Upgrade QuestDB

Upgrading QuestDB to a newer version requires replacing the server binary (or pulling a new Docker image) and restarting the process. Your existing data directory stays in place. This applies to both QuestDB Open Source and QuestDB Enterprise.

Looking for a fresh install?

If this is your first time setting up QuestDB, see the Quick start guide instead.

Before you upgrade​

  1. Read the release notes. QuestDB is generally backwards compatible, but breaking changes do occur and are documented in the release notes.

  2. Back up your data. On first startup, the new version may automatically migrate internal metadata. Once this happens, rolling back to the previous version may produce errors. Create a backup or snapshot before upgrading, especially for production instances. See Backup and restore for details.

Upgrade steps​

Docker​

Pull the latest image and restart the container, pointing to the same data volume:

docker pull questdb/questdb:latest

Then recreate your container with the new image, using the same volume mount for your QuestDB root directory:

docker stop questdb
docker rm questdb
docker run -d --name questdb \
  -p 9000:9000 -p 9009:9009 -p 8812:8812 \
  -v /path/to/questdb-data:/var/lib/questdb \
  questdb/questdb:latest

Replace /path/to/questdb-data with the path to your existing data directory.

Binaries​

  1. Stop the running QuestDB process.
  2. Download the new binary from the GitHub releases page (or build from source).
  3. Replace the old binary with the new one.
  4. Start QuestDB, pointing to the same root directory.

QuestDB Enterprise​

QuestDB Enterprise BYOC

If you are a QuestDB Enterprise BYOC customer, upgrades are managed for you. See QuestDB Enterprise BYOC below.

The upgrade process for Enterprise is identical: replace the binary or pull the new image, then restart.

The difference is how you obtain the new version:

  • Binaries: download from the SFTP or distribution channel provided by QuestDB during onboarding.
  • Docker: pull from the Enterprise ECR registry that was whitelisted for your AWS account.

If you are unsure where to get the latest Enterprise version, contact support@questdb.com.

Replication: upgrade order​

When running QuestDB Enterprise with replication, upgrade all replicas before upgrading the primary.

The primary may write WAL segments containing new metadata formats to the object store. If a replica running an older version encounters metadata it does not recognize, it will error. Upgrading replicas first ensures they can handle any new metadata the primary produces after its upgrade.

QuestDB Enterprise BYOC​

For QuestDB Enterprise BYOC customers, QuestDB manages the upgrade process. The QuestDB team will reach out to coordinate when a new version is available. If you would like to upgrade sooner, contact support@questdb.com.