Target Command

The target command displays detailed information about a specific target, including all snapshots, database statistics, and table relationships. This command provides comprehensive insight into a target's snapshot history, database structure, and operational status.

Overview

The target command serves as the primary inspection tool for individual targets, showing: - Complete snapshot history with creation dates, sizes, and sanitization status - Database statistics including size, table counts, and relationship mapping - Snapshot locations (local vs cloud storage) - Table structure and foreign key relationships - Database health and connectivity status

Syntax

dbsnapper target <target_name> [flags]

Arguments

• <target_name>: The name of the target defined in your configuration file

Options

      --destdb string   Destination Database URL Override - Will overwrite any existing destination database
  -h, --help            help for target
      --info            Output database and table stats
  -o, --original        Use the original snapshot instead of the sanitized version
  -u, --update          Update the db info for all targets (default: true)

Snapshot Information Display

The target command displays snapshots in a comprehensive table format:

Snapshot Table Columns

INDEX

Zero-based index number for referencing snapshots in other commands. - 0 = Most recent snapshot - Higher numbers = Older snapshots - Used in load, sanitize, and other commands

CREATED

Human-readable creation timestamp showing when the snapshot was built. - Format: DD-Mon-YY HH:MM - Example: 25-Aug-07 03:50 - Timezone: Displayed in local timezone

NAME

Unique snapshot identifier combining timestamp and target name. - Format: {timestamp}_{target_name} or custom names - Examples: - 1754538604_dvdrental-cloud (standard format) - test_snapshot (custom name)

FILENAME

Actual file name as stored in local working directory or cloud storage. - Local Format: {timestamp}_{target_name}.zip - Cloud Format: UUID-based filenames (e.g., d7786d0b-9c5d-43c6-8744-e92893c4dc9a.zip) - Sanitized Suffix: .san.zip for sanitized snapshots

SIZE

Snapshot file size in human-readable format. - Units: Bytes, kB, MB, GB as appropriate - Accuracy: Actual compressed file size - Comparison: Useful for capacity planning and performance estimation

SANITIZED?

Indicates whether a sanitized version of the snapshot exists. - true = Sanitized snapshot available (preferred for loading) - false = Only original snapshot available - Priority: Sanitized snapshots are loaded by default unless --original is specified

LOCATION

Shows where the snapshot is stored. - local = Stored in working directory on local machine - cloud = Stored in cloud storage (S3, R2, etc.) - Hybrid: Some snapshots may exist in both locations

Database Statistics (--info flag)

The --info flag provides comprehensive database analysis and health information:

Database Stats Table

Core Database Information

+---------------------+---------+
|     STATISTIC       |  VALUE  |
+---------------------+---------+
| Database Size       | 8613011 |
| Database Status     | OK      |
| Database Messages   |         |

• Database Size: Total database size in bytes
• Database Status: Connection and health status (OK, ERROR, etc.)
• Database Messages: Any warnings or status messages

Table Analysis

| Subset Tables       |       0 |
| Tables Connected    |       0 |
| Tables Disconnected |      14 |
| Tables Upstream     |       0 |
| Tables Downstream   |       0 |
| Total Tables        |      14 |

• Subset Tables: Tables included in subset operations
• Tables Connected: Tables with foreign key relationships
• Tables Disconnected: Standalone tables without relationships
• Tables Upstream: Tables referenced by others
• Tables Downstream: Tables that reference others
• Total Tables: Complete table count

Table Details

The --info flag shows individual table information:

+------+---------------------------+------+
| TYPE |           TABLE           | ROWS |
+------+---------------------------+------+
| X    | public.users              |   -1 |
| X    | temp_schema.cache_entries |   -1 |
| X    | analytics.reports         |   -1 |

• TYPE: Table classification (X = Excluded/Disconnected, others TBD)
• TABLE: Full schema-qualified table name
• ROWS: Row count (-1 indicates not calculated)

Relationship Mapping

Foreign key relationships are displayed in detail:

+------------------------+------+-------------------------+--------------+---------------------+------------+
|          NAME          | TYPE |         FKTABLE         |  FKCOLUMNS   |      REFTABLE       | REFCOLUMNS |
+------------------------+------+-------------------------+--------------+---------------------+------------+
| Relationships          |      |                         |              |                     |            |
|                        | X    | analytics.events        | user_id      | public.users        | id         |
|                        | X    | public.posts            | user_id      | public.users        | id         |
| Excluded Relationships |      |                         |              |                     |            |

• Relationships: Active foreign key constraints
• Excluded Relationships: Relationships ignored in subset operations
• FKTABLE: Table containing the foreign key
• FKCOLUMNS: Foreign key column names
• REFTABLE: Referenced table
• REFCOLUMNS: Referenced column names

