← Tools
THE IDEA
A backup/restore command that dumps your entities (by namespace + creator) to a file and re-writes them to a new network — because testnet state does NOT migrate and Braga decommissions ~Sep 2026.
The problem today
- Testnet state doesn't migrate: entities written to Kaolin stayed on Kaolin, and the same happens when Braga is decommissioned (~Sep 2026).
- Builders who put weeks of work into Braga have no first-class way to carry it forward.
- Arkiv has no backup/restore story — a known weakness vs any web2 DB.
What it would do
- Dump: query by namespace + createdBy, page through results, serialize payload + attributes + remaining TTL to a file.
- Restore: re-create the entities on a target network (re-signed by you), with batching and a dry-run.
- Diff: show what exists on the target vs the dump so re-runs are idempotent.
WHY IT’S A BETTER EXPERIENCE
- Turns a testnet rotation from "lose everything" into "run two commands."
- Gives Arkiv the backup/restore muscle memory every database user assumes.
- Also useful day-to-day: snapshot a dataset, seed a fresh environment, share fixtures.
HOW IT COMPARES
pg_dump / pg_restorethe backup workflow every Postgres dev expects. Arkiv has no equivalent.
Firebase export/importfirst-class data portability. We bring it to Arkiv, rotation-aware.
FEASIBILITY — AND WHY THIS ISN’T HAND-WAVING
Medium to build
Query→serialize→re-create with batching. Honest caveat: entity keys and ownership history don't carry over; it re-creates, it doesn't teleport.
Grounded in
- Confirmed: testnet state does not migrate (Kaolin→Braga precedent in the official migration guide).
- Braga decommission is on the roadmap (~Sep 2026, when the final testnet is live).
- Query-by-creator + re-create path verified live on Braga.
PAIRS WITH