Directus Schema Snapshots

Schema snapshots are YAML files that represent the complete data model of your Directus project, including all collections, fields, and relations. They are version-controlled in this repository to keep the production environment in sync with development changes.

Exporting a Snapshot

After you make any changes to the data model in your local Directus instance (e.g., adding a field or creating a collection), you must export a new schema snapshot. A helper script is provided for this.

From the backend directory, run:

./snapshots/export.sh

This script performs the following steps:

1. Executes the Directus CLI within the directus Docker container to save a snapshot to a temporary path.
2. Copies the snapshot file from the container to the ./snapshots/schema.yaml file on your host machine.

Once the script is finished, you can commit the updated snapshots/schema.yaml file to Git.

Applying a Snapshot

Applying a snapshot updates the Directus instance’s data model to match the structure defined in the schema.yaml file.

Automatic Deployment

The production server is configured to do this automatically. When you push a commit containing a change to snapshots/schema.yaml to the main branch, a GitHub Action is triggered. This action securely logs into the server and runs the necessary commands to apply the new schema.

Manual Application (If Needed)

If you ever need to apply the schema manually on the production server, you would use these commands:

1. Copy the schema file into the container:

   docker cp ./snapshots/schema.yaml directus:/tmp/

2. Run the apply command:

   docker exec directus node /directus/cli.js schema apply --yes /tmp/schema.yaml