Location Types and Storage

Local Snapshots

• Storage: Working directory (default: ~/.dbsnapper)
• File Format: {timestamp}_{target_name}.zip
• Advantages: Fast access, no network dependency
• Use Cases: Development, local testing, offline scenarios

Cloud Snapshots

• Storage: S3-compatible cloud storage (AWS S3, Cloudflare R2, etc.)
• File Format: UUID-based names for security
• Advantages: Team sharing, backup, cross-environment access
• Requirements: Storage profile configuration and authentication

Sanitization Status and Priority

Sanitization Indicators

• SANITIZED? = true: Sanitized snapshot exists
• SANITIZED? = false: Only original snapshot available

Loading Priority

# Default behavior - loads sanitized version if available
dbsnapper load target_name 0

# Force original snapshot
dbsnapper load target_name 0 --original

Example Usage

Basic Target Inspection

# View all snapshots for a target
dbsnapper target production-db

# View snapshots with database statistics
dbsnapper target production-db --info

Database Analysis and Planning

# Get comprehensive database analysis
dbsnapper target analytics-db --info
# Use output for subset planning, schema analysis, capacity planning

Snapshot History Review

# Review snapshot history for target
dbsnapper target user-data
# Identify suitable snapshots for specific needs

Example Output

Basic Target View

dbsnapper target production-app

Output:

DBSnapper v2.7.0-dev - Target Snapshots
[CLOUD] DBSnapper Cloud: Enabled
[TARGET] Target: production-app
[CONFIG] Config: ~/.config/dbsnapper/dbsnapper.yml
──────────────────────────────────────────────────

+-------+-----------------+--------------------------+--------------------------------+--------+------------+----------+
| INDEX |     CREATED     |           NAME           |            FILENAME            |  SIZE  | SANITIZED? | LOCATION |
+-------+-----------------+--------------------------+--------------------------------+--------+------------+----------+
|     0 | 25-Aug-07 09:15 | 1754558129_production-app| 1754558129_production-app.zip  | 2.3 GB | true       | local    |
|     1 | 25-Aug-06 09:15 | 1754471729_production-app| b84d2c91-4e32-4a91-b123-...   | 2.2 GB | true       | cloud    |
|     2 | 25-Aug-05 09:15 | 1754385329_production-app| a72f1b82-3d21-4b82-a012-...   | 2.1 GB | false      | cloud    |
|     3 | 25-Aug-04 09:15 | 1754298929_production-app| 9e8c4a73-2c12-4c73-9901-...   | 2.0 GB | false      | cloud    |
+-------+-----------------+--------------------------+--------------------------------+--------+------------+----------+

Detailed Database Analysis

dbsnapper target production-app --info

Output:

DBSnapper v2.7.0-dev - Target Snapshots
[CLOUD] DBSnapper Cloud: Enabled
[TARGET] Target: production-app
[CONFIG] Config: ~/.config/dbsnapper/dbsnapper.yml
──────────────────────────────────────────────────

Database Stats:
+---------------------+-----------+
|      STATISTIC      |   VALUE   |
+---------------------+-----------+
| Database Size       | 2461820152|
| Database Status     | OK        |
| Database Messages   |           |
| Subset Tables       |         3 |
| Tables Connected    |        12 |
| Tables Disconnected |         8 |
| Tables Upstream     |         5 |
| Tables Downstream   |         7 |
| Total Tables        |        20 |
+---------------------+-----------+

Table Stats:
+------+----------------------+--------+
| TYPE |        TABLE         |  ROWS  |
+------+----------------------+--------+
| ✓    | public.users         | 125000 |
| ✓    | public.orders        |  45000 |
| ✓    | public.products      |   1500 |
| X    | public.audit_logs    | 890000 |
| X    | temp.cache_entries   |  12000 |
+------+----------------------+--------+

Relationships:
+------------------------+------+-------------------+-----------+-----------------+------------+
|          NAME          | TYPE |      FKTABLE      | FKCOLUMNS |    REFTABLE     | REFCOLUMNS |
+------------------------+------+-------------------+-----------+-----------------+------------+
| Active Relationships   |      |                   |           |                 |            |
|                        | ✓    | public.orders     | user_id   | public.users    | id         |
|                        | ✓    | public.order_items| order_id  | public.orders   | id         |
|                        | ✓    | public.order_items| product_id| public.products | id         |
+------------------------+------+-------------------+-----------+-----------------+------------+

[Snapshot listing follows...]

