Re: [HACKERS] Streaming Replication docs - Mailing list pgsql-docs

Joshua D. Drake wrote:
> On Fri, 2010-02-12 at 10:22 -0800, Josh Berkus wrote:
>> In addition to the changes you've proposed, one thing our docs could
>> really use is a single reference page which we could go to for all of
>> the .conf files.  Right now, you need to rely on postgresql.org doc
>> search in order to find, for example, pg_hba.conf.
>>
>> I think it would be good to put into server administration somewhere a
>> single page called "Configuration Files" which references:
>>     postgresql.conf
>>     pg_hba.conf
>>     recovery.conf
>>     pg_ident.conf
>>     ... hmmm, am I missing one?
>
>
> Seems that should go... under "Reference"

Seems like a good idea.

Unfortunately my SGML-skills are too weak to do that, so here's a patch
to for my original proposal. There's little text changes, mostly just
moves sections around. I'm thinking of committing this now; someone else
will have to do the above reorganization if we want it.

--
  Heikki Linnakangas
  EnterpriseDB   http://www.enterprisedb.com
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/backup.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/backup.sgml
index 2f28da2..02d3765 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/backup.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/backup.sgml
@@ -955,7 +955,7 @@ SELECT pg_stop_backup();
    <listitem>
     <para>
      Create a recovery command file <filename>recovery.conf</> in the cluster
-     data directory (see <xref linkend="recovery-config-settings">). You might
+     data directory (see <xref linkend="recovery-config">). You might
      also want to temporarily modify <filename>pg_hba.conf</> to prevent
      ordinary users from connecting until you are sure the recovery was successful.
     </para>
@@ -1076,162 +1076,6 @@ restore_command = 'cp /mnt/server/archivedir/%f %p'
     WAL data need not be scanned again.
    </para>

-
-    <sect3 id="recovery-config-settings" xreflabel="Recovery Settings">
-     <title>Recovery Settings</title>
-
-     <para>
-      These settings can only be made in the <filename>recovery.conf</>
-      file, and apply only for the duration of the recovery.  (A sample file,
-      <filename>share/recovery.conf.sample</>, exists in the installation's
-      <filename>share/</> directory.)  They must be
-      reset for any subsequent recovery you wish to perform. They cannot be
-      changed once recovery has begun.
-      The parameters for streaming replication are described in <xref
-      linkend="replication-config-settings">.
-     </para>
-
-     <variablelist>
-
-     <varlistentry id="restore-command" xreflabel="restore_command">
-      <term><varname>restore_command</varname> (<type>string</type>)</term>
-      <listitem>
-       <para>
-        The shell command to execute to retrieve an archived segment of
-        the WAL file series. This parameter is required for archive recovery,
-        but optional for streaming replication.
-        Any <literal>%f</> in the string is
-        replaced by the name of the file to retrieve from the archive,
-        and any <literal>%p</> is replaced by the copy destination path name
-        on the server.
-        (The path name is relative to the current working directory,
-        i.e., the cluster's data directory.)
-        Any <literal>%r</> is replaced by the name of the file containing the
-        last valid restart point. That is the earliest file that must be kept
-        to allow a restore to be restartable, so this information can be used
-        to truncate the archive to just the minimum required to support
-        restarting from the current restore. <literal>%r</> is typically only
-        used by warm-standby configurations
-        (see <xref linkend="warm-standby">).
-        Write <literal>%%</> to embed an actual <literal>%</> character.
-       </para>
-
-       <para>
-        It is important for the command to return a zero exit status
-        only if it succeeds.  The command <emphasis>will</> be asked for file
-        names that are not present in the archive; it must return nonzero
-        when so asked.  Examples:
-<programlisting>
-restore_command = 'cp /mnt/server/archivedir/%f "%p"'
-restore_command = 'copy "C:\\server\\archivedir\\%f" "%p"'  # Windows
-</programlisting>
-       </para>
-      </listitem>
-     </varlistentry>
-
-     <varlistentry id="recovery-end-command" xreflabel="recovery_end_command">
-      <term><varname>recovery_end_command</varname> (<type>string</type>)</term>
-      <listitem>
-       <para>
-        This parameter specifies a shell command that will be executed once only
-        at the end of recovery. This parameter is optional. The purpose of the
-        <varname>recovery_end_command</> is to provide a mechanism for cleanup
-        following replication or recovery.
