Next PAL Nexus

Backup Strategies

Setting Up the 3-2-1 Backup Rule

The 3-2-1 rule is a backup best practice: 3 copies of data, on 2 different media, with 1 copy offsite.

Primary copy: Your production database
Local backup: pgBackRest on local storage
Remote backup: Replicate to cloud storage (S3, Azure Blob)

# pgbackrest.conf
[main]
pg1-path=/var/lib/postgresql/14/main

[global]
repo1-path=/backup/local
repo1-retention-full=7

repo2-type=s3
repo2-s3-bucket=my-backups
repo2-s3-region=us-east-1
repo2-retention-full=30

Implementing Point-in-Time Recovery (PITR)

PITR allows you to restore your database to any specific moment in time.

Performance Optimization

Parallel Backup Processing

Speed up large database backups using parallel processing:

pgbackrest --stanza=main --type=full \
  --process-max=4 backup

Disaster Recovery

Creating a DR Runbook

Document your disaster recovery procedures:

Identify critical systems and their RPO/RTO requirements
Document restore procedures with exact commands
Test quarterly with full restore drills
Maintain contact list for emergency escalation

Security Best Practices

Encrypting Backups

Protect sensitive data with encryption:

# pgbackrest.conf
[global]
repo1-cipher-type=aes-256-cbc
repo1-cipher-pass=<your-encryption-key>

💡 Pro Tip

Always test your restore procedures before you need them. Schedule quarterly DR drills to ensure your team knows the process and your backups are reliable.

Guides & Tutorials