Re: A few questions to real pgsql gurus

Dmitry Tkach <dmitry@openratings.com> writes:
> - The database files sit on a NetApp box (this is a very reliable disk array with parity control etc...
> plus, it has a 'snapshot' capability, that allows you to take a live snapshot of any directory in real time - that
creates
> a read-only copy of the content of that directory within a second or so).
> - The snapshots are taken hourly by a cron job on the whole database (older snapshots get removed after a while), and
themost recent snapshot 
> gets backed up to the tape every night.

Have you ever actually restored one of those snapshots?  I don't believe
this will work, unless you shut down the database while taking the
snapshot.  Or unless the snapshot is instantaneous across all files in
the $PGDATA directory tree --- but your "within a second or so" doesn't
sound real promising.  If there's any time skew between copying
different files, you've got problems.

            regards, tom lane