Database-Backup-CLI-Utility

Inspiration:

I wanted to make a tool that could take the pain out of backing up and restoring databases. Something simple, quick, and useful in real life — the kind of thing you can just run and trust it will do the job without a lot of manual work.

What it does:

The Database Backup CLI Utility lets you back up and restore MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, and SQLite databases from the command line. It checks the connection before running, uses the database’s own backup tools for speed, and keeps a log so you can always see what happened.

How we built it:

I wrote it in Python using only the standard library. argparse handles the commands and options, subprocess runs the backup/restore tools, and logging keeps track of everything. It works on Windows, Linux, and macOS — as long as you have the database tools installed.

Challenges we ran into:

Each database has its own commands and quirks. Making sure it worked the same way on different operating systems. Catching errors from the backup tools and showing helpful messages instead of cryptic ones.

Accomplishments that we're proud of:

One tool that works with four different databases. Clear logs for both success and errors. No extra dependencies — just Python.

What we learned and further improvements planned ahead:

How different databases handle backups and restores. Ways to store credentials securely in scripts. How to design a CLI tool that’s easy to use but still flexible. What's next for Database-Backup-CLI-Utility Add encryption so backup files are safe even if they’re copied. Let users schedule and run incremental backups. Add compression to save space. Make it faster for huge databases with streaming or parallel processing.

Built With

• argparse
• cross-platform
• logging
• mongodb
• mysql/mariadb
• postgresql
• python
• sqlite
• subprocess