cmd_standby.README

The cmd_standby script is a utility that allows easy management of a warm 
standby PostgreSQL server. It currently has the following capabilities:

 * Automatically take a base backup, including table spaces
 * Automatically restore archives
 * Automatically purge old archives (if PostgreSQL >8.3)
 * Alert based on failures
 * Failover to latest archive point
 * Stop and start postgresql 

*****
Usage: cmd_standby [options] arg1 arg2

Options:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -A start|stop, --action=start|stop
                        Start or Stop PostgreSQL
  -B, --basebackup      Start/Stop a base backup
  -C FILE, --config=FILE
                        the name of the archiver config file
  -F VALUE, --failover=VALUE
                        If you are serious, set -F999
  -I, --dbinit          Use before -B
  -P, --ping            Is my master alive?
  -R TIMESTAMP, --recovertotime=TIMESTAMP
                        If you need to restore to a specific point in time
  -S, --standby         Enter standby mode
*****

You need to apply cmd_standby.sql to master database before starting 
standby process on slave.

The process of configuring a standby slave is akin to the following:

./cmd_standby -C cmd_standby.ini -I

Fix any problems it reports. Which is likely be pathing or permission issues.

./cmd_standby -C cmd_standby.ini -B

Will start the base backup and fix up pg_xlog if its linked.

./cmd_standby -C cmd_standby.ini -S

If you want a warm standby, use -S. If you want a cold. You are done.

The process of bringing a warm standby into production is:

./cmd_standby -C cmd_standby.ini -F999

Wait.... smile, Drink a beer.

The process to bring a standby into production but at a certain point in time is:

./cmd_standby -C cmd_standby.ini -F999 -R '2008-05-28 11:00:38.059389'

Where -R is a valid timestamp.

Configuration:

You can call the ini file anything you like however you must have the following header:

[DEFAULT]

In the file.

 * pgversion: 8.2			

Can be of 8.2 or 8.3. 8.2 does not purge files correctly. You will need to
configure a cron to do so.

  * numarchives: 10

Only valid if pgversion is 8.2. The number of archives to keep that is 
greater than checkpoint_segments. E.g; If checkpoint_segments is 3, the 
slave will keep 13. Not yet implemented.

 * ssh: /usr/bin/ssh

The absolute path to the ssh binary.

 * rsync: /usr/bin/rsync

The absolute path to the rsync binary.

 * r_psql: /usr/lib/postgresql/8.3/bin/psql

The absolute path to the psql binary on the master.

 * pg_standby: /usr/lib/postgresql/8.3/bin/pg_standby

The absolute path to the pg_standby binary

 * pg_ctl: /usr/lib/postgresql/8.3/bin/pg_ctl

The absolute path to the pg_ctl binary.

 * port: 6000

The port on the master that postgresql is listening

 * master_public_ip: 192.168.3.254

The external available ip address for ssh

 * master_local_ip: 127.0.0.1

The internal ip address psql should connect to on the master

 * user: postgres

The user who performed initdb

 * debug: on

If you want the diagnostic info

 * ssh_debug: on

If you want lots of ssh diagnostic info

 * ssh_timeout: 30

If ssh can not connect in this many seconds, we will throw an alarm and exit.

 * archivedir: /data2/pgsql/archive/

This is where cmd_archiver is copying files from the master to the slave.

 * pgdata: /data1/pgsql/data/

The absolute path to your cluster directory.

 * postgresql_conf: /var/lib/postgresql/etc/postgresql.conf

The absolute path to the postgresql.conf to use when we failover.

 * pg_hba_conf: /var/lib/postgresql/etc/pg_hba.conf		

The absolute path to the pg_hba.conf to use when we failover.

 * notify_critical: 
 * notify_warning:
 * notify_ok:

Absolute paths to the script to fire at each alarm level.

 * action_failover: /var/lib/postgresql/pitr_tools/failover.sh

Absolute path to the script to fire at the end of failover. This might be
to change an IP address on the slave (for example).