Re: using pg_basebackup for point in time recovery

[Michael Paquier]

On Thu, Jun 21, 2018 at 04:50:38PM -0700, David G. Johnston wrote:
> Generally only actual bug fixes get back-patched; but I'd have to say
> this looks like it could easily be classified as one.

Everybody is against me here ;)

> Some comments on the patch itself:
> 
> "recover up to the wanted recovery point." - "desired recovery point" reads
> better to me
> 
> ====
> "These backups are typically much faster to backup and restore" - "These
> backups are typically much faster to create and restore"; avoid repeated
> use of the word backup

Okay.

> "but can result as well in larger backup sizes" - "but can result in larger
> backup sizes", drop the unnecessary 'as well'

Okay.

> I like adding "cold backup" here to help contrast and explain why a base
> backup is considered a "hot backup".  The rest is style to make that flow
> better.

Indeed.  The section uses hot backups a lot.

What do all folks here think about the updated attached?
--
Michael

diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/backup.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/backup.sgml
index 982776ca0a..af48aa64c2 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/backup.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/backup.sgml
@@ -1430,12 +1430,15 @@ restore_command = 'cp /mnt/server/archivedir/%f %p'
      <title>Standalone Hot Backups</title>
 
      <para>
-      It is possible to use <productname>PostgreSQL</productname>'s backup facilities to
-      produce standalone hot backups. These are backups that cannot be used
-      for point-in-time recovery, yet are typically much faster to backup and
-      restore than <application>pg_dump</application> dumps.  (They are also much larger
-      than <application>pg_dump</application> dumps, so in some cases the speed advantage
-      might be negated.)
+      It is possible to use <productname>PostgreSQL</productname>'s backup
+      facilities to produce standalone hot backups.  These are backups that
+      could be used for point-in-time recovery if combined with a WAL
+      archive able to recover up to the wanted recovery point.  These backups
+      are typically much faster to create and restore than
+      <application>pg_dump</application> for large deployments but can result
+      in larger backup sizes.  Note also that
+      <application>pg_dump</application> backups cannot be used for
+      point-in-time recovery.
      </para>
 
      <para>

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