Replicate PostgreSQL to Docker
PowerShell script that copies databases from a remote PostgreSQL server into a local Docker container in one go.
AI-generated- Tools
Why I built the script
When you work on an application, you often want to test with real data without touching the server it lives on. Getting there was the same every time: piece together pg_dump with the right parameters, start a Postgres container, create the databases, load the dumps. And all of that for each database separately. Not a hard process, but one where you have to look something up every single time.
So I put the steps into a script. It asks for what it needs and takes care of the rest.
What it does
- It connects to the source server and lists all databases. You pick some or take them all.
- Each database is saved with pg_dump as an SQL file in a timestamped folder, so you get a backup along the way.
- It starts a PostgreSQL container in Docker, optionally with a specific Postgres version and a local folder so the data survives a restart.
- It loads the dumps there. Instead of Docker, the target can also be another PostgreSQL host.
Pitfalls it handles
- No local client tools needed: If psql and pg_dump aren't installed, the script uses the ones from the Postgres image in Docker.
- Umlauts: The export always runs in UTF-8, so characters like ä, ö and ü don't break along the way.
- Reserved names: Databases like
authorizationare quoted correctly and can still be created. - Postgres 18 and newer: From version 18 on, the data directory in the official image is in a different place. The script detects this and mounts the right path; otherwise the data would silently not be saved.
- Existing containers: If the container already exists, you can replace it or keep using it.
Try it
The script is open source (MIT) and runs on Windows with PowerShell and Docker Desktop. Start .\copy-psql-databases.ps1, answer the questions, done.