-        Any <literal>%r</> is replaced by the name of the file
-        containing the last valid restart point. That is the earliest file that
-        must be kept to allow a restore to be restartable, so this information
-        can be used to truncate the archive to just the minimum required to
-        support restart from the current restore. <literal>%r</> would
-        typically be used in a warm-standby configuration
-        (see <xref linkend="warm-standby">).
-        Write <literal>%%</> to embed an actual <literal>%</> character
-        in the command.
-       </para>
-       <para>
-        If the command returns a non-zero exit status then a WARNING log
-        message will be written and the database will proceed to start up
-        anyway.  An exception is that if the command was terminated by a
-        signal, the database will not proceed with startup.
-       </para>
-      </listitem>
-     </varlistentry>
-
-     <varlistentry id="recovery-target-time" xreflabel="recovery_target_time">
-      <term><varname>recovery_target_time</varname>
-           (<type>timestamp</type>)
-      </term>
-      <listitem>
-       <para>
-        This parameter specifies the time stamp up to which recovery
-        will proceed.
-        At most one of <varname>recovery_target_time</> and
-        <xref linkend="recovery-target-xid"> can be specified.
-        The default is to recover to the end of the WAL log.
-        The precise stopping point is also influenced by
-        <xref linkend="recovery-target-inclusive">.
-       </para>
-      </listitem>
-     </varlistentry>
-
-     <varlistentry id="recovery-target-xid" xreflabel="recovery_target_xid">
-      <term><varname>recovery_target_xid</varname> (<type>string</type>)</term>
-      <listitem>
-       <para>
-        This parameter specifies the transaction ID up to which recovery
-        will proceed. Keep in mind
-        that while transaction IDs are assigned sequentially at transaction
-        start, transactions can complete in a different numeric order.
-        The transactions that will be recovered are those that committed
-        before (and optionally including) the specified one.
-        At most one of <varname>recovery_target_xid</> and
-        <xref linkend="recovery-target-time"> can be specified.
-        The default is to recover to the end of the WAL log.
-        The precise stopping point is also influenced by
-        <xref linkend="recovery-target-inclusive">.
-       </para>
-      </listitem>
-     </varlistentry>
-
-     <varlistentry id="recovery-target-inclusive"
-                   xreflabel="recovery_target_inclusive">
-      <term><varname>recovery_target_inclusive</varname>
-        (<type>boolean</type>)
-      </term>
-      <listitem>
-       <para>
-        Specifies whether we stop just after the specified recovery target
-        (<literal>true</literal>), or just before the recovery target
-        (<literal>false</literal>).
-        Applies to both <xref linkend="recovery-target-time">
-        and <xref linkend="recovery-target-xid">, whichever one is
-        specified for this recovery.  This indicates whether transactions
-        having exactly the target commit time or ID, respectively, will
-        be included in the recovery.  Default is <literal>true</>.
-       </para>
-      </listitem>
-     </varlistentry>
-
-     <varlistentry id="recovery-target-timeline"
-                   xreflabel="recovery_target_timeline">
-      <term><varname>recovery_target_timeline</varname>
-        (<type>string</type>)
-      </term>
-      <listitem>
-       <para>
-        Specifies recovering into a particular timeline.  The default is
-        to recover along the same timeline that was current when the
-        base backup was taken.  You only need to set this parameter
-        in complex re-recovery situations, where you need to return to
-        a state that itself was reached after a point-in-time recovery.
-        See <xref linkend="backup-timelines"> for discussion.
-       </para>
-      </listitem>
-     </varlistentry>
-
-   </variablelist>
-
-   </sect3>
-
   </sect2>

   <sect2 id="backup-timelines">
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/filelist.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/filelist.sgml
index 068e961..142fa06 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/filelist.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/filelist.sgml
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 <!entity manage-ag     SYSTEM "manage-ag.sgml">
 <!entity monitoring    SYSTEM "monitoring.sgml">
 <!entity regress       SYSTEM "regress.sgml">
+<!entity recovery-config SYSTEM "recovery-config.sgml">
 <!entity runtime       SYSTEM "runtime.sgml">
 <!entity config        SYSTEM "config.sgml">
 <!entity user-manag    SYSTEM "user-manag.sgml">
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/high-availability.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/high-availability.sgml
index 9b68793..144180a 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/high-availability.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/high-availability.sgml
@@ -853,77 +853,15 @@ if (!triggered)
      <listitem>
       <para>
        Create a recovery command file <filename>recovery.conf</> in the data
-       directory on the standby server.
