Backups with pg_dump

pg_dump
has become faster due to the introduction of new compression methods: LZ4 and ZSTD.- LZ4 Compression:
- LZ4 is known for its high-speed compression and decompression.
- While it may result in slightly larger file sizes compared to other methods, its speed makes it an attractive option for situations where time is a critical factor.
- ZSTD Compression:
- ZSTD, or Zstandard, offers a great balance between compression speed and file size reduction.
- It has been observed that at the default compression level, ZSTD produces the smallest dump file size, followed by LZ4 and gzip.
- In terms of time efficiency, ZSTD takes the least amount of time for compression, followed by LZ4 and gzip.
Example: When using pg_dump
in PostgreSQL 16, you can specify the compression method:
- For LZ4:
pg_dump -F c -Z 1 -f dumpfile_lz4 dbname
- For ZSTD:
pg_dump -F c -Z 3 -f dumpfile_zstd dbname
Here, -F c
specifies custom-format output, -Z
specifies the compression level (1 for LZ4, 3 for ZSTD), and -f
specifies the output file. The choice between LZ4 and ZSTD would depend on whether the priority is minimizing compression time (LZ4) or reducing dump file size (ZSTD).
Conclusion
Backups with pg_dump become more efficient with advanced compression options like LZ4 and ZSTD. LZ4 offers fast compression and decompression speeds, making it ideal for time-sensitive backups. ZSTD provides a balance between high compression ratios and excellent performance, optimizing storage efficiency. By leveraging these compression techniques, you can reduce backup times and storage requirements while ensuring rapid data recovery. Select the best compression option based on your specific backup and recovery needs to maintain a robust and efficient PostgreSQL environment.