How to create a backup of Docker containers, their volumes, and networks?

When developing applications in a containerized environment, it is critically important to know how to properly back up not just the code, but the entire Docker infrastructure. Simply copying project files is often insufficient, as database data and user files are stored in Docker volumes.

To create a complete backup of a containerized application, you need to save three main components: the docker-compose.yml configuration files, data from volumes, and image or network settings. Temporary containers that archive the volume contents into a tar file are typically used to back up volumes.

The volume backup process can be automated using one-liner commands that mount the target volume and the local backup directory into a utility container equipped with an archiving tool.

To restore data, the process is performed in reverse order: an empty volume is created, the archive is unpacked using a temporary container, and then the standard service stack is launched via docker compose up.