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Message-ID: <ac61c17e-1816-716e-9cb9-6d41682bc7c1@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 1 May 2023 08:43:05 -0500
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Subject: Re: pg_dump why no indicator of completion
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To: pgsql-admin@lists.postgresql.org
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From: Ron <ronljohnsonjr@gmail.com>
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On 5/1/23 07:56, richard coleman wrote:
> Ron,
> So what you are saying is that I have to write a shell script around 
> pg_dump to catch the exit code of pg_dump since the developers of pg_dump 
> didn't have pg_dump simply write an exit message?
>
> Since multiple pg_dump commands are often run at the same command prompt, 
> and they can take hours, if not days to run,

Running a days-long pg_dump at any time except special occasions isn't very 
wise.  Especially from a command prompt.

Binary backup/restore programs are /much/ faster (if for no other reason 
than they let you do incremental and differential backups).

> and there are a myriad of other commands the will be run in the interim, 
> any exit code generated by pg_dump with be lost in the flotsam and jetsam 
> of the multitude of exit codes created by every other command run between 
> the calling of pg_dump and it's eventual termination. It could have 
> completed successfully, crashed, been killed, etc.
>
> Or am I mistaken?
>
> thanks,
> rik.
>
> On Sun, Apr 30, 2023 at 11:28 PM Ron <ronljohnsonjr@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>     On 4/30/23 19:18, richard coleman wrote:
>>     Hi all,
>>
>>     I've been working with pg_dump and one thing that's always struck me
>>     as strange is that there never seems to be an indication in the log
>>     that the pg_dump process completed successfully.
>>
>>     For example, I've been running a bunch of backups with pg_dump in
>>     directory mode with multiple jobs. When I come back several hours
>>     later there are no pg_dump processes running.  The log is filled with:
>>
>>         dumping contents of foo
>>         finished item 123456 of TABLE DATA bar
>>         etc.
>>
>>
>>     Other than trying to restore the multi terabyte database somewhere
>>     else is there any way to know that it actually finished successfully?
>>
>>     Why doesn't pg_dump add a line in the output like:
>>
>>         pg_backup finished
>>
>>     when it's completed successfully?
>>
>>     This seems like a terrible oversight.
>>
>>     Am I missing something obvious?
>
>     "They" expect you to do the Unix Thing and check $?. Thus, that's what
>     I do; any non-zero value generates an email with a scary subject line,
>     the specifics of which are based on the exact code value. I'm not near
>     my work computer; otherwise I'd share them with you.
>
>     -- 
>     Born in Arizona, moved to Babylonia.
>

-- 
Born in Arizona, moved to Babylonia.
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    <br>
    <br>
    <div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 5/1/23 07:56, richard coleman wrote:<br>
    </div>
    <blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:CAGA3vBsq49mS47iH9CpCjipxu-BP_85x9doEHrvP5jyaPuNN4Q@mail.gmail.com">
      <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
      <div dir="ltr">Ron, 
        <div>So what you are saying is that I have to write a shell
          script around pg_dump to catch the exit code of pg_dump since
          the developers of pg_dump didn't have pg_dump simply write an
          exit message?</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div>Since multiple pg_dump commands are often run at the same
          command prompt, and they can take hours, if not days to run,</div>
      </div>
    </blockquote>
    <br>
    Running a days-long pg_dump at any time except special occasions
    isn't very wise.  Especially from a command prompt.<br>
    <br>
    Binary backup/restore programs are <i>much</i> faster (if for no
    other reason than they let you do incremental and differential
    backups).<br>
    <br>
    <blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:CAGA3vBsq49mS47iH9CpCjipxu-BP_85x9doEHrvP5jyaPuNN4Q@mail.gmail.com">
      <div dir="ltr">
        <div> and there are a myriad of other commands the will be run
          in the interim, any exit code generated by pg_dump with be
          lost in the flotsam and jetsam of the multitude of exit codes
          created by every other command run between the calling of
          pg_dump and it's eventual termination. It could have completed
          successfully, crashed, been killed, etc.</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div>Or am I mistaken?</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div>thanks, </div>
        <div>rik. </div>
      </div>
      <br>
      <div class="gmail_quote">
        <div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Sun, Apr 30, 2023 at
          11:28 PM Ron &lt;<a href="mailto:ronljohnsonjr@gmail.com"
            moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext">ronljohnsonjr@gmail.com</a>&gt;
          wrote:<br>
        </div>
        <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px
          0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
          <div> On 4/30/23 19:18, richard coleman wrote:<br>
            <blockquote type="cite">
              <div dir="ltr">Hi all, 
                <div><br>
                </div>
                <div>I've been working with pg_dump and one thing that's
                  always struck me as strange is that there never seems
                  to be an indication in the log that the pg_dump
                  process completed successfully.</div>
                <div><br>
                </div>
                <div>For example, I've been running a bunch of backups
                  with pg_dump in directory mode with multiple jobs. 
                  When I come back several hours later there are no
                  pg_dump processes running.  The log is filled with:<br>
                </div>
                <blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px
                  40px;border:none;padding:0px">
                  <div>dumping contents of foo</div>
                  <div>finished item 123456 of TABLE DATA bar</div>
                  <div>etc.</div>
                </blockquote>
                <div><br>
                </div>
                <div>Other than trying to restore the multi terabyte
                  database somewhere else is there any way to know that
                  it actually finished successfully?</div>
                <div><br>
                </div>
                <div>Why doesn't pg_dump add a line in the output like:<br>
                </div>
                <blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px
                  40px;border:none;padding:0px">
                  <div>pg_backup finished</div>
                </blockquote>
                <div>when it's completed successfully? </div>
                <div><br>
                </div>
                <div>This seems like a terrible oversight.</div>
                <div><br>
                </div>
                <div>Am I missing something obvious?</div>
              </div>
            </blockquote>
            <br>
            "They" expect you to do the Unix Thing and check <font
              face="monospace">$?</font>. Thus, that's what I do; any
            non-zero value generates an email with a scary subject line,
            the specifics of which are based on the exact code value. 
            I'm not near my work computer; otherwise I'd share them with
            you.<br>
            <br>
            <div>-- <br>
              Born in Arizona, moved to Babylonia.</div>
          </div>
        </blockquote>
      </div>
    </blockquote>
    <br>
    <div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
      Born in Arizona, moved to Babylonia.</div>
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