For AI agents: The documentation index is at https://docs.digitalocean.com/llms.txt. Markdown versions of pages use the same URL with index.html.md in place of the HTML page (for example, append index.html.md to the directory path instead of opening the HTML document).

You can fork a DigitalOcean Managed Valkey cluster to create a new cluster from an existing cluster’s latest transaction. Forking is a cluster-level action that copies your cluster’s data and configuration settings, such as eviction policies, and creates a separate cluster that you can keep, reconfigure, and run independently from the source cluster.

When you fork a Valkey cluster, you can choose a different configuration for the new cluster. This lets you test workloads with production data, evaluate sizing changes, troubleshoot performance, move data between regions, or create development and testing environments without affecting the source cluster.

Fork a Database Cluster Using Automation

You can fork a database cluster using the DigitalOcean CLI (doctl) or the API.

Fork a Database Cluster Using the CLI

To fork a cluster using doctl, provide the source cluster ID with --restore-from-cluster-id. Omit --restore-from-timestamp, because Valkey clusters only support forking from their current state.

doctl databases fork <fork-cluster-name> --restore-from-cluster-id <source-cluster-id>

Fork a Database Cluster Using the API

To fork a cluster using the API, create a personal access token and send a POST request to /v2/databases with the standard database cluster attributes and a backup_restore object. Set database_name to the name of the cluster you are forking. Use the /v2/databases/options endpoint to get valid values for engine, version, region, and size.

Valkey clusters only support forking from the latest state. Omit backup_created_at.

See the Create a New Database Cluster API reference for all supported request parameters.

curl -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN" \
  -d '{
    "name": "<fork-cluster-name>",
    "engine": "valkey",
    "version": "8",
    "region": "<region>",
    "size": "db-s-1vcpu-1gb",
    "num_nodes": 1,
    "backup_restore": {
      "database_name": "<source-cluster-name>"
    }
  }' \
  "https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/databases"

import (
    "context"
    "os"

    "github.com/digitalocean/godo"
)

func main() {
    token := os.Getenv("DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN")

    client := godo.NewFromToken(token)
    ctx := context.TODO()

    createRequest := &godo.DatabaseCreateRequest{
        Name:       "<fork-cluster-name>",
        EngineSlug: "valkey",
        Version:    "8",
        Region:     "<region>",
        SizeSlug:   "db-s-1vcpu-1gb",
        NumNodes:   1,
        BackupRestore: &godo.DatabaseBackupRestore{
            DatabaseName: "<source-cluster-name>",
        },
    }

    cluster, _, err := client.Databases.Create(ctx, createRequest)
}

import os
from pydo import Client

client = Client(token=os.environ.get("DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN"))

create_req = {
  "name": "<fork-cluster-name>",
  "engine": "valkey",
  "version": "8",
  "region": "<region>",
  "size": "db-s-1vcpu-1gb",
  "num_nodes": 1,
  "backup_restore": {
    "database_name": "<source-cluster-name>"
  }
}

create_resp = client.databases.create_cluster(body=create_req)

Fork a Database Cluster Using the Control Panel

To fork a database cluster, go to the Databases page and locate the cluster you want to fork. Click the cluster’s … menu and select Fork database cluster.

Choose a State

On the Fork database cluster page, under Choose a state, the only option is Latest Transaction, because Valkey clusters can only be forked from their current state. This creates a copy of your database at the time the Fork database cluster page loads. It doesn’t include transactions that occur after the page loads. To capture the latest changes, refresh the page before forking.

Update the Cluster Configuration

You can update the forked cluster’s configuration using the following options:

• Choose a database configuration: You can change the type of disk or choose a different plan for the forked cluster. You can also add standby nodes.

• Choose a datacenter region: You can select the same datacenter or a different datacenter for the forked cluster.

Finalize and Create

In the Finalize and Create section, enter a unique name, and then select a project for the forked cluster.

Review the monthly cost and hourly prorate. Billing stops when you destroy the cluster.

When finished, click Fork Database Cluster.

Creating a fork takes longer than creating a new cluster because the source cluster’s data and configuration settings are copied to the fork during provisioning.