Re: pg_start_backup without WAL archiving

Jeff Larsen wrote:
> On Nov 25, 2007 8:24 AM, Peter Eisentraut <peter_e@gmx.net> wrote:
> > Why is it not allowed to call pg_start_backup when WAL archiving is off?
> > Wouldn't this be useful as a discrete file system backup without PITR
> > capability?
>
> Because a file system level backup is no good unless the database is
> stopped, or you are using PITR.

You are begging the question.  If I enable WAL archiving, make a base backup
to a safe place, and my data center goes up in flame immediately afterwards
without a WAL segment being archived, that base backup should still be
usable.  Or maybe not.  That's the question.

--
Peter Eisentraut
http://developer.postgresql.org/~petere/