Re: security labels on databases are bad for dump & restore

From: Alvaro Herrera <alvherre(at)2ndquadrant(dot)com>
To: Noah Misch <noah(at)leadboat(dot)com>
Cc: Robert Haas <robertmhaas(at)gmail(dot)com>, Andres Freund <andres(at)anarazel(dot)de>, Craig Ringer <craig(at)2ndquadrant(dot)com>, Adam Brightwell <adam(dot)brightwell(at)crunchydatasolutions(dot)com>, "pgsql-hackers(at)postgresql(dot)org" <pgsql-hackers(at)postgresql(dot)org>, Kohei KaiGai <kaigai(at)kaigai(dot)gr(dot)jp>
Subject: Re: security labels on databases are bad for dump & restore
Date: 2015-07-30 15:44:04
Message-ID: 20150730154404.GO2441@postgresql.org
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Noah Misch wrote:

> What exact formula did you have in mind? It must not be merely
>
> 1. "pg_dumpall -g"
> 2. "pg_dump" (without --create) per database
>
> which _never_ works: it emits no CREATE DATABASE statements. Perhaps this?
>
> 1. "pg_dumpall -g"
> 2. Issue a handwritten CREATE DATABASE statement per database with correct
> encoding, lc_ctype and lc_collate parameters. All other database
> properties can be wrong; the dump will fix them.
> 3. "pg_dump" (without --create) per database
>
> That neglects numerous database properties today, but we could make it work.
> Given the problems I described upthread, it's an inferior formula that I
> recommend against propping up.

Agreed, and IMO it's embarrasing that it's so complicated to get a fully
working backup.

> I much prefer making this work completely:
>
> 1. "pg_dumpall -g"
> 2. "pg_dump --create" per database

My full support for this proposal.

> Another formula I wouldn't mind offering:
>
> 1. "pg_dumpall -g"
> 2. pg_dumpall --empty-databases
> 3. "pg_dump" (without --create) per database
>
> Code for an --empty-databases option already exists for "pg_dumpall -g
> --binary-upgrade". A patch turning that into a user-facing feature might be
> quite compact.

I don't mind if this one is also made to work, but I don't care about
this case all that much.

--
Álvaro Herrera http://www.2ndQuadrant.com/
PostgreSQL Development, 24x7 Support, Remote DBA, Training & Services

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