Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up Point-in-Time Recovery in PostgreSQL 16

Point-in-Time Recovery in PostgreSQL

Point-in-Time Recovery (PITR) in PostgreSQL 16 offers a robust solution for database backup and disaster recovery. PITR revolves around the continuous archiving of WAL (Write-Ahead Logging) files and the ability to restore the database state to any specific moment. This process involves configuring PostgreSQL to archive WAL files, taking regular base backups, and preparing for recovery using these archived files. The recovery procedure includes stopping the server, setting up recovery configurations with desired target times, and restarting the server in recovery mode. PITR is essential for maintaining data integrity and ensuring minimal data loss in critical applications, making it an indispensable feature for comprehensive database management and disaster preparedness in PostgreSQL environments. Implementing Point-in-Time Recovery (PITR) in PostgreSQL 16 with scripts involves several steps:

  1. Configure WAL Archiving (postgresql.conf):
  2. Take a Base Backup:
  3. Restore Procedure:
    • Stop the PostgreSQL server if it’s running.
    • Create a recovery.conf file or use standby.signal and postgresql.conf for PostgreSQL 12+:
    • Start the PostgreSQL server.
  4. Monitor Recovery:

This script-based approach automates the setup for PITR, ensuring you have a consistent and reliable method for disaster recovery.

About Shiv Iyer 497 Articles
Open Source Database Systems Engineer with a deep understanding of Optimizer Internals, Performance Engineering, Scalability and Data SRE. Shiv currently is the Founder, Investor, Board Member and CEO of multiple Database Systems Infrastructure Operations companies in the Transaction Processing Computing and ColumnStores ecosystem. He is also a frequent speaker in open source software conferences globally.