an incremental backup of a database. When you make a backup, you can target local file systems (only for full backups), network file systems, Azure, Google Cloud Storage, S3, and S3 Compatible Storage.

For backup destinations other than the local filesystem, all leaves must have access to write to the target destination.

> **📝 Note**: This topic applies to database backups made using the [BACKUP DATABASE](https://docs.singlestore.com/db/v9.1/reference/sql-reference/operational-commands/backup-database.md) command or using the SingleStore Toolbox [sdb-admin create-backup](https://docs.singlestore.com/db/v9.1/reference/singlestore-tools-reference/sdb-admin-commands/create-backup.md) command.Incremental backups cannot be made on unlimited storage databases.Unlimited storage databases can be restored (attached) to any point in time using PITR, which is not discussed in this topic. See [Local and Unlimited Database Storage Concepts](https://docs.singlestore.com/db/v9.1/manage-data/local-and-unlimited-database-storage-concepts.md) for information on PITR.

> **⚠️ Warning**: SingleStore does not support restoring database backups from a newer version of SingleStore into an older version.On account of how logs are now captured in SingleStore versions 8.9.19 and later, the following are not supported:- Downgrading from SingleStore versions 8.9.19 and later to SingleStore versions 8.9.18 and earlier
> - Restoring backups from SingleStore versions 8.9.19 and later to SingleStore versions 8.9.18 and earlierRelease 6.8 and earlier backups cannot be restored from release 7.8.

> **📝 Note**: When you restore a database from a backup , any pipelines included in that backup  are also created in the restored  database. These pipelines start automatically and immediately start consuming cluster resources, which can affect performance due to the additional pipelines.You should review the pipelines in the restored  database and stop or remove any pipelines that are not needed.

Databases on a secondary cluster to which the primary database is being replicated cannot be backed up with the `BACKUP DATABASE` command.

## In this section

* [Backup Information Schema Tables](https://docs.singlestore.com/db/v9.1/manage-data/back-up-and-restore-data/backup-information-schema-tables.md)
* [Using Storage Repositories with Backups](https://docs.singlestore.com/db/v9.1/manage-data/back-up-and-restore-data/using-storage-repositories.md)
* [Items Included in and Excluded from a Backup](https://docs.singlestore.com/db/v9.1/manage-data/back-up-and-restore-data/items-included-in-and-excluded-from-a-backup.md)
* [Types of Backups](https://docs.singlestore.com/db/v9.1/manage-data/back-up-and-restore-data/types-of-backups.md)
* [Lock-free Backups](https://docs.singlestore.com/db/v9.1/manage-data/back-up-and-restore-data/lock-free-backups.md)
* [How to Restore an S3 Backup Locally and Vice Versa](https://docs.singlestore.com/db/v9.1/manage-data/back-up-and-restore-data/how-to-restore-an-s-3-backup-locally-and-vice-versa.md)
* [Backups versus Snapshots](https://docs.singlestore.com/db/v9.1/manage-data/back-up-and-restore-data/backups-versus-snapshots.md)

***

Modified at: May 6, 2026

Source: [/db/v9.1/manage-data/back-up-and-restore-data/](https://docs.singlestore.com/db/v9.1/manage-data/back-up-and-restore-data/)

(An index of the documentation is available at /llms.txt)