PostgreSQL Backup Checklist
Verify database archiving policies, backup retention schedules, query performance, and restore configurations to avoid transactional data loss.
Configure automated daily or weekly full database backups using utility engines (like pgBackRest) rather than simple raw pg_dump files.
Enable continuous WAL archiving (`archive_mode = on` and `archive_command`) to capture database transaction changes in real-time.
Enforce retention policies (e.g. keeping 7 daily, 4 weekly, and 6 monthly full database backups) to satisfy history auditing and rollback needs.
Configure AES-256 backup encryption at rest before files leave the database host (pgBackRest supports native repository cipher settings).
Push database backups to secure object storage vaults located on a different provider and region from the primary database cluster.
Configure notifications to alert systems engineers if a backup fails, if WAL archives pile up on disk, or if backups stall.
Regularly test the backup repository by standing up a temporary isolated server, importing database files, and validating schema queries.
Configure parameters to support database state recovery to a precise minute or transaction ID, minimizing data loss risks.
Use database replication slots to prevent the primary database node from purging critical WAL segments before standby nodes can sync.
Configure alerts to warn when storage use reaches 80% and 90%, preventing database lockups due to write-ahead logs packing the disk.
Maintain step-by-step instructions to initialize a secondary node, fetch pgBackRest files, apply WAL archives, and trigger primary promotion.
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