Thread: Detecting if the DB is in backup mode or not

Detecting if the DB is in backup mode or not

From
Date:

Hello,

 

I am running pg 8.3, and I’m working on some scripts to take online backups of the database with backup mode and netapp snapshots.  I can successfully run the pg_start_backup/pg_stop_backup functions, but how to I query to see what mode the DB currently is in?  If my script fails to run the stop_backup, I’d like to have some external monitoring that can alert me to the database being stuck in backup mode.

 

Thanks

-Adam

 

 

Re: Detecting if the DB is in backup mode or not

From
Thom Brown
Date:
On 2 June 2010 16:28,  <Adam_Crews@mcafee.com> wrote:
> Hello,
>
>
>
> I am running pg 8.3, and I’m working on some scripts to take online backups
> of the database with backup mode and netapp snapshots.  I can successfully
> run the pg_start_backup/pg_stop_backup functions, but how to I query to see
> what mode the DB currently is in?  If my script fails to run the
> stop_backup, I’d like to have some external monitoring that can alert me to
> the database being stuck in backup mode.
>

When you use pg_start_backup, it creates a file called BACKUP_LABEL in
your data directory.  Plus, if you try to call it twice, it'll report
you're already running it if that's at all useful.

If you wish to identify it in a query, see if "SELECT
pg_stat_file('BACKUP_LABEL');" returns anything.

There might be a proper function or catalog table/view for it though,
if someone else knows....

Regards

Thom