Received: from localhost (unknown [200.46.204.183]) by postgresql.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 0B3D364FCF9 for ; Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:03:01 -0300 (ADT) Received: from postgresql.org ([200.46.204.86]) by localhost (mx1.hub.org [200.46.204.183]) (amavisd-maia, port 10024) with ESMTP id 67299-08 for ; Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:02:58 -0300 (ADT) X-Greylist: from auto-whitelisted by SQLgrey-1.7.6 Received: from mail.int.journyx.com (mail.journyx.com [66.219.41.227]) by postgresql.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 72B3D64FCC3 for ; Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:02:58 -0300 (ADT) Received: from localhost (localhost.localdomain [127.0.0.1]) by mail.int.journyx.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 636517E42C4 for ; Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:02:46 -0500 (CDT) X-Virus-Scanned: amavisd-new at Received: from mail.int.journyx.com ([127.0.0.1]) by localhost (mail.int.journyx.com [127.0.0.1]) (amavisd-new, port 10024) with ESMTP id OFfNxQfw7fWr for ; Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:02:39 -0500 (CDT) Received: from whitneys (dhcp-100-201.int.journyx.com [192.168.100.201]) by mail.int.journyx.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 592B47E42AE for ; Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:02:39 -0500 (CDT) From: "Scott Whitney" To: Subject: PITR question with base backup Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:02:39 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Microsoft Office Outlook, Build 11.0.6353 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.5579 Thread-Index: Ackzt/fp8G4tLkiqR0iV/29YxLks4Q== Message-Id: <20081021200239.592B47E42AE@mail.int.journyx.com> X-Virus-Scanned: Maia Mailguard 1.0.1 X-Spam-Status: No, hits=0 tagged_above=0 required=5 tests=none X-Spam-Level: X-Archive-Number: 200810/149 X-Sequence-Number: 30605 I'm in the process of testing PITR recovery, and I have an issue. My "data" directory is 30GB. Not huge, but it certainly takes awhile to tar up. My understanding is: a) pg_start_backup b) tar up c) pg_stop_backup d) restore tar file The problem is that I create databases pretty regularly. Let's say I create 3 in a week. I'm not looking forward to going to my colo, grabbing the 20ish GB tgz file and restoring it 3 times per week. I'd rather do that dance monthly or quarterly and rely on the WALs in the interim. So...can I: a) pg_start_backup b) tar up my data dir c) pg_stop_backup d) restore e) WALs are all happy f) Day 2 - create new db g) pg_start_backup h) JUST grab the data/base directory for the new db i) pg_stop_backup move on? What about "global" or "pg_clog" or "pg_multixact" or "pg_tblspc" and "pg_twophase?" I don't _think_ I would ever want clog, but maybe I'm wrong. Is this possible, or do I absolutely need an entire new backup of the whole data dir?