Compress database backups for saving storage space and bandwidth (sustainability)

[jamesmacwhite]

Currently database backups that are generated via Craft Cloud are uncompressed SQL. For sustainability and saving storage, backups could be compressed via gzip. This would provide a reduction on storage space requirements within Craft Cloud as well as the size of backup is being downloaded by a client.

Local development environments such as DDEV support importing database backups which are compressed with gzip e.g.

ddev import-db --file=path/to/backup/db.sql.gz

Others such as Valet also support this.

[timkelty]

Thanks @jamesmacwhite! On the list.
FWIW, if you happen to be using Postgres, those are already in the binary/archive format.

[timkelty]

Backups are now stored gzipped by default: https://craftcms.com/blog/cloud-updates

[jamesmacwhite]

@timkelty Great work. I noticed the automated backups are now compressed with gzip (awesome!) but generating a manual backup provides an uncompressed SQL file. Is this by design?

[timkelty]

Manual backups still use the legacy system (not gzipped), but will be migrated in the coming weeks.