> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://test.pzona.fun/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Stop and restart database containers with mkdb

> Use mkdb stop to pause a container while preserving its data, and mkdb restart to bring it back. Both support interactive and --name flag modes.

`mkdb stop` and `mkdb restart` let you pause and resume database containers without losing data. Stopping a container preserves the volume so you can bring it back later. Restarting reconnects to that volume and resumes the container with the same credentials and configuration it had before.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="stop">
    ## mkdb stop

    `mkdb stop` stops a running container and preserves its volume. The data remains intact — use `mkdb restart` to start it again.

    ### Flags

    <ParamField query="--name" type="string">
      Name of the container to stop. When provided, mkdb skips the interactive selection menu and stops the named container directly.
    </ParamField>

    ### Examples

    **Interactive mode — select from a list of running containers:**

    ```bash theme={null}
    mkdb stop
    ```

    **Non-interactive mode — stop a named container directly:**

    ```bash theme={null}
    mkdb stop --name mydb
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="restart">
    ## mkdb restart

    `mkdb restart` starts a previously stopped container using its existing volume and credentials. If the underlying Docker container no longer exists (for example, it was removed externally), mkdb recreates it using the stored configuration.

    ### Flags

    <ParamField query="--name" type="string">
      Name of the container to restart. When provided, mkdb skips the interactive selection menu and restarts the named container directly.
    </ParamField>

    ### Examples

    **Interactive mode — select from a list of containers:**

    ```bash theme={null}
    mkdb restart
    ```

    **Non-interactive mode — restart a named container directly:**

    ```bash theme={null}
    mkdb restart --name mydb
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Stop and restart workflow

A common pattern is to stop a container when you are not actively using it and restart it when you need it again — this preserves data while freeing up the port.

```bash theme={null}
# Stop the container at the end of a session
mkdb stop --name mydb

# Restart it at the start of the next session
mkdb restart --name mydb
```

<Note>
  Stopping a container does not delete its volume or reset its TTL. If the container's TTL expires while it is stopped, the automatic cleanup process will still remove it. Use `mkdb extend` to add time to the TTL before stopping if needed.
</Note>