Re: On-line backup - /bin/tar: Error exit delayed from previous

We occasionally get the "file changed while being read" error, usually
only once or twice a month (and we run nightly backups.)  It's nothing
to be concerned about, as someone else mentioned, the WAL logs will fix
any internal inconsistencies.

Regarding the file sizes, because it's zipped (I believe) the
compression ratios can change depending on the contents of the files,
hence the differences in size, but I wouldn't have thought it be that
drastic.

Thing I would do, is on a spare machine (or same one if you've got the
space), unzip three of the files that are different sizes (e.g. 874MB,
5GB, 9GB) and then compare the sizes of the unzipped data.  If it
differs greatly in the same fashion, you've got a problem.

Also just double check you're not backing up WAL logs as well (i.e.
excluding pg_xlog.)

Andy.

Mr. Dan wrote:
>
> Another thing that conerns me is that the zipped file size keeps
> changing.
> I'm backing up 10GB total.  One night the backup file was 9 GB, one
> night it was 874 MB and just now, 5 GB.   I'm expecting a file around
> 1.5 GB (15% of the 10GB) that's there.
>
>
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