PITR online backups Setup

Dear all,

I am trying to setup PITR for online backup and also to create a more robust setup, in case our primary Postgres dies.

I am testing this setup on Centos 5.4, Postgres version: 8.1.18 (not sure why Centos has this old version by default).

I have enabled PITR, with the following commands:
/var/lib/pgsql/data/postgresql.conf
archive_command = on
archive_command = 'cp -i %p /data/pgsql/archives/%f </dev/null'

I have created the folder: /data/pgsql/archives and changed ownership to postgres:postgres

I can see the archiving seems to be working:
Ls -ls /data/pgsql/archives
16404 -rw------- 1 postgres postgres 16777216 Jan 13 10:12 000000010000000000000000
16404 -rw------- 1 postgres postgres 16777216 Jan 13 10:12 000000010000000000000001
16404 -rw------- 1 postgres postgres 16777216 Jan 13 10:12 000000010000000000000002
16404 -rw------- 1 postgres postgres 16777216 Jan 13 10:12 000000010000000000000003
16404 -rw------- 1 postgres postgres 16777216 Jan 13 12:59 000000010000000000000004
4 -rw------- 1 postgres postgres 247 Jan 13 12:41 000000010000000000000004.00C18E68.backup
16404 -rw------- 1 postgres postgres 16777216 Jan 13 12:59 000000010000000000000005
16404 -rw------- 1 postgres postgres 16777216 Jan 13 12:59 000000010000000000000006
16404 -rw------- 1 postgres postgres 16777216 Jan 13 12:59 000000010000000000000007
16404 -rw------- 1 postgres postgres 16777216 Jan 13 12:59 000000010000000000000008

I have done the base backup:
Psql
select pg_start_backup('Full Backup - Master');
tar -cvzf /var/lib/pgsql/data/potgresMASTER.tar /var/lib/pgsql/data/
psql
select pg_stop_backup();

Now I am trying to setup the secondary server, this is where I am stuck.

1 - I tried to setup rsync to ship these logs across to the remote server, but I can't get postgres to work with authorized_keys
How you guys are doing this? NFS will not be an option.

WARM server setup
On the Standby Server
I have restored the base backup
Tar -zxvf potgresMASTER.tar under /var/lib/pgsql/data

I have heard of pg_standby but apparently I have to compile it against postgres/source, not sure how this would help me, if anyone could help me explaining it to me, it would be really helpful.

Then I need to create a /var/lib/pgsql/data/recovery.conf and add similar lines
restore_command = 'cp /data/pgsql/archives/%f %p'

Do I need to turn this "ON" somewhere, because there seems to be an inconsistency on information around:
Some people says I have to turn archive_mode = on, some says I have to use archive_command = on

Do I need to do similar for recovery.conf?

Once I have rsync shipping logs to the remote server, recovery.conf configured, is that all I need to do to consider it complete and working?
Are there any other aspect that I need to consider?

I would be very thankful too all of you for any helps.

Thank you very much for all your repplies

Best regards

Renato Oliveira

e-mail: renato(dot)oliveira(at)grant(dot)co(dot)uk

Tel: +44 (0)1763 260811
Fax: +44 (0)1763 262410
http://www.grant.co.uk/

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