README

Lightweight Laravel package for full and incremental database backups with chunked processing, restore commands, scheduling support, and an optional Blade dashboard.

Features

Full table backups
Incremental backups using created_at, updated_at, and deleted_at
Chunked processing for large tables
Laravel filesystem storage
SQL and JSON export
Restore from SQL, JSON, and JSONL backup files
Scheduled backups with frequency, time, and timezone support
Optional maintenance mode during backup and restore runs
Optional Blade dashboard with backup list, run, restore, and settings screens
Package migrations and config publishing

Requirements

PHP 8.1+
Laravel 10, 11, or 12

Installation

composer require bhavneeshgoyal/laravel-smart-backup

Publish config and package assets if needed:

php artisan vendor:publish --tag=smart-backup-config
php artisan vendor:publish --tag=smart-backup-migrations
php artisan vendor:publish --tag=smart-backup-views

Run migrations:

php artisan migrate

Configuration

The package config lives at config/backup.php.

Main options:

mode: full or incremental
format: sql, json, csv
chunk_size
tables.include
tables.exclude
storage.disk
storage.path
schedule.*
maintenance.*
restore.*
ui.*

Example:

return [
    'mode' => 'full',
    'format' => 'sql',
    'chunk_size' => 1000,

    'tables' => [
        'include' => [],
        'exclude' => ['migrations', 'jobs', 'failed_jobs'],
    ],

    'storage' => [
        'disk' => 'local',
        'path' => 'backups/database',
    ],
];

Running Backups

Run a backup manually:

php artisan backup:run

With runtime options:

php artisan backup:run --mode=incremental --format=json --tables=users --tables=orders

Restoring Backups

Restore a backup file:

php artisan backup:restore backups/database/full/2026/04/07/users-20260407_010000.sql

Restore a specific table:

php artisan backup:restore backups/database/full/2026/04/07/users-20260407_010000.sql --table=users

With restore password:

php artisan backup:restore backups/database/full/2026/04/07/users-20260407_010000.sql --password=secret

Scheduling

Enable scheduled backups in config/backup.php:

'schedule' => [
    'enabled' => true,
    'frequency' => 'daily',
    'time' => '02:00',
    'timezone' => 'Asia/Kolkata',
],

Supported frequencies:

hourly
daily
weekly
monthly

The package registers itself with Laravel's scheduler when scheduling is enabled.

Maintenance Mode

When enabled, the package will automatically run Laravel maintenance mode before backup and restore operations, then bring the application back up after the operation completes.

'maintenance' => [
    'enabled' => true,
],

Dashboard

Enable the Blade dashboard:

'ui' => [
    'enabled' => true,
    'prefix' => 'smart-backup',
    'middleware' => explode(',', env('SMART_BACKUP_UI_MIDDLEWARE', 'web,auth')),
    'name_prefix' => env('SMART_BACKUP_UI_NAME_PREFIX', 'smart-backup.'),
],

Dashboard includes:

Backup list
Run backup form
Restore backup form
Settings page

When the dashboard triggers a backup, the package starts php artisan backup:run in a detached background process by default. This avoids reverse-proxy timeouts for large production backups while keeping php artisan backup:run synchronous for CLI and scheduler usage.

Disable that behavior only if you explicitly want the web request to wait:

'ui' => [
    'dispatch_after_response' => false,
],

Storage Structure

Backups are stored in structured folders by mode and date.

Examples:

backups/database/full/2026/04/07/users-20260407_010000.sql
backups/database/incremental/2026/04/07/orders-20260407_010000.jsonl

Package Migrations

The package ships with migrations for backup metadata tables:

smart_backup_runs
smart_backup_tables

They are loaded automatically by the package and can also be published.

Testing

The package includes a basic Orchestra Testbench setup with feature coverage for:

provider bootstrapping
core backup execution
metadata persistence

Run tests with:

vendor/bin/phpunit

Current Status

This package is now in much better shape for a first stable release.

Before tagging v1.0.0, I still recommend one final verification pass:

Run the Testbench suite in a clean environment with dependencies installed
Verify install and publish flow in a fresh Laravel app
Decide whether CSV should be fully implemented or removed from the public surface for v1

Release Recommendation

Recommended release path:

Run composer install
Run vendor/bin/phpunit
Smoke-test the package in a fresh Laravel app
If that passes, tag v1.0.0

If you want, the next step can be a final release-prep pass where I:

trim compatibility files
reduce the public surface to only supported formats
prepare a release checklist or changelog

bhavgoyal99 / laravel-smart-backup

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