+       directory on the standby server. Set <varname>restore_command</varname>
+       as you would in normal recovery from a continuous archiving backup
+       (see <xref linkend="backup-pitr-recovery">). <literal>pg_standby</> or
+       similar tools that wait for the next WAL file to arrive cannot be used
+       with streaming replication, as the server handles retries and waiting
+       itself. Enable <varname>standby_mode</varname>. Set
+       <varname>primary_conninfo</varname> to point to the primary server.
       </para>

-      <variablelist id="replication-config-settings" xreflabel="Replication Settings">
-       <varlistentry id="standby-mode" xreflabel="standby_mode">
-        <term><varname>standby_mode</varname> (<type>boolean</type>)</term>
-        <listitem>
-         <para>
-          Specifies whether to start the <productname>PostgreSQL</> server as
-          a standby. If this parameter is <literal>on</>, the server will
-          not end recovery when the end of archived WAL is reached, but
-          will keep trying to continue recovery using <varname>restore_command</>
-          and by connecting to the primary server as specified by the
-          <varname>primary_conninfo</> setting.
-         </para>
-        </listitem>
-       </varlistentry>
-       <varlistentry>
-        <term><varname>restore_command</varname> (<type>string</type>)</term>
-        <term><varname>restore_end_command</varname> (<type>string</type>)</term>
-        <listitem>
-         <para>
-          With <varname>standby_mode</> enabled, <varname>restore_command</>
-          (and <varname>restore_end_command</>) should be set to a
-          simple command or script like in PITR. <literal>pg_standby</> or similar tools
-          that wait for the next WAL file to arrive cannot be used with
-          streaming replication, as the server handles retries and waiting
-          itself. Set <varname>restore_command</> as you would if you were
-          recovering using a Continuous archiving backup (see <xref linkend="backup-pitr-recovery">).
-         </para>
-        </listitem>
-       </varlistentry>
-       <varlistentry id="primary-conninfo" xreflabel="primary_conninfo">
-        <term><varname>primary_conninfo</varname> (<type>string</type>)</term>
-        <listitem>
-         <para>
-          Specifies a connection string to be used for the standby server
-          to connect with the primary. This string is in the same format as
-          described in <xref linkend="libpq-connect">. If any option is
-          unspecified in this string, then the corresponding environment
-          variable (see <xref linkend="libpq-envars">) is checked. If the
-          environment variable is not set either, then
-          defaults are used.
-         </para>
-         <para>
-          The built-in replication requires that a host name (or host address)
-          or port number which the primary server listens on be
-          specified in this string. Also ensure that a role with
-          the <literal>SUPERUSER</> and <literal>LOGIN</> privileges on the
-          primary is set (see
-          <xref linkend="streaming-replication-authentication">). Note that
-          the password needs to be set if the primary demands password
-          authentication.
-         </para>
-         <para>
-          This setting has no effect if <varname>standby_mode</> is <literal>off</>.
-         </para>
-        </listitem>
-       </varlistentry>
-       <varlistentry id="trigger-file" xreflabel="trigger_file">
-        <term><varname>trigger_file</varname> (<type>string</type>)</term>
-        <listitem>
-         <para>
-          Specifies a trigger file whose presence ends recovery in the
-          standby. If no trigger file is specified, the standby never exits
-          recovery.
-          This setting has no effect if <varname>standby_mode</> is <literal>off</>.
-         </para>
-        </listitem>
-       </varlistentry>
-      </variablelist>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
       <para>
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/postgres.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/postgres.sgml
index 2d70847..cfc8ecc 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/postgres.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/postgres.sgml
@@ -155,6 +155,7 @@
   &maintenance;
   &backup;
   &high-availability;
+  &recovery-config;
   &monitoring;
   &diskusage;
   &wal;
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/recovery-config.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/recovery-config.sgml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..98617d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/recovery-config.sgml
@@ -0,0 +1,233 @@
+<!-- $PostgreSQL$ -->
+
+<chapter Id="recovery-config">
+  <title>Recovery Configuration</title>
+
+  <indexterm>
+   <primary>configuration</primary>
+   <secondary>of recovery</secondary>
+   <tertiary>of a standby server</tertiary>
+  </indexterm>
+
+   <para>
+      This chapter describes the settings available in
+      <filename>recovery.conf</> file. They apply only for the duration of
+      the recovery.  (A sample file, <filename>share/recovery.conf.sample</>,
+      exists in the installation's <filename>share/</> directory.)  They must
+      be reset for any subsequent recovery you wish to perform. They cannot
+      be changed once recovery has begun.
