On Mon, Aug 11, 2025 at 12:41:12PM -0400, Greg Sabino Mullane wrote: > On Mon, Aug 11, 2025 at 9:01 AM Nick Cleaton <n...@cleaton.net> wrote: > > If I take an instantaneous filesystem-level snapshot of the postgres > data directory underneath a running postgres server, is that a safe > backup without doing any pg_start_backup/pg_stop_backup ? > > > Safe, yes[*], but not particularly recommended except for special cases, like > spinning up a fast QA cluster. For backups, use a Postgres-aware battle tested > system like pgBackRest that offers more flexibility and more safeguards. > > * Assuming your hardware/OS drivers are being honest with you about fsync > > > starting up from that snapshot should look the same as recovering from an > unclean postgres shutdown > due to a kernel panic. > > > Yes, for all practical purposes it would be identical. Technically more > similar > to pulling the plug on the server. :)
Also, be careful that any tablespaces are also in the same snapshot. -- Bruce Momjian <br...@momjian.us> https://momjian.us EDB https://enterprisedb.com Do not let urgent matters crowd out time for investment in the future.
