Subject: pg_upgrade, can you use the rsync method of upgrading a standby if you used clone mode?

From: PG Doc comments form <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 02 Sep 2025 15:42:40 +0000

The following documentation comment has been logged on the website:

Page: https://www.postgresql.org/docs/17/pgupgrade.html
Description:

In the documentation for pgupgrade
(https://www.postgresql.org/docs/17/pgupgrade.html), step 13 gives
instructions for quickly upgrading standby servers with rsync, and says that
it only works if you used link mode.  However, step 12 gives the impression
that clone mode is very similar to link mode.  I think the documentation for
step 13 would be improved by explicitly stating whether clone mode is
compatible with the rsync method or not.

Thanks!

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From: Laurenz Albe <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 03 Sep 2025 09:44:43 +0200

> compatible with the rsync method or not.

That would be interesting to know, right.

But after the slightly frustrating experience that I had when I tried to
improve that section of the documentation [1], I am not sure if it would
be wise to recommend the rsync procedure in more cases.

The sentence from the thread that stuck in my memory was Robert Haas'

  Also, let me express my general terror at the idea of anyone actually
  using this procedure.

Yours,
Laurenz Albe

 [1]: https://www.postgresql.org/message-id/flat/22f129004bb66cd91e1dfd3345a9787f5039f3ae.camel%40cybertec.at

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From: David Booth <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2025 16:45:56 -0400

Thanks for the feedback Laurenz!  I will avoid this procedure for my
upgrades then.

On Wed, Sep 3, 2025 at 3:44 AM Laurenz Albe <[email-masked]>
wrote:

>  [1]:
> https://www.postgresql.org/message-id/flat/22f129004bb66cd91e1dfd3345a9787f5039f3ae.camel%40cybertec.at
>