fix(backup): fallback to file backup in dump-only mode when no DB dump is possible

- Change DB backup helpers to return whether a dump was actually produced
- Detect DB containers without successful dumps in --dump-only mode
- Fallback to file backups with a warning instead of skipping silently
- Refactor DB dump logic to return boolean status
- Add E2E test covering dump-only fallback when databases.csv entry is missing

https://chatgpt.com/share/6951a659-2b0c-800f-aafa-3e89ae1eb697

src/baudolo/backup/app.py

@@ -72,28 +72,27 @@ def requires_stop(containers: list[str], images_no_stop_required: list[str]) ->
             return True
     return False
 
-
 def backup_mariadb_or_postgres(
     *,
     container: str,
     volume_dir: str,
     databases_df: "pandas.DataFrame",
     database_containers: list[str],
-) -> bool:
+) -> tuple[bool, bool]:
     """
-    Returns True if the container is a DB container we handled.
+    Returns (is_db_container, dumped_any)
     """
     for img in ["mariadb", "postgres"]:
         if has_image(container, img):
-            backup_database(
+            dumped = backup_database(
                 container=container,
                 volume_dir=volume_dir,
                 db_type=img,
                 databases_df=databases_df,
                 database_containers=database_containers,
             )
-            return True
+            return True, dumped
-    return False
+    return False, False
 
 
 def _backup_dumps_for_volume(
@@ -102,21 +101,26 @@ def _backup_dumps_for_volume(
     vol_dir: str,
     databases_df: "pandas.DataFrame",
     database_containers: list[str],
-) -> bool:
+) -> tuple[bool, bool]:
     """
-    Create DB dumps for any mariadb/postgres containers attached to this volume.
+    Returns (found_db_container, dumped_any)
-    Returns True if at least one dump was produced.
     """
+    found_db = False
     dumped_any = False
+
     for c in containers:
-        if backup_mariadb_or_postgres(
+        is_db, dumped = backup_mariadb_or_postgres(
             container=c,
             volume_dir=vol_dir,
             databases_df=databases_df,
             database_containers=database_containers,
-        ):
+        )
+        if is_db:
+            found_db = True
+        if dumped:
             dumped_any = True
-    return dumped_any
+
+    return found_db, dumped_any
 
 
 def main() -> int:
@@ -137,18 +141,26 @@ def main() -> int:
         containers = containers_using_volume(volume_name)
 
         vol_dir = create_volume_directory(version_dir, volume_name)
-
+            
-        # Old behavior: DB dumps are additional to file backups.
+        found_db, dumped_any = _backup_dumps_for_volume(
-        _backup_dumps_for_volume(
             containers=containers,
             vol_dir=vol_dir,
             databases_df=databases_df,
             database_containers=args.database_containers,
         )
 
-        # dump-only: skip ALL file rsync backups
+        # dump-only logic:
         if args.dump_only:
-            continue
+            if found_db and not dumped_any:
+                print(
+                    f"WARNING: dump-only requested but no DB dump was produced for DB volume '{volume_name}'. Falling back to file backup.",
+                    flush=True,
+                )
+                # continue to file backup below
+            else:
+                # keep old behavior: skip file backups
+                continue
+
 
         # skip file backup if all linked containers are ignored
         if volume_is_fully_ignored(containers, args.images_no_backup_required):

src/baudolo/backup/db.py

@@ -3,9 +3,8 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 import os
 import pathlib
 import re
-
-import pandas
 import logging
+import pandas
 
 from .shell import BackupException, execute_shell_command
 
@@ -18,9 +17,7 @@ def get_instance(container: str, database_containers: list[str]) -> str:
     return re.split(r"(_|-)(database|db|postgres)", container)[0]
 
