Re: Forcing current WAL file to be archived

Tim Allen wrote:
>>>Patch included to implement xlog switching, using an xlog record
>>>"processing instruction" and forcibly moving xlog pointers.
>>>
>>>1. Happens automatically on pg_stop_backup()
>>
>>
>> Oh - so it will not be possible to do an online backup
>> _without_ forcing a WAL switch any more?
>
> Well, previously, you would have always had to simulate a wal
> switch, by
> working out which is the current wal file and copying that. Otherwise
> your online backup wouldn't be complete.
>
> What Simon is describing sounds like a big step forward from that
> situation. It should let me delete half the code in my pitr
> backup/failover scripts. Definitely a Good Thing.

Certainly a Good Thing, and it should be on by default.

But couldn't there be situations where you'd like to do an
online backup without a WAL switch? To avoid generating an
archive WAL every day on a database with few changes, e.g.?

Maybe not, I'm just wondering.

Laurenz Albe