Thread: Unable to Recover a Deleted Database Using PITR

Created database randomdata with one table for test purposes of point in time recovery.

However, the database did not fully restore.

Am I missing a step or concept about how PITR works or can you not restore a delete database using PITR?

Steps:

1) Updated postgresql.conf:

    archive_mode = on
    archive_command = 'copy "%p" "C:\\PostgresArchive\\Wal-Archive\\%f"'
    log_statement = mod

    summarize_wal = on

2) Re-started postgres server

3) Created a database "randomdata" and table "somedata", inserted data:

    2024-12-02 13:57:24.049 EST [31268] LOG:  statement: insert into somedata (serialnumber, firstname, lastname)

4) Ran pg_basebackup

5) Dropped database:

    2024-12-02 14:01:27.243 EST [19148] LOG:  statement: DROP DATABASE randomdata;

6) Stopped postgres server

7) Removed contents of data folder: C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\17\data

8) Extracted base.tar.gz (from pg_basebackup) into C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\17\data

9) Removed contents of pg_wal folder: C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\17\data\pg_wal

10) Added to postgresql.conf:

    restore_command = 'copy "C:\\PostgresArchive\\Wal-Archive\\%f" "%p"'

    recovery_target_time = '2024-12-02 13:57:24' (time from log file when insert occured, see step 2)
    recovery_target_action = promote

11) Created recovery.signal file in postgres data folder

12) Started postgres server

13) Attempted to connect to database using psql:

    postgres=# \c randomdata;

14) Noticed recovery.signal file was removed

2024-12-02 13:57:23.852 EST [32352] LOG:  statement: create database randomdata;
2024-12-02 13:57:24.043 EST [31268] LOG:  statement: create table somedata (id serial primary key, serialnumber integer, firstname text, lastname text);
2024-12-02 13:57:24.049 EST [31268] LOG:  statement: insert into somedata (serialnumber, firstname, lastname)

2024-12-02 14:01:27.243 EST [19148] LOG:  statement: DROP DATABASE randomdata;

2024-12-02 14:04:21.630 EST [20156] LOG:  database system was interrupted; last known up at 2024-12-02 14:00:22 EST
2024-12-02 14:04:21.630 EST [20156] LOG:  creating missing WAL directory "pg_wal/archive_status"
2024-12-02 14:04:21.630 EST [20156] LOG:  creating missing WAL directory "pg_wal/summaries"
2024-12-02 14:04:22.792 EST [20156] LOG:  starting backup recovery with redo LSN 0/3000028, checkpoint LSN 0/3000080, on timeline ID 1
2024-12-02 14:04:22.805 EST [20156] LOG:  restored log file "000000010000000000000003" from archive
2024-12-02 14:04:22.818 EST [20156] LOG:  starting point-in-time recovery to 2024-12-02 13:57:24-05
2024-12-02 14:04:22.825 EST [20156] LOG:  redo starts at 0/3000028
2024-12-02 14:04:22.826 EST [20156] LOG:  completed backup recovery with redo LSN 0/3000028 and end LSN 0/3000120
2024-12-02 14:04:22.826 EST [20156] LOG:  consistent recovery state reached at 0/3000120
2024-12-02 14:04:22.843 EST [20156] LOG:  restored log file "000000010000000000000004" from archive
2024-12-02 14:04:22.871 EST [20156] LOG:  recovery stopping before commit of transaction 969, time 2024-12-02 14:01:27.281164-05
2024-12-02 14:04:22.871 EST [20156] LOG:  redo done at 0/40006F8 system usage: CPU: user: 0.00 s, system: 0.00 s, elapsed: 0.04 s
2024-12-02 14:04:22.879 EST [20156] LOG:  selected new timeline ID: 2
2024-12-02 14:04:22.940 EST [20156] LOG:  archive recovery complete
2024-12-02 14:04:22.941 EST [30656] LOG:  checkpoint starting: end-of-recovery immediate wait
2024-12-02 14:04:22.952 EST [30656] LOG:  checkpoint complete: wrote 4 buffers (0.0%); 0 WAL file(s) added, 0 removed, 1 recycled; write=0.001 s, sync=0.003 s, total=0.012 s; sync files=3, longest=0.001 s, average=0.001 s; distance=16385 kB, estimate=16385 kB; lsn=0/40006F8, redo lsn=0/40006F8

2024-12-02 14:05:38.142 EST [15876] FATAL:  cannot connect to invalid database "randomdata"
2024-12-02 14:05:38.142 EST [15876] HINT:  Use DROP DATABASE to drop invalid databases.