Re: About backups

On 28/01/2026 21:28, felix(dot)quintgz(at)yahoo(dot)com wrote:
> The application is used in environments where there are no dba; in fact, the requirements specify that a dba cannot have access to the database, so signed records are used, trigger to prevent data changes, protection of protection triggers, etc.
> Too many cases of theft.
>
> My role is DBA and developer at my organization, but the application is distributed to other companies.
> The old application has been running unattended for over 15 years without problems in many companies without a DBA.
> The certification body simply said it was written in a very outdated language and revoked its certification. Now I'm reprogramming it in a modern language and with a different database.
> Almost all of my work has been with SQL Server and desktop applications.
>
> Cold and hot backups have taken me by surprise.
> In SQL Server, I could perform a backup in the middle of user activity without any problems, so from what I had read about pg_dump, it was the same, but now I have many doubts.
>
> What happens if I start a backup in the middle of a user transaction?
> The transaction can end before or after the backup ends, and it can also start before or after the backup begins.
>

Doesn't matter at all. You'll get a consistent backup.

--
Guillaume Lelarge
Consultant
https://dalibo.com