Re: Migrating from 8.3 to 8.4 on the same server

How big is your database?

If not very big, a pg_dump/pg_restore will be your best option. 8.3 to
8.4 is not a traumatic upgrade. In fact, it's really easy and probably
you won't need to change your database schema.
And pg_restore in 8.4 is really FAST (compared with previous versions).

-----Original Message-----
From: Lewis Kapell <lkapell(at)setonhome(dot)org>
To: pgsql-admin(at)postgresql(dot)org
Subject: [ADMIN] Migrating from 8.3 to 8.4 on the same server
Date: Wed, 14 Apr 2010 13:29:23 -0400

In the documentation under the heading "Migration Between Releases" we
read:

<<It is also possible to use replication methods, such as Slony, to
create a slave server with the updated version of PostgreSQL. The slave
can be on the same computer or a different computer. [...] Such a
switch-over results in only several seconds of downtime for an upgrade. >>

In the section "Warm Standby Servers for High Availability" it says:

<< For testing purposes, it is possible to run both primary and standby
servers on the same system. >>

Although this section does not use the term Point-In-Time Recovery, I
understand this is what it refers to. Could the WAL/PITR method then be
used to upgrade from 8.3 to 8.4 on the same server and avoid having the
significant downtime of dump/restore?

If so, I understand the two servers would have to run on different
ports. Are there any other issues/traps to be aware of?

--

Thank you,

Lewis Kapell
Computer Operations
Seton Home Study School