+   </para>
+
+  <sect1 id="archive-recovery-settings">
+
+    <title>Archive recovery settings</title>
+     <variablelist>
+
+     <varlistentry id="restore-command" xreflabel="restore_command">
+      <term><varname>restore_command</varname> (<type>string</type>)</term>
+      <listitem>
+       <para>
+        The shell command to execute to retrieve an archived segment of
+        the WAL file series. This parameter is required for archive recovery,
+        but optional for streaming replication.
+        Any <literal>%f</> in the string is
+        replaced by the name of the file to retrieve from the archive,
+        and any <literal>%p</> is replaced by the copy destination path name
+        on the server.
+        (The path name is relative to the current working directory,
+        i.e., the cluster's data directory.)
+        Any <literal>%r</> is replaced by the name of the file containing the
+        last valid restart point. That is the earliest file that must be kept
+        to allow a restore to be restartable, so this information can be used
+        to truncate the archive to just the minimum required to support
+        restarting from the current restore. <literal>%r</> is typically only
+        used by warm-standby configurations
+        (see <xref linkend="warm-standby">).
+        Write <literal>%%</> to embed an actual <literal>%</> character.
+       </para>
+
+       <para>
+        It is important for the command to return a zero exit status
+        only if it succeeds.  The command <emphasis>will</> be asked for file
+        names that are not present in the archive; it must return nonzero
+        when so asked.  Examples:
+<programlisting>
+restore_command = 'cp /mnt/server/archivedir/%f "%p"'
+restore_command = 'copy "C:\\server\\archivedir\\%f" "%p"'  # Windows
+</programlisting>
+       </para>
+      </listitem>
+     </varlistentry>
+
+     <varlistentry id="recovery-end-command" xreflabel="recovery_end_command">
+      <term><varname>recovery_end_command</varname> (<type>string</type>)</term>
+      <listitem>
+       <para>
+        This parameter specifies a shell command that will be executed once only
+        at the end of recovery. This parameter is optional. The purpose of the
+        <varname>recovery_end_command</> is to provide a mechanism for cleanup
+        following replication or recovery.
+        Any <literal>%r</> is replaced by the name of the file
+        containing the last valid restart point. That is the earliest file that
+        must be kept to allow a restore to be restartable, so this information
+        can be used to truncate the archive to just the minimum required to
+        support restart from the current restore. <literal>%r</> would
+        typically be used in a warm-standby configuration
+        (see <xref linkend="warm-standby">).
+        Write <literal>%%</> to embed an actual <literal>%</> character
+        in the command.
+       </para>
+       <para>
+        If the command returns a non-zero exit status then a WARNING log
+        message will be written and the database will proceed to start up
+        anyway.  An exception is that if the command was terminated by a
+        signal, the database will not proceed with startup.
+       </para>
+      </listitem>
+     </varlistentry>
+
+    </variablelist>
+
+  </sect1>
+
+  <sect1 id="recovery-target-settings">
+
+    <title>Recovery target settings</title>
+     <variablelist>
+
+     <varlistentry id="recovery-target-time" xreflabel="recovery_target_time">
+      <term><varname>recovery_target_time</varname>
+           (<type>timestamp</type>)
+      </term>
+      <listitem>
+       <para>
+        This parameter specifies the time stamp up to which recovery
+        will proceed.
+        At most one of <varname>recovery_target_time</> and
+        <xref linkend="recovery-target-xid"> can be specified.
+        The default is to recover to the end of the WAL log.
+        The precise stopping point is also influenced by
+        <xref linkend="recovery-target-inclusive">.
+       </para>
+      </listitem>
+     </varlistentry>
+
+     <varlistentry id="recovery-target-xid" xreflabel="recovery_target_xid">
+      <term><varname>recovery_target_xid</varname> (<type>string</type>)</term>
+      <listitem>
+       <para>
+        This parameter specifies the transaction ID up to which recovery
+        will proceed. Keep in mind
+        that while transaction IDs are assigned sequentially at transaction
+        start, transactions can complete in a different numeric order.
