Re: Problem with PITR recovery

Bruce Momjian <pgman@candle.pha.pa.us> writes:
> Tom Lane wrote:
>> However, this still begs the question of why we are bothering.
>> I disagree with the goal in this particular case anyhow: I do not
>> think it's necessary, safe, nor sane for a shutdown to try to archive
>> the last XLOG segment.  Even if we fixed the xlog mechanism to end the
>> file there, I really have a problem with the idea that the archiver
>> should try to start a fresh archiving cycle at shutdown.

> Doing the archive at server shutdown eliminates one of the "must
> document" items, so the system behaves more predictably that it does
> not.  It is not required --- it is a usability issue.

No, it just replaces a documentation issue with a reliability issue.
We'd have to consider what to say about the prospect that the archiver
is unable to archive that last segment, is kill -9'd by init at some
critical point in the process, etc etc.  I think it's just a bad idea
to promise people that shutting down the postmaster will have any such
effect.
        regards, tom lane