 
-def fallback_pg_dumpall(
+def fallback_pg_dumpall(container: str, username: str, password: str, out_file: str) -> None:
-    container: str, username: str, password: str, out_file: str
-) -> None:
     cmd = (
         f"PGPASSWORD={password} docker exec -i {container} "
         f"pg_dumpall -U {username} -h localhost > {out_file}"
@@ -35,20 +32,25 @@ def backup_database(
     db_type: str,
     databases_df: "pandas.DataFrame",
     database_containers: list[str],
-) -> None:
+) -> bool:
+    """
+    Returns True if at least one dump file was produced, else False.
+    """
     instance_name = get_instance(container, database_containers)
     entries = databases_df.loc[databases_df["instance"] == instance_name]
     if entries.empty:
-        log.warning("No entry found for instance '%s'", instance_name)
+        log.warning("No entry found for instance '%s' (skipping DB dump)", instance_name)
-        return
+        return False
 
     out_dir = os.path.join(volume_dir, "sql")
     pathlib.Path(out_dir).mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
 
-    for row in entries.iloc:
+    produced = False
-        db_name = row["database"]
+
-        user = row["username"]
+    for row in entries.itertuples(index=False):
-        password = row["password"]
+        db_name = row.database
+        user = row.username
+        password = row.password
 
         dump_file = os.path.join(out_dir, f"{db_name}.backup.sql")
 
@@ -58,13 +60,15 @@ def backup_database(
                 f"-u {user} -p{password} {db_name} > {dump_file}"
             )
             execute_shell_command(cmd)
+            produced = True
             continue
 
         if db_type == "postgres":
             cluster_file = os.path.join(out_dir, f"{instance_name}.cluster.backup.sql")
+
             if not db_name:
                 fallback_pg_dumpall(container, user, password, cluster_file)
-                return
+                return True
 
             try:
                 cmd = (
@@ -72,6 +76,7 @@ def backup_database(
                     f"pg_dump -U {user} -d {db_name} -h localhost > {dump_file}"
                 )
                 execute_shell_command(cmd)
+                produced = True
             except BackupException as e:
                 print(f"pg_dump failed: {e}", flush=True)
                 print(
@@ -79,4 +84,7 @@ def backup_database(
                     flush=True,
                 )
                 fallback_pg_dumpall(container, user, password, cluster_file)
+                produced = True
             continue
+
+    return produced

