# Error when migrating to an external postgres instance **URL:** \ **Category:** Self-hosting\ **Created:** [January 17, 2024, 8:19pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/error-when-migrating-to-an-external-postgres-instance/291992 "2024-01-17T20:19:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 1
**Author:** ![Morpheus636](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bbce88/32.png) [@Morpheus636](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Morpheus636)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2024, 8:19pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/error-when-migrating-to-an-external-postgres-instance/291992/1 "2024-01-17T20:19:24Z")
I set up my forums using discourse-docker with the default self-contained config. I need to switch over to using a separate postgres server. I ran a backup, then modified app.yml, rebuilt and attempted to restore from the backup via the CLI. The restore fails, and it appears that the restore was using the correct host to access postgres, but it was using the default port (5432) rather than the one I configured (9432). **Error:** ```plaintext psql: error: connection to server at "[REDACTED HOST]" ([REDACTED IP]), port 5432 failed: Connection refused Is the server running on that host and accepting TCP/IP connections? EXCEPTION: psql failed: Is the server running on that host and accepting TCP/IP connections? /var/www/discourse/lib/backup_restore/database_restorer.rb:92:in `restore_dump' /var/www/discourse/lib/backup_restore/database_restorer.rb:26:in `restore' /var/www/discourse/lib/backup_restore/restorer.rb:51:in `run' script/discourse:149:in `restore' /var/www/discourse/vendor/bundle/ruby/3.2.0/gems/thor-1.3.0/lib/thor/command.rb:28:in `run' /var/www/discourse/vendor/bundle/ruby/3.2.0/gems/thor-1.3.0/lib/thor/invocation.rb:127:in `invoke_command' /var/www/discourse/vendor/bundle/ruby/3.2.0/gems/thor-1.3.0/lib/thor.rb:527:in `dispatch' /var/www/discourse/vendor/bundle/ruby/3.2.0/gems/thor-1.3.0/lib/thor/base.rb:584:in `start' script/discourse:290:in `' /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/bundler-2.5.3/lib/bundler/cli/exec.rb:58:in `load' /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/bundler-2.5.3/lib/bundler/cli/exec.rb:58:in `kernel_load' /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/bundler-2.5.3/lib/bundler/cli/exec.rb:23:in `run' /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/bundler-2.5.3/lib/bundler/cli.rb:451:in `exec' /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/bundler-2.5.3/lib/bundler/vendor/thor/lib/thor/command.rb:28:in `run' /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/bundler-2.5.3/lib/bundler/vendor/thor/lib/thor/invocation.rb:127:in `invoke_command' /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/bundler-2.5.3/lib/bundler/vendor/thor/lib/thor.rb:527:in `dispatch' /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/bundler-2.5.3/lib/bundler/cli.rb:34:in `dispatch' /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/bundler-2.5.3/lib/bundler/vendor/thor/lib/thor/base.rb:584:in `start' /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/bundler-2.5.3/lib/bundler/cli.rb:28:in `start' /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/bundler-2.5.3/exe/bundle:28:in `block in ' /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/bundler-2.5.3/lib/bundler/friendly_errors.rb:117:in `with_friendly_errors' /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/bundler-2.5.3/exe/bundle:20:in `' /usr/local/bin/bundle:25:in `load' /usr/local/bin/bundle:25:in `
' Trying to rollback... Rolling back... Cleaning stuff up... Dropping functions from the discourse_functions schema... Removing tmp '/var/www/discourse/tmp/restores/default/2024-01-17-201724' directory... Unpausing sidekiq... Marking restore as finished... Notifying 'system' of the end of the restore... Finished! [FAILED] ``` **Config:** In app.yml, under `templates:`, I commented out `- "templates/postgres.template.yml"` I also added the following under `env`: ```plaintext DISCOURSE_DB_USERNAME: [REDACTED] DISCOURSE_DB_PASSWORD: [REDACTED] DISCOURSE_DB_HOST: [REDACTED] DISCOURSE_DB_PORT: 9432 DISCOURSE_DB_NAME: [REDACTED] ``` --- _[View the full topic](https://meta.discourse.org/t/error-when-migrating-to-an-external-postgres-instance/291992)._