Restoring DB using Continuous Archive Backup

Hi everyone,

I just got PGSQL up and running yesterday. One of the features that intrigue me is the WAL. I am running tests to perform DB restores using WAL. The last attempt ended in disaster and a reinstall.

This may sound retarded. I can’t seem to get a clear picture from the manual. I quote (Chapter 24.3.3 Step 4):

Restore the database files from your backup dump. Be careful that they are restored with the right

ownership (the database system user, not root!) and with the right permissions. If you are using

tablespaces, you should verify that the symbolic links in pg_tblspc/ were correctly restored.

I need to know which kind of backup (as there are multiple suggested in the manual) would that (underlined) be referring to?

Is there a way to detach/attach databases (like ms-sql) and so perform restoration on only one database instead of bringing down the service?

Is there a method to re-run WAL after restoring an old backup without resorting to a service stop-start?

Thanks in advance,

Nick