Data loss after deploy — no persistent volume attached (Service ID: 26e71e2f-c4ec-45aa-bd8f-f418f8cd41f9)
olivia-001
HOBBYOP

13 days ago

Hi, I run a Node/Express app using SQLite (business.db) for a live business management system. The app ran continuously for about 7 months on a single deployment without issue. Today I deployed a code update, which replaced the running container. I didn't have a persistent Volume attached, so the new container started with a fresh, empty SQLite file, and all ~7 months of production data (customer transactions, expenses) from the previous container appears to be gone.

Details:

Project ID: 89358aad-858f-4605-ad45-192957a47f37

Service ID: 26e71e2f-c4ec-45aa-bd8f-f418f8cd41f9

Removed deployment: 8ebff150, active until 2026-08-08 16:15 GMT

New deployment replaced it at: 2026-08-08 16:15 GMT

Is there any chance of recovering the ephemeral disk/filesystem snapshot from the removed deployment (8ebff150), even partially? This is live production business data and very time-sensitive for us. I understand this may not be something Railway typically offers, but I wanted to ask directly given the urgency.

Thank you for any help you can provide.

Solved

1 Replies

Railway
BOT

13 days ago

Your service had no persistent volume attached, so the SQLite data lived on the container's ephemeral filesystem and was discarded when the new deployment replaced it. Data that only existed in ephemeral storage cannot be recovered. Going forward, attach a volume to the service so your database file persists across deploys, and upgrading to Pro unlocks native volume backups for an additional layer of protection.


Status changed to Awaiting User Response Railway 13 days ago


Railway
BOT

6 days ago

This thread has been marked as solved automatically due to a lack of recent activity. Please re-open this thread or create a new one if you require further assistance. Thank you!

Status changed to Solved Railway 6 days ago


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