Hello:
I'm new to the mailing list, and an admitted novice at using PostgreSQL. I inherited a Surround SCM data server (Seapine Software) that runs on PostgreSQL server v9.1.2 running on a Mac Pro 6.1 (Late 2013) in OS X 10.10.5 (Yosemite). Eventually I will have to migrate the entire server data base (both Surround SCM and PostgreSQL) to a PC running Windows or Linux, because Seapine has dropped support for OS X. But that comes later.
For now, I just want to upgrade the PostgreSQL server from v9.1.2 to v9.5.3 so everything will be running the latest software BEFORE I migrate to the new PC server host. I assume that means that I have to back up the entire PostgreSQL cluster in v9.1.2, then install v9.5.3, and then restore from the backup.
I have studied the PostgreSQL documentation,
Section 17.6. Upgrading a PostgreSQL Cluster for v9.5.3. It's somewhat confusing (especially paragraph 1 in
Section 17.6.1. Upgrading Data via pg_dumpall, which seems to say that I should use v9.5.3 to make the backup that I need to make BEFORE I upgrade to v9.5.3. Sounds like a Catch-22...but whatever the case, it seems clear that I need to run
pg_dumpall to make the backup.
There's my problem. I'm using
pgAdmin3, v1.14.1 for backup and restore, and apparently the
Backup... menu command only does a
pg_dump, not a
pg_dumpall. I know that I can run
pg_dumpall as a command line process from Terminal.app, but I'm close to completely ignorant about how to do that.
I follow instructions pretty well if they're clearly spelled out step by step, but everything I've read so far assumes that I know more about how to use command line than I actually know. If someone can point me toward a step by step set of instructions for a total noob, I could probably take it from there.
I know how to specify file paths, and I've already created a
/usr/local/pg-dumpall directory where the backup file can be written, but I need to know how to get the
pg_dumpall process to actually run. It's probably best to assume I know nothing except how to start Terminal.app.
Oh...and it's my understanding that later versions of PostgreSQL (e.g., v9.4.8) include a
pg_upgrade process that makes the upgrade process easier. However, there's no such feature in v9.1.2.
Thanks!
Nigel
