Re: Missing WAL files - file-based replication

Scott Briggs <scott(dot)br(at)gmail(dot)com> writes:
> So we're using 8.3 with file-based replication using rsync to a warm backup
> server. The problem is the backup server crashed and somehow WAL files got
> lost so the backup server is continuously looking for WAL files that are no
> longer available on the master.

> My question is, how can I skip to a set WAL file so that the recovery
> process can start ingesting WAL files again? I realize there's going to be
> a certain amount of data loss but that's not as important as getting the
> backup server processing log files, in other words I don't care about the
> data loss.

There isn't any way to do that, and even if there were I wouldn't
recommend it, because you wouldn't just end up with "lost" data, you'd
end up with corrupted data. Indexes in particular would probably be
unusably inconsistent, leading to wrong answers, occasional PANICs
on the backup server, etc.

I'd recommend re-syncing the backup to the master using a fresh base
backup. Yeah, it's more work, but you'll have an actual backup not
a useless pile of inconsistent bits.

regards, tom lane