pg_backup_start fails on standby when full_page_writes are disabled on primary

From: Travis Ward <Travis(dot)Ward(at)WICOURTS(dot)GOV>
To: "pgsql-admin(at)lists(dot)postgresql(dot)org" <pgsql-admin(at)lists(dot)postgresql(dot)org>
Subject: pg_backup_start fails on standby when full_page_writes are disabled on primary
Date: 2025-04-21 16:41:26
Message-ID: b9ddfeee4f6e4f569bb4f1d3a8628918@WICOURTS.GOV
Views: Whole Thread | Raw Message | Download mbox | Resend email
Thread:
Lists: pgsql-admin

I'm encountering the following error on the streaming standby after disabling full_page_writes on the primary database.

select pg_backup_start('Is this risky');

ERROR: WAL generated with full_page_writes=off was replayed since last restartpoint

HINT:

This means that the backup being taken on the standby is corrupt and

should not be used. Enable full_page_writes and run CHECKPOINT on the

primary, and then try an online backup again.

Given that both my primary and standby databases are located on a ZFS file system, which provides its own data integrity mechanisms, does the full_page_writes=off error from pg_backup_start indicate a real risk of corruption in the standby database, or is the error message inapplicable in a ZFS environment?"

Environment information
PostgreSQL version: 16
primary_conninfo: configured with connection to primary
restore_command: configured to restore wal-file

Thanks,

Travis Ward

Browse pgsql-admin by date

  From Date Subject
Next Message Wasim Devale 2025-04-25 05:16:29 Reindexing
Previous Message Ian Lawrence Barwick 2025-04-20 00:17:22 Re: Inquiry About Sharing a Job Opportunity with the PostgreSQL Community