Re: file system level backup

Questions:

1) Both servers are x64?

> yes

2) What installation files(Graphical installer, source,etc)?

> postgresql-9.3.0-1-windows-x64 from enterprisedb.com
<http://enterprisedb.com>

3) Does the data directory have the config files?

> yes

however, postgresql b won't start ("not listening")?

4) How are you starting?

> pgadmin -> start server

5) What is the exact error message and where are you seeing it?

> "server not listening on port 5432" in cmd ('netstat -ab | find
"5432"' also returns empty)

Have you checked what port is set up in postgresql.conf?

> yes (port = 5432)

I am not that familiar with Windows and pgAdmin so I will resort to the
docs:

Does any of the below apply?

http://www.pgadmin.org/docs/1.8/connect.html

"If pgAdmin is running on a Windows machine, it can control the postmaster
service if you have enough access rights. Enter the name of the service. In
case of a remote server, it must be prepended by the machine name (e.g.
PSE1\pgsql-8.0). pgAdmin will automatically discover services running on
your local machine. "

> thanks. it doesn't help. i also tried pg_ctl without luck (
http://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.3/static/app-pg-ctl.html).

so i restored postgresql b's old /data/, but it still won't start?!

6) So there was an existing Postgres instance at b?

> yes. two installations - a and b.

I am still not understanding. You have a 2008 server at a and one at b. You
copied the Postgres data files from 2008 server a to 2008 server b. This
did not work, so you say you restored the data directory on server b from
an old copy of the data directory at b.

So where did that old copy come from?

> short answer - from b itself (whatever was created right after
installation).

> long answer - 2008 servers at a and b. postgres 9.3s at a and b. added
databases to postgres-a (postgres-b is empty/new). shutdown postgres-a and
b. copied data-a and b to a network shared between server-a and b. deleted
data-b on server-b. copied data-a from network to server-b.

> restarted postgres-a and postgres-b. postgres-a succeeds. postgres-b
fails.

> so deleted data on server-b. restored data-b from network ("old copy") to
server-b. restarted postgres-b. postgres-b still fails.