QA
Intermediate LevelPostgreSQL

How does pg_receivewal execute real-time offsite WAL stream archiving?

❓ Interview Prompt: Explain `pg_receivewal` utility, continuous WAL streaming over replication protocol, zero RPO data loss, and disaster recovery.

'pg_receivewal' is a standalone CLI utility that streams WAL data continuously over a replication connection from a running PostgreSQL server, writing WAL files to remote storage:

Benefit:

Eliminates data loss window (RPO $\approx$ 0) by archiving WAL records in real time as they are generated, without waiting for 16MB WAL segment files to fill!

Code Implementation Example

bash
# Stream real-time WAL archives to remote backup directory
pg_receivewal -h primary-db -U rep_user -D /mnt/wal_backups/ --synchronous
💡Streaming real-time WAL archives using pg_receivewal.
🎯 Interview Key Takeaway

Use pg_receivewal to stream WAL archives offsite in real time for near-zero RPO disaster recovery.

#pg_receivewal#WAL Archiving#Disaster Recovery#Intermediate
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