Use Cases

Development Environment Planning

# Analyze production database before creating development snapshot
dbsnapper target production-db --info
# Review table sizes, relationships for subset planning
dbsnapper subset production-db  # Based on analysis

Snapshot Selection for Operations

# Find appropriate snapshot for specific date/time
dbsnapper target user-data
# Select snapshot by index for loading
dbsnapper load staging-env 3  # Load snapshot at index 3

Database Health Monitoring

# Regular database health checks
dbsnapper target production-db --info
# Monitor table growth, relationship changes over time

Sanitization Planning

# Identify which snapshots have sanitized versions
dbsnapper target sensitive-data
# Plan sanitization for snapshots that need it
dbsnapper sanitize sensitive-data 2  # Sanitize specific snapshot

Cloud Storage Management

# Review cloud vs local snapshot distribution
dbsnapper target distributed-app
# Plan pull operations for cloud snapshots
dbsnapper pull distributed-app 5  # Pull specific cloud snapshot

Capacity Planning and Analysis

# Analyze database growth trends
dbsnapper target analytics-db --info
# Plan storage and backup strategies based on sizes

Performance Considerations

Update Behavior

• With Update (default): Connects to database for current information
• Without Update (--update=false): Uses cached data for faster response

Information Depth

• Basic View: Fast snapshot listing
• With --info: Comprehensive analysis (slower due to database queries)

Optimization Strategies

# Fast snapshot review for automation
dbsnapper target production-db --update=false

# Comprehensive analysis for planning
dbsnapper target production-db --info --update

# Focus on recent snapshots for quick decisions
dbsnapper target production-db | head -20

Integration with Other Commands

Snapshot Selection Workflow

# 1. Review available snapshots
dbsnapper target production-db

# 2. Choose appropriate snapshot by index
dbsnapper load development-db 2

# 3. Verify loaded snapshot
dbsnapper target development-db --info

Sanitization Workflow

# 1. Check sanitization status
dbsnapper target sensitive-db

# 2. Sanitize unsanitized snapshots
dbsnapper sanitize sensitive-db 3

# 3. Verify sanitization completed
dbsnapper target sensitive-db

Cloud Management Workflow

# 1. Review cloud snapshot availability
dbsnapper target shared-data

# 2. Pull needed snapshots locally
dbsnapper pull shared-data 1

# 3. Confirm local availability
dbsnapper target shared-data

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Target Not Found

Error: target 'unknown-target' not found

- Verify target name with dbsnapper targets - Check configuration file for target definition - Ensure correct configuration file is being used

Database Connection Failed

Error: failed to connect to source database

- Check database server availability - Verify connection string in target configuration - Test connectivity with database client tools - Use --update=false to skip database connections

No Snapshots Found

No snapshots found for target: test-target

- Build first snapshot: dbsnapper build test-target - Check working directory for snapshot files - Verify storage profile configuration for cloud targets

Permission Denied

Error: insufficient privileges to analyze database

- Check database user permissions - Ensure user has SELECT privileges on system catalogs - Verify authentication credentials

Incomplete Statistics with --info

Database Stats show -1 for row counts

- Run with --update to refresh statistics - Check database user has privileges to query system tables - Some statistics may require elevated database privileges

Recovery Steps

1. Verify Configuration: Check target configuration and connection strings
2. Test Connectivity: Ensure database servers are accessible
3. Check Permissions: Verify database user privileges
4. Use Minimal Options: Try without --info or --update flags
5. Review Logs: Check for detailed error messages

Performance and Optimization

Command Execution Speed

• Fastest: dbsnapper target name --update=false (cached data only)
• Medium: dbsnapper target name (snapshot list + basic database check)
• Slowest: dbsnapper target name --info (full database analysis)

Large Snapshot Lists

For targets with many snapshots, consider:

# Limit output to recent snapshots
dbsnapper target production-db | head -20

# Use grep to find specific snapshots
dbsnapper target production-db | grep "25-Aug-07"

# Focus on sanitized snapshots only
dbsnapper target production-db | grep "true"

Snapshot Selection

Use the INDEX column values directly in other commands. Index 0 is always the most recent snapshot.

Database Analysis

The --info flag provides valuable insights for subset planning, schema analysis, and capacity planning. Use it when detailed database understanding is needed.

Update Behavior

The --update flag (default: true) connects to the source database. Use --update=false for faster execution when current database state isn't needed.

Related Commands

• targets - List all available targets
• build - Create new snapshots for targets
• load - Load target snapshots into databases
• sanitize - Create sanitized versions of snapshots
• pull - Retrieve cloud snapshots locally

See Also

• Snapshot Management - Snapshot concepts and workflows
• Target Configuration - How to configure targets
• Database Engines - Supported databases
• Cloud Storage - Cloud storage integration