Christopher Kings-Lynne <chriskl@familyhealth.com.au> writes:
>>> Hang on, are you supposed to MOVE or COPY away WAL segments?
>>
>> COPY. The checkpoint code will then delete or recycle the segment file,
>> as appropriate.
> So what happens if you just move it? Postgres breaks?
I don't think so, but it seems like a much less robust way to do things.
What happens if you have a failure partway through? For instance
archive machine dies and loses recent data right after you've rm'd the
source file. The recommended COPY procedure at least provides some
breathing room between when you install the data on the archive and when
the original file is removed.
It's not like you save any effort by using a MOVE anyway. You're not
going to have the archive on the same machine as the database (or if you
are, you ain't gonna be *my* DBA ...)
regards, tom lane