+        The transactions that will be recovered are those that committed
+        before (and optionally including) the specified one.
+        At most one of <varname>recovery_target_xid</> and
+        <xref linkend="recovery-target-time"> can be specified.
+        The default is to recover to the end of the WAL log.
+        The precise stopping point is also influenced by
+        <xref linkend="recovery-target-inclusive">.
+       </para>
+      </listitem>
+     </varlistentry>
+
+     <varlistentry id="recovery-target-inclusive"
+                   xreflabel="recovery_target_inclusive">
+      <term><varname>recovery_target_inclusive</varname>
+        (<type>boolean</type>)
+      </term>
+      <listitem>
+       <para>
+        Specifies whether we stop just after the specified recovery target
+        (<literal>true</literal>), or just before the recovery target
+        (<literal>false</literal>).
+        Applies to both <xref linkend="recovery-target-time">
+        and <xref linkend="recovery-target-xid">, whichever one is
+        specified for this recovery.  This indicates whether transactions
+        having exactly the target commit time or ID, respectively, will
+        be included in the recovery.  Default is <literal>true</>.
+       </para>
+      </listitem>
+     </varlistentry>
+
+     <varlistentry id="recovery-target-timeline"
+                   xreflabel="recovery_target_timeline">
+      <term><varname>recovery_target_timeline</varname>
+        (<type>string</type>)
+      </term>
+      <listitem>
+       <para>
+        Specifies recovering into a particular timeline.  The default is
+        to recover along the same timeline that was current when the
+        base backup was taken.  You only need to set this parameter
+        in complex re-recovery situations, where you need to return to
+        a state that itself was reached after a point-in-time recovery.
+        See <xref linkend="backup-timelines"> for discussion.
+       </para>
+      </listitem>
+     </varlistentry>
+
+     </variablelist>
+   </sect1>
+
+  <sect1 id="standby-settings">
+
+    <title>Standby server settings</title>
+     <variablelist>
+
+       <varlistentry id="standby-mode" xreflabel="standby_mode">
+        <term><varname>standby_mode</varname> (<type>boolean</type>)</term>
+        <listitem>
+         <para>
+          Specifies whether to start the <productname>PostgreSQL</> server as
+          a standby. If this parameter is <literal>on</>, the server will
+          not end recovery when the end of archived WAL is reached, but
+          will keep trying to continue recovery using <varname>restore_command</>
+          and by connecting to the primary server as specified by the
+          <varname>primary_conninfo</> setting.
+         </para>
+        </listitem>
+       </varlistentry>
+       <varlistentry id="primary-conninfo" xreflabel="primary_conninfo">
+        <term><varname>primary_conninfo</varname> (<type>string</type>)</term>
+        <listitem>
+         <para>
+          Specifies a connection string to be used for the standby server
+          to connect with the primary. This string is in the same format as
+          described in <xref linkend="libpq-connect">. If any option is
+          unspecified in this string, then the corresponding environment
+          variable (see <xref linkend="libpq-envars">) is checked. If the
+          environment variable is not set either, then
+          defaults are used.
+         </para>
+         <para>
+          The built-in replication requires that a host name (or host address)
+          or port number which the primary server listens on be
+          specified in this string. Also ensure that a role with
+          the <literal>SUPERUSER</> and <literal>LOGIN</> privileges on the
+          primary is set (see
+          <xref linkend="streaming-replication-authentication">). Note that
+          the password needs to be set if the primary demands password
+          authentication.
+         </para>
+         <para>
+          This setting has no effect if <varname>standby_mode</> is <literal>off</>.
+         </para>
+        </listitem>
+       </varlistentry>
+       <varlistentry id="trigger-file" xreflabel="trigger_file">
+        <term><varname>trigger_file</varname> (<type>string</type>)</term>
+        <listitem>
+         <para>
+          Specifies a trigger file whose presence ends recovery in the
+          standby. If no trigger file is specified, the standby never exits
+          recovery.
+          This setting has no effect if <varname>standby_mode</> is <literal>off</>.
+         </para>
+        </listitem>
+       </varlistentry>
+
+     </variablelist>
+   </sect1>
+
+</chapter>