Migrating Apache Superset from Localhost to Public Server (Including Metadata & Assets)

[sreekanthpamujula9-byte]

Hi Team,

Currently, we have Apache Superset installed and running on a localhost environment. As expected, it is only accessible within our internal network, and external users are not able to access it.

We are planning to move Superset to a server with a public IP so that it can be accessed outside our organization.

Could you please guide us on the best approach for migrating the complete setup, including:

All datasets
Data sources (database connections)
Charts and dashboards
User roles and permissions

We would like to ensure that everything is migrated properly without data loss and that access control remains secure after moving to the public server.

Additionally, are there any recommended best practices for:

Securing Superset in a public environment
Handling authentication and authorization
Managing configuration changes during migration

Any documentation, steps, or suggestions would be very helpful.

Thanks in advance!

[dosubot[bot]]

Hey @sreekanthpamujula9-byte — here's a breakdown of how to approach this migration:

Migrating Your Metadata & Assets

The most complete approach is to back up your entire metadata database (PostgreSQL/MySQL) using native tools like pg_dump or mysqldump and restore it on your new server [1]. This captures everything — dashboards, charts, datasets, database connections, users, roles, and permissions.

Alternatively, Superset provides CLI export/import commands [2]:

• superset export_dashboards / superset import_dashboards
• superset export_datasources / superset import_datasources

However, these do not include users, roles, or permissions, and database passwords are never exported for security reasons — you'll need to re-enter them manually on the new server [3]. User IDs also aren't automatically mapped, so you may need to reassign ownership [1].

After restoring the database on the new server, run superset db upgrade and superset init to ensure the schema is up to date [4].

Securing Superset for Public Access

Key configuration changes in superset_config.py [5]:

• SECRET_KEY — Generate a strong key with openssl rand -base64 42. Superset refuses to start with the default placeholder in production [6].
• HTTPS — Enable TALISMAN_ENABLED with force_https and set SESSION_COOKIE_SECURE = True [7].
• Authentication — Configure AUTH_TYPE for your needs (database auth, LDAP, OAuth2, etc.) [8].
• Rate Limiting — Set SUPERSET_ENV=production to auto-enable rate limiting; auth endpoints are rate-limited by default at 5 req/sec [9].
• Reverse Proxy — If behind nginx/load balancer, enable ENABLE_PROXY_FIX and configure PROXY_FIX_CONFIG to trust the right headers [10].
• Database Security — Keep PREVENT_UNSAFE_DB_CONNECTIONS = True [11].

Migration Checklist

1. Back up the metadata database on localhost
2. Set up the new server with the same Superset version
3. Restore the metadata database on the new server
4. Update superset_config.py — set SECRET_KEY, SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI, SUPERSET_WEBSERVER_ADDRESS, enable HTTPS/Talisman, configure authentication
5. Run superset db upgrade and superset init
6. Re-enter all database connection passwords
7. Verify dashboards, charts, datasets, and user access
8. Set up Celery + Redis for async queries and caching in production [12]

Hope this helps — let me know if you hit any specific issues during the migration!

To reply, just mention @dosu.

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