Re: pg_upgrade and rsync

On Fri, Jan 23, 2015 at 02:34:36PM -0500, Stephen Frost wrote:
> > > You'd have to replace the existing data directory on the master to do
> > > that, which pg_upgrade was designed specifically to not do, in case
> > > things went poorly.
> >
> > Why? Just rsync the new data directory onto the old directory on the
> > standbys. That's fine and simple.
>
> That still doesn't address the need to use --size-only, it would just
> mean that you don't need to use -H.  If anything the -H part is the
> aspect which worries me the least about this approach.

I can now confirm that it works, just as Stephen said.  I was able to
upgrade a standby cluster that contained the regression database, and
the pg_dump output was perfect.

I am attaching doc instruction that I will add to all branches as soon
as someone else confirms my results.  You will need to use rsync
--itemize-changes to see the hard links being created, e.g.:

   hf+++++++++ pgsql/data/base/16415/28188 => pgsql.old/data/base/16384/28188

--
  Bruce Momjian  <bruce@momjian.us>        http://momjian.us
  EnterpriseDB                             http://enterprisedb.com

  + Everyone has their own god. +