# Upgrading to DefectDojo Version 2.39.x

# PostgreSQL Major Version Upgrade in Docker Compose

This release incorporates a major upgrade of Postgres. When using the default docker compose setup you’ll need to upgrade the Postgres data folder before you can use Defect Dojo 2.39.0.

There are lots of online guides to be found such as https://hub.docker.com/r/tianon/postgres-upgrade or https://github.com/pgautoupgrade/docker-pgautoupgrade.

There’s also the [official documentation on `pg_upgrade`](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/pgupgrade.html), but this doesn’t work out of the box when using Docker containers.

Sometimes it’s easier to just perform the upgrade manually, which would look something like the steps below. It may need some tuning to your specific needs and docker compose setup. The guide is loosely based on https://simplebackups.com/blog/docker-postgres-backup-restore-guide-with-examples. If you already have a valid backup of the postgres 16 database, you can start at step 4.

## 0. Backup

Always back up your data before starting and save it somewhere. Make sure the backup and restore is tested before continuing the steps below where the docker volume containing the database will be removed.

## 1. Start the Old Postgres Container

If you’ve acceidentally already updated your docker-compose.yml to the new versions, downgrade to postgres 16 for now:

Edit your `docker-compose.yml` to use the old Postgres version (e.g., `postgres:16.4-alpine`):

```yaml
postgres:
  image: postgres:16.4-alpine
  ...
```

Start only the Postgres container which will now be 16.4:

```bash
docker compose up -d postgres
```

## 2. Dump Your Database

```bash
docker compose exec -t postgres pg_dump -U defectdojo -Fc defectdojo -f /tmp/defectdojo.dump
docker cp <postgres_container_name>:/tmp/defectdojo.dump defectdojo.dump
```

You can find the postgres_container_name via `docker container ls` or `docker ps`.

## 3. Stop Containers and Remove the Old Volume

You can find the volume name via `docker volume ls`.

```bash
docker compose down
docker volume rm <defectdojo_postgres_volume_name>
```

## 4. Switch to the New Postgres Version

Edit your `docker-compose.yml` to use the new version (e.g., `postgres:17.5-alpine`):

```yaml
postgres:
  image: postgres:17.5-alpine
  ...
```

## 5. Start the New Postgres Container

```bash
docker compose up -d postgres
```

## 6. Restore Your Database

**Copy the dump file into the new container:**

```bash
docker cp defectdojo.dump <postgres_container_name>:/defectdojo.dump
```

**Restore inside the container:**

```bash
docker exec -it <postgres_container_name> bash
pg_restore -U defectdojo -d defectdojo /defectdojo.dump
```

## 7. Start the Rest of Your Services

```bash
docker compose up -d
```

Check the [Release Notes](https://github.com/DefectDojo/django-DefectDojo/releases/tag/2.39.0) for the contents of the release.