Re: doubt with pg_dump and high concurrent used databases

On Nov 25, 2007, at 10:46 AM, Pablo Alcaraz wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I read that pg_dump can run while the database is being used and makes
> "consistent backups".
>
> I have a huge and *heavy* selected, inserted and updated database.
> Currently I have a cron task that disconnect the database users,
> make a
> backup using pg_dump and put the database online again. The problem
> is,
> now there are too much information and everyday the database store
> more
> and more data, the backup process needs more and more time to run
> and I
> am thinking about to do the backup using a process that let me to
> do it
> with the minimal interruptions for the users.
>
> I do not need a last second backup. I could the a backup with "almost
> all" the data but I need the information on it to be coherent. For
> example, if the backup store information about an invoice it *must* to
> store both header and items invoice information. I could live if the
> backup does not store some invoices information when is ran, because
> they ll be backuped the next time the backup process run. But I can
> not
> store only a part of the invoices. That is I call a coherent backup.
>
> The best for me is that the cron tab does a concurrent backup with all
> the information until the time it starts to run while the clients are
> using the database. Example: if the cron launch the backup process at
> 12:30 AM, the backup moust be builded with all the information *until*
> 12:30AM. So if I need to restore it I get a database coherent with the
> same information like it was at 12:30AM. it does not matter if the
> process needs 4 hours to run.
>
> Does the pg_dump create this kind of "consistent backups"? Or do I
> need
> to do the backups using another program?

Yes, that is exactly what pg_dump does.

Erik Jones

Software Developer | Emma®
erik@myemma.com
800.595.4401 or 615.292.5888
615.292.0777 (fax)

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