DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=gamma;
	h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:from:date:message-id:subject:to
	:cc:content-type;
	b=HdKaS0qOiyI8p942oMQRdM20AUkibjZSwgEGhLI98F98ZT0HnNXxjsTTFSrCMsQJqE
	QcYyAEmna2uaw4o1eeHTLiJY0A8R6TeYlvQ3FKPcDSouftV2ndQeoJb/mabQo4m+93M/
	Q6oSCm8Cgq5Kb/t0CXzn22OcixAa7Rfn+7zsE=
MIME-Version: 1.0
In-Reply-To: <1302200280041-4289135.post@n5.nabble.com>
References: <1302200280041-4289135.post@n5.nabble.com>
From: Ian Lea <ian.lea@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 8 Apr 2011 09:55:00 +0100
Message-ID: <BANLkTik2vMyXb7EyeQLVUW8waAKDBaU4rA@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: Re: pg_start_backup - backups
To: droland <david.roland@soapware.com>
Cc: pgsql-admin@postgresql.org
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

> Attempting to run a backup with the database online. I first issue
> 'PG_START_BACKUP', then copy the contents of the postgresql data folder,
> then issue 'PG_STOP_BACKUP'. The database service remains running during the
> copy. If queries continue to hit the database after the PG_START_BACKUP
> command is issued changes to the data folder are possible, which can cause
> copy errors (for instance, a file not found exception). The file copy method
> first creates a string array of the data folder contents (all folders and
> files) and then processes the array, copying one file at a time. What am I
> doing wrong?

You need to use a program to do the copying that can accept changes to
files as it runs.  rsync is a common choice and has the massive
advantage that it only takes changes and is therefore, after the first
run, quick.

See http://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.0/static/continuous-archiving.html#BACKUP-BASE-BACKUP
or use your favourite search engine to find more info.


--
Ian.