Re: unite recovery.conf and postgresql.conf

On Fri, Sep 16, 2011 at 2:46 PM, Euler Taveira de Oliveira
<euler(at)timbira(dot)com> wrote:
> On 15-09-2011 23:54, Fujii Masao wrote:
>>
>> #1
>> Use empty recovery.ready file to enter arhicve recovery. recovery.conf
>> is not read automatically. All recovery parameters are expected to be
>> specified in postgresql.conf. If you must specify them in recovery.conf,
>> you need to add "include 'recovery.conf'" into postgresql.conf. But note
>> that that recovery.conf will not be renamed to recovery.done at the
>> end of recovery. This is what the patch I've posted does. This is
>> simplest approach, but might confuse people who use the tools which
>> depend on recovery.conf.
>>
> more or less +1. We don't need two config files.; just one: postgresql.conf.
> Just turn all recovery.conf parameters to GUCs. As already said, the
> recovery.conf settings are not different from archive settings, we just need
> a way to trigger the recovery. And that trigger could be pulled by a GUC
> (standby_mode) or a file (say recovery -> recovery.done). Also,
> recovery.done could be filled with recovery information just for DBA record.
> standby_mode does not create any file, it just trigger the recovery (as it
> will be used mainly for replication purposes).

I sympathise with this view, to an extent.

If people want to put all parameters in one file, they can do so. So +1 to that.

Should they be forced to adopt that new capability by us deliberately
breaking their existing setups? No. So -1 to that.

If we do an automatic include of recovery.conf first, then follow by
reading postgresql,conf then we will preserve the old as well as
allowing the new.

--
 Simon Riggs                   http://www.2ndQuadrant.com/
 PostgreSQL Development, 24x7 Support, Training & Services