From 4a309defb4dd40b1c7e415281d3c5326963b6a38 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Tom Lane Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2005 20:42:35 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] Add info about using rsync to make base backups. Per report from Jeff Frost, it may be necessary to ignore specific exit codes. --- doc/src/sgml/backup.sgml | 22 +++++++++++++++------- 1 file changed, 15 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-) diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/backup.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/backup.sgml index 74f3add15c3..c954816936d 100644 --- a/doc/src/sgml/backup.sgml +++ b/doc/src/sgml/backup.sgml @@ -1,5 +1,5 @@ Backup and Restore @@ -677,12 +677,20 @@ SELECT pg_stop_backup(); - Some versions of GNU tar consider it an error if a file - is changed while tar is copying it. This case is normal, - and not an error, when taking a base backup of an active database. - Since ignoring all errors from tar would be unwise, - you should either manually inspect tar's messages or - else use a different backup tool that does not complain about this case. + Some backup tools that you might wish to use emit warnings or errors + if the files they are trying to copy change while the copy proceeds. + This situation is normal, and not an error, when taking a base backup of + an active database; so you need to ensure that you can distinguish + complaints of this sort from real errors. For example, some versions + of rsync return a separate exit code for vanished + source files, and you can write a driver script to accept this exit + code as a non-error case. Also, + some versions of GNU tar consider it an error if a file + is changed while tar is copying it. There does not seem + to be any very convenient way to distinguish this error from other types + of errors, other than manual inspection of tar's messages. + GNU tar is therefore not the best tool for making base + backups. -- 2.39.5