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From: Ron Johnson <ronljohnsonjr@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2026 13:22:36 -0500
Message-ID: <CANzqJaBnBBAWO7ot2V+oSNpR7VSnkAELMX0aqZcP=rHs2ddoig@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: Re: About backups
To: "pgsql-generallists.postgresql.org" <pgsql-general@lists.postgresql.org>
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On Mon, Jan 26, 2026 at 12:52=E2=80=AFPM <felix.quintgz@yahoo.com> wrote:

> I'm having a problem with this. I'm repurposing an old application writte=
n
> in Visual Basic 6 that did allow backups through signed stored procedures=
.


You must change your expectations and way of thinking.  *Postgresql is not
SQL Server*, and thus cannot be managed the same way as SQL Server.  That
is a fact of life which you must accept.


> This is a requirement for financial applications; the user can perform a
> backup whenever they want, but they can't access the database.
>

"ssh to a Linux account dedicated to pgbackrest" within the application is
my first thought.  Note, though, that pgbackrest does not have BACKUP
DATABASE's COPY_ONLY feature.  If you need that, pg_dump is your
only option.


> The new application is web-based, deployed in containers, and the databas=
e
> server container is not the same as the application's, so I can't use
> pg_dump in the application, or at least I don't know how to do it.
>
>  On Monday, January 26, 2026 at 12:31:48 PM GMT-5, Ron Johnson <
> ronljohnsonjr@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On Mon, Jan 26, 2026 at 11:11 AM Adrian Klaver <adrian.klaver@aklaver.com=
>
> wrote:
> On 1/26/26 08:01, felix.quintgz@yahoo.com wrote:
>
> > Is there a way to implement the SQL Server command 'BACKUP DATABASE'?
> Not from within the Postgres instance.
> You will need to use:
>
> https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/app-pgdump.html
> Felix, pg_dump is a logical export tuned for speed and multithreading.
> Almost certainly not what you want.
> pgbackrest is the equivalent of BACKUP DATABASE and BACKUP LOG.  It's an
> external program (stuffing everything in the database engine is not The
> Unix Way) which typically you run from cron. Redrirect stdout and stderr =
to
> a log file with a timestamp in the name.  (That, at least, is what I've
> been doing for 8 years.  It works perfectly.)
> pgbackrest also has an "info" option which gives you details of all the
> backups currently in the repository. >
>
> > Is there a way to see the restores performed on a database?
>
> > Is there an equivalent table to msdb.dbo.restorehistory in SQL Server?
>
> > Is there a way to implement an equivalent if one doesn't exist?
>
>  From what I understand there are various ways of doing this in SQL
>
> Server, which way are you interested in?
> --
> Death to <Redacted>, and butter sauce.Don't boil me, I'm still alive.
> <Redacted> lobster!
>
>
>

--=20
Death to <Redacted>, and butter sauce.
Don't boil me, I'm still alive.
<Redacted> lobster!

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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div>On Mon, Jan 26, 2026 at 12:52=E2=80=AFPM &lt;<a href=
=3D"mailto:felix.quintgz@yahoo.com">felix.quintgz@yahoo.com</a>&gt; wrote:<=
/div><div class=3D"gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><blockquote class=3D"=
gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(20=
4,204,204);padding-left:1ex">I&#39;m having a problem with this. I&#39;m re=
purposing an old application written in Visual Basic 6 that did allow backu=
ps through signed stored procedures.</blockquote><div><br></div><div><div>Y=
ou must change your=C2=A0expectations and=C2=A0way of thinking.=C2=A0 <b>Po=
stgresql is not SQL Server</b>, and thus cannot be managed=C2=A0the same=C2=
=A0way as SQL Server.=C2=A0 That is a fact of life which you must accept.</=
div><div></div></div><div>=C2=A0</div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" sty=
le=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);paddi=
ng-left:1ex">This is a requirement for financial applications; the user can=
 perform a backup whenever they want, but they can&#39;t access the databas=
e.<br></blockquote><div><br></div><div>&quot;ssh to a Linux account dedicat=
ed to pgbackrest&quot; within the application is my first thought.=C2=A0 No=
te, though, that pgbackrest does not have BACKUP DATABASE&#39;s COPY_ONLY f=
eature.=C2=A0 If you need that, pg_dump is your only=C2=A0option.</div><div=
>=C2=A0</div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px =
0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
The new application is web-based, deployed in containers, and the database =
server container is not the same as the application&#39;s, so I can&#39;t u=
se pg_dump in the application, or at least I don&#39;t know how to do it.<b=
r>
<br>
=C2=A0On Monday, January 26, 2026 at 12:31:48 PM GMT-5, Ron Johnson &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:ronljohnsonjr@gmail.com" target=3D"_blank">ronljohnsonjr@gma=
il.com</a>&gt; wrote:<br>
<br>
On Mon, Jan 26, 2026 at 11:11 AM Adrian Klaver &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:adrian=
.klaver@aklaver.com" target=3D"_blank">adrian.klaver@aklaver.com</a>&gt; wr=
ote:<br>
On 1/26/26 08:01, <a href=3D"mailto:felix.quintgz@yahoo.com" target=3D"_bla=
nk">felix.quintgz@yahoo.com</a> wrote:<br>
<br>
&gt; Is there a way to implement the SQL Server command &#39;BACKUP DATABAS=
E&#39;?<br>
Not from within the Postgres instance.<br>
You will need to use:<br>
<br>
<a href=3D"https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/app-pgdump.html" rel=3D"=
noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/app-p=
gdump.html</a><br>
Felix,=C2=A0pg_dump is a logical export tuned for speed and multithreading.=
=C2=A0 Almost certainly not what you want.<br>
pgbackrest is the equivalent of BACKUP DATABASE and BACKUP LOG.=C2=A0 It=
9;s an external program (stuffing everything in the database engine is not =
The Unix Way) which typically you run from cron.=C2=A0Redrirect=C2=A0stdout=
 and stderr to a log file with a timestamp in the name.=C2=A0 (That, at lea=
st, is what I&#39;ve been doing for 8 years.=C2=A0 It works perfectly.)<br>
pgbackrest also has an &quot;info&quot; option which gives you details of a=
ll the backups currently in the repository.=C2=A0&gt;<br>
<br>
&gt; Is there a way to see the restores performed on a database?<br>
<br>
&gt; Is there an equivalent table to msdb.dbo.restorehistory in SQL Server?=
<br>
<br>
&gt; Is there a way to implement an equivalent if one doesn&#39;t exist?<br=
>
<br>
=C2=A0From what I understand there are various ways of doing this in SQL<br=
>
<br>
Server, which way are you interested in?<br>
--<br>
Death to &lt;Redacted&gt;, and butter sauce.Don&#39;t boil me, I&#39;m stil=
l alive.<br>
&lt;Redacted&gt; lobster!<br>
<br>
<br>
</blockquote></div><div><br clear=3D"all"></div><div><br></div><span class=
=3D"gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_s=
ignature"><div dir=3D"ltr">Death to &lt;Redacted&gt;, and butter sauce.<div=
>Don&#39;t boil me, I&#39;m still alive.<br><div><div>&lt;Redacted&gt; lobs=
ter!</div></div></div></div></div></div>

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