Where Does RethinkDB Store Data?
RethinkDB data directory default in the working dir, and the --directory flag for control.
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RethinkDB stores server state in a rethinkdb_data directory defaulting to the working directory you launched from. Data files, cluster metadata and logs live together there, which keeps development setup to a single command and production surprises to a single misplaced launch.
The --directory flag overrides the path and belongs in every service definition. Because the default follows the shell, instances started from different folders silently fork separate datasets. Backups read from a running server with dump tooling rather than copying the live directory by hand.
Where RethinkDB stores this, by platform
./rethinkdb_data
Created automatically on first start in the current working directory. Always launch from a deliberate directory or set --directory explicitly. The web admin UI never reveals this path, so check the process working dir when lost.
Frequently asked questions
how do i move rethinkdb data to another drive
Stop the server, move the rethinkdb_data directory to the new disk, and restart with --directory pointing at it. Data files, Raft metadata and logs travel together inside, so move the whole directory or nothing.
can one machine run multiple rethinkdb instances
Yes, create one per instance with separate --directory paths and ports. Each directory is a fully independent server state, which makes the flag the whole multi tenancy story on shared hardware.
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