PGBackRest is an open-source backup and restore tool for PostgreSQL databases. It is designed to be reliable, fast, and easy to use, with features that help database administrators manage their backups and restores efficiently.
PGBackRest works by taking advantage of PostgreSQL’s built-in file system snapshots to create point-in-time backups of your database. This means that it can take backups without having to stop your database, and the backups are consistent with the state of your database at the time they were taken.
Some of the features of PGBackRest include incremental backups, parallelism, compression, and encryption. It also supports various backup storage options, such as local disk, network file systems, and cloud storage services.
PGBackRest is written in C and is compatible with various operating systems, including Linux, macOS, and Windows. It is widely used in production environments by PostgreSQL database administrators and is considered one of the most reliable and robust backup tools for PostgreSQL databases
How to Install PgBackRest ?
The installation process for PGBackRest varies depending on your operating system and the package manager you’re using. Here are the general steps to install PGBackRest on Linux using the package manager:
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Add the PGBackRest repository to your system’s package manager. You can find the repository information on the official PGBackRest website.
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Install PGBackRest using your system’s package manager. For example, if you’re using Ubuntu, you can run the following command:
sudo apt-get install pgbackrest
Verify that PGBackRest is installed correctly by running the following command:
pgbackrest --version
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This should display the version of PGBackRest that you installed.
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Configure PGBackRest by creating a configuration file. The configuration file tells PGBackRest where to store backups, how to connect to your PostgreSQL server, and other settings. You can find examples of configuration files on the PGBackRest website.
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Start using PGBackRest to backup and restore your PostgreSQL databases. You can use the
pgbackrest backupcommand to create backups and thepgbackrest restorecommand to restore backups.
Note that these are general steps, and the exact commands and configuration may differ depending on your operating system and package manager. For more detailed installation instructions, you can refer to the PGBackRest documentation.
How to Configure PGBackRest ?
Configuring PGBackRest involves creating a configuration file that specifies the settings and options for your backup and restore operations. Here are the general steps for configuring PGBackRest:
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Create a configuration file for PGBackRest. The configuration file should be named
pgbackrest.confand should be located in the directory where you plan to run PGBackRest. You can find an example configuration file on the PGBackRest website. -
Edit the configuration file to specify the settings and options for your backup and restore operations. Some of the key settings you’ll need to configure include:
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global: This section contains global settings that apply to all databases and backups. You’ll need to specify the location of your backup storage, the compression and encryption settings, and other options. -
db-name: This section contains settings that apply to a specific PostgreSQL database. You’ll need to specify the database name, the user and password to connect to the database, and other options. -
stanza: This section contains settings that apply to a group of databases that are backed up together. You’ll need to specify the name of the stanza, the databases included in the stanza, and other options.
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Test your configuration by running the
pgbackrest checkcommand. This command checks your configuration file for errors and validates that PGBackRest can connect to your PostgreSQL server. -
Start using PGBackRest to perform backup and restore operations. You can use the
pgbackrest backupcommand to create backups and thepgbackrest restorecommand to restore backups.
Note that these are general steps, and the exact configuration may differ depending on your specific needs and environment. For more detailed instructions and examples, you can refer to the PGBackRest documentation.