tests/e2e/test_e2e_dump_only_fallback_to_files.py

@@ -0,0 +1,175 @@
+# tests/e2e/test_e2e_dump_only_fallback_to_files.py
+import unittest
+
+from .helpers import (
+    backup_path,
+    cleanup_docker,
+    create_minimal_compose_dir,
+    ensure_empty_dir,
+    latest_version_dir,
+    require_docker,
+    run,
+    unique,
+    write_databases_csv,
+    wait_for_postgres,
+)
+
+
+class TestE2EDumpOnlyFallbackToFiles(unittest.TestCase):
+    @classmethod
+    def setUpClass(cls) -> None:
+        require_docker()
+        cls.prefix = unique("baudolo-e2e-dump-only-fallback")
+        cls.backups_dir = f"/tmp/{cls.prefix}/Backups"
+        ensure_empty_dir(cls.backups_dir)
+
+        cls.compose_dir = create_minimal_compose_dir(f"/tmp/{cls.prefix}")
+        cls.repo_name = cls.prefix
+
+        cls.pg_container = f"{cls.prefix}-pg"
+        cls.pg_volume = f"{cls.prefix}-pg-vol"
+        cls.restore_volume = f"{cls.prefix}-restore-vol"
+
+        cls.containers = [cls.pg_container]
+        cls.volumes = [cls.pg_volume, cls.restore_volume]
+
+        run(["docker", "volume", "create", cls.pg_volume])
+
+        # Start Postgres (creates a real DB volume)
+        run(
+            [
+                "docker",
+                "run",
+                "-d",
+                "--name",
+                cls.pg_container,
+                "-e",
+                "POSTGRES_PASSWORD=pgpw",
+                "-e",
+                "POSTGRES_DB=appdb",
+                "-e",
+                "POSTGRES_USER=postgres",
+                "-v",
+                f"{cls.pg_volume}:/var/lib/postgresql/data",
+                "postgres:16",
+            ]
+        )
+        wait_for_postgres(cls.pg_container, user="postgres", timeout_s=90)
+
+        # Add a deterministic marker file into the volume
+        cls.marker = "dump-only-fallback-marker"
+        run(
+            [
+                "docker",
+                "exec",
+                cls.pg_container,
+                "sh",
+                "-lc",
+                f"echo '{cls.marker}' > /var/lib/postgresql/data/marker.txt",
+            ]
+        )
+
+        # databases.csv WITHOUT matching entry for this instance -> should skip dump
+        cls.databases_csv = f"/tmp/{cls.prefix}/databases.csv"
+        write_databases_csv(cls.databases_csv, [])  # empty except header
+
+        # Run baudolo with --dump-only and a DB container present:
+        # Expected: WARNING + FALLBACK to file backup (files/ must exist)
+        cmd = [
+            "baudolo",
+            "--compose-dir",
+            cls.compose_dir,
+            "--docker-compose-hard-restart-required",
+            "mailu",
+            "--repo-name",
+            cls.repo_name,
+            "--databases-csv",
+            cls.databases_csv,
+            "--backups-dir",
+            cls.backups_dir,
+            "--database-containers",
+            cls.pg_container,
+            "--images-no-stop-required",
+            "postgres",
+            "mariadb",
+            "mysql",
+            "alpine",
+            "--dump-only",
+        ]
+        cp = run(cmd, capture=True, check=True)
+
+        cls.stdout = cp.stdout or ""
+        cls.hash, cls.version = latest_version_dir(cls.backups_dir, cls.repo_name)
+
+        # Restore files into a fresh volume to prove file backup happened
+        run(["docker", "volume", "create", cls.restore_volume])
+        run(
+            [
+                "baudolo-restore",
+                "files",
+                cls.restore_volume,
+                cls.hash,
+                cls.version,
+                "--backups-dir",
+                cls.backups_dir,
+                "--repo-name",
+                cls.repo_name,
+                "--source-volume",
+                cls.pg_volume,
+                "--rsync-image",
+                "ghcr.io/kevinveenbirkenbach/alpine-rsync",
+            ]
+        )
+
+    @classmethod
+    def tearDownClass(cls) -> None:
+        cleanup_docker(containers=cls.containers, volumes=cls.volumes)
+
+    def test_warns_about_missing_dump_in_dump_only_mode(self) -> None:
+        self.assertIn(
+            "WARNING: dump-only requested but no DB dump was produced",
+            self.stdout,
+            f"Expected warning in baudolo output. STDOUT:\n{self.stdout}",
+        )
+
+    def test_files_backup_exists_due_to_fallback(self) -> None:
+        p = backup_path(
+            self.backups_dir,
+            self.repo_name,
+            self.version,
+            self.pg_volume,
+        ) / "files"
+        self.assertTrue(p.is_dir(), f"Expected files backup dir at: {p}")
+
+    def test_sql_dump_not_present(self) -> None:
+        # There should be no sql dumps because databases.csv had no matching entry.
+        sql_dir = backup_path(
+            self.backups_dir,
+            self.repo_name,
+            self.version,
+            self.pg_volume,
+        ) / "sql"
+        # Could exist (dir created) in some edge cases, but should contain no *.sql dumps.
+        if sql_dir.exists():
+            dumps = list(sql_dir.glob("*.sql"))
+            self.assertEqual(
+                len(dumps),
+                0,
+                f"Did not expect SQL dump files, found: {dumps}",
+            )
+
+    def test_restored_files_contain_marker(self) -> None:
+        p = run(
+            [
+                "docker",
+                "run",
+                "--rm",
+                "-v",
+                f"{self.restore_volume}:/data",
+                "alpine:3.20",
+                "sh",
+                "-lc",
+                "cat /data/marker.txt",
+            ]
+        )
+        self.assertEqual((p.stdout or "").strip(), self.marker)