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The `docker-compose.yml`  (in prefect/cli) that is ran upon `prefect server start` brings up a postgres instance. If I already had a postgres instance running, is it possible through the CLI to omit bringing up the postgres instance that is in the `docker-compose.yml` ? Similar to `docker-compose up` .

I ended up having to take out the `postgres` service in that `docker-compose.yml`  but wondering if there was a better way.

or even a flag to point to a custom `docker-compose.yml`

Is the postgres instance you already have running the one that Prefect Core’s server is going to use? If not you can adjust the port for the postgres container so they don’t interfere with `--postgres-port`

yeah that was kind of another question I had. Is it best practice for Prefect to have its own dedicated database instance?

As that process currently stands I would say yes (due to migrations against the db)