Re: Add exclusive backup deprecation notes to documentation

Peter Eisentraut <peter.eisentraut@2ndquadrant.com>

From: Peter Eisentraut <peter.eisentraut@2ndquadrant.com>
To: Magnus Hagander <magnus@hagander.net>
Cc: David Steele <david@pgmasters.net>, Laurenz Albe <laurenz.albe@cybertec.at>, PostgreSQL Hackers <pgsql-hackers@lists.postgresql.org>, Martín Marqués <martin@2ndquadrant.com>, Michael Paquier <michael@paquier.xyz>
Date: 2019-03-29T11:58:45Z
Lists: pgsql-hackers
On 2019-03-20 14:42, Magnus Hagander wrote:
> But that would be factually incorrect and backwards, so it seems like a
> terrible idea, at least when it comes to manual. If you are doing it
> manually, it's a lot *easier* to do it right with the non-exclusive
> mode, because you can easily keep one psql and one shell open. And
> that's safe.

The scenario I have in mind is, a poorly maintained server, nothing
installed, can't install anything (no internet connection, license
expired), flaky network, you fear it's going to fail soon, you need to
take a backup.  The simplest procedure would appear to be: start backup
mode, copy files away, stop backup mode.  Anything else that involves
holding a session open over there for the whole time is way more fragile
unless proper preparations have been made (and even then).  So I don't
know what you want to call that scenario, but I would feel more
comfortable having these basic tools available in a bind.

-- 
Peter Eisentraut              http://www.2ndQuadrant.com/
PostgreSQL Development, 24x7 Support, Remote DBA, Training & Services



Commits

  1. Warn more strongly about the dangers of exclusive backup mode.