public inbox for [email protected]
help / color / mirror / Atom feedFrom: Greg Sabino Mullane <[email protected]>
To: Nick Cleaton <[email protected]>
Cc: PostgreSQL General <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Backups with filesystem snapshots
Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2025 12:41:12 -0400
Message-ID: <CAKAnmmLnSxW6ER0AXn9GxfL=84RWcei_7q2bPwieNyM+SS6mTQ@mail.gmail.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <CAFgz3ksJNVprBWLX4x=MdfJrG+uZSgUHTYGF35T=dJryJjz8zw@mail.gmail.com>
References: <CAFgz3ksJNVprBWLX4x=MdfJrG+uZSgUHTYGF35T=dJryJjz8zw@mail.gmail.com>
On Mon, Aug 11, 2025 at 9:01 AM Nick Cleaton <[email protected]> wrote:
> If I take an instantaneous filesystem-level snapshot of the postgres
> data directory underneath a running postgres server, is that a safe
> backup without doing any pg_start_backup/pg_stop_backup ?
>
Safe, yes[*], but not particularly recommended except for special cases,
like spinning up a fast QA cluster. For backups, use a Postgres-aware
battle tested system like pgBackRest that offers more flexibility and more
safeguards.
* Assuming your hardware/OS drivers are being honest with you about fsync
starting up from that snapshot should look the same as recovering from an
> unclean postgres shutdown
> due to a kernel panic.
>
Yes, for all practical purposes it would be identical. Technically more
similar to pulling the plug on the server. :)
Cheers,
Greg
--
Crunchy Data - https://www.crunchydata.com
Enterprise Postgres Software Products & Tech Support
reply
Reply instructions:
You may reply publicly to this message via plain-text email
using any one of the following methods:
* Reply to all the recipients using the --to and --cc options:
reply via email
To: [email protected]
Cc: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Subject: Re: Backups with filesystem snapshots
In-Reply-To: <CAKAnmmLnSxW6ER0AXn9GxfL=84RWcei_7q2bPwieNyM+SS6mTQ@mail.gmail.com>
* Save the following mbox file, import it into your mail client,
and reply-to-all from there: mbox
This inbox is served by agora; see mirroring instructions
for how to clone and mirror all data and code used for this inbox