Keeping backups

List backups

First, we can list our current backups using

pgmoneta-cli list-backup primary

you will get output like

Header:
  ClientVersion: 0.20.0
  Command: list-backup
  Output: text
  Timestamp: 20241018092853
Outcome:
  Status: true
  Time: 00:00:00
Request:
  Server: primary
Response:
  Backups:
    - Backup: 20241012091219
      BackupSize: 6.11MB
      Comments: ''
      Compression: zstd
      Encryption: none
      Keep: false
      RestoreSize: 39.13MB
      Server: primary
      Valid: yes
      WAL: 0
  MajorVersion: 17
  MinorVersion: 0
  Server: primary
  ServerVersion: 0.20.0

As you can see backup 20241012091219 has a Keep flag of false.

Keep a backup

Now, in order to keep the backup which means that it won't be deleted by the retention policy you can issue the following command,

pgmoneta-cli retain primary 20241012091219

and get output like,

Header:
  ClientVersion: 0.20.0
  Command: retain
  Output: text
  Timestamp: 20241018094129
Outcome:
  Status: true
  Time: 00:00:00
Request:
  Backup: 20241012091219
  Server: primary
Response:
  Backups:
    - 20241012091219
  Cascade: false
  Comments: ''
  Compression: none
  Encryption: none
  Keep: true
  MajorVersion: 17
  MinorVersion: 0
  Server: primary
  ServerVersion: 0.20.0
  Valid: yes

and you can see that the backup has a Keep flag of true.

Describe a backup

Now, you may want to add a description to your backup, and as you can see

Header:
  ClientVersion: 0.20.0
  Command: retain
  Output: text
  Timestamp: 20241018094129
Outcome:
  Status: true
  Time: 00:00:00
Request:
  Backup: 20241012091219
  Server: primary
Response:
  Backups:
    - 20241012091219
  Cascade: false  
  Comments: ''
  Compression: none
  Encryption: none
  Keep: true
  MajorVersion: 17
  MinorVersion: 0
  Server: primary
  ServerVersion: 0.20.0
  Valid: yes

there is a Comments field to do that.

You can use the command,

pgmoneta-cli annotate primary 20241012091219 add Type "Main fall backup"

which will give

Header:
  ClientVersion: 0.20.0
  Command: annotate
  Output: text
  Timestamp: 20241018095906
Outcome:
  Status: true
  Time: 00:00:00
Request:
  Action: add
  Backup: 20241012091219
  Comment: Main fall backup
  Key: Type
  Server: primary
Response:
  Backup: 20241012091219
  BackupSize: 6.11MB
  CheckpointHiLSN: 0
  CheckpointLoLSN: 33554560
  Comments: Type|Main fall backup
  Compression: zstd
  Elapsed: 1
  Encryption: none
  EndHiLSN: 0
  EndLoLSN: 33554776
  EndTimeline: 1
  Keep: true
  MajorVersion: 17
  MinorVersion: 0
  NumberOfTablespaces: 0
  RestoreSize: 39.13MB
  Server: primary
  ServerVersion: 0.20.0
  StartHiLSN: 0
  StartLoLSN: 33554472
  StartTimeline: 1
  Tablespaces:

  Valid: yes
  WAL: 000000010000000000000002

As you can see the Comments field with the Type key.

The annotate command has add, update and remove commands to modify the Comments field.

Put a backup back into retention

When you don't need a backup anymore you can put into retention again by,

pgmoneta-cli expunge primary 20241012091219

will give,

Header:
  ClientVersion: 0.20.0
  Command: expunge
  Output: text
  Timestamp: 20241018101839
Outcome:
  Status: true
  Time: 00:00:00
Request:
  Backup: 20241012091219
  Server: primary
Response:
  Backup: 20241012091219
  Comments: Type|Main fall backup
  Compression: none
  Encryption: none
  Keep: false
  MajorVersion: 17
  MinorVersion: 0
  Server: primary
  ServerVersion: 0.20.0
  Valid: yes

and now, the Keep flag is back to false.

Cascade mode

You can retain/expunge the entire incremental backup chain using the --cascade option. This will retain/expunge all backups along the line until the root full backup.

Say you have an incremental backup chain: 20250625055547 (incremental) -> 20250625055528 (incremental) -> 20250625055517(full). Running pgmoneta-cli retain --cascade primary 20250625055547 will also retain backup 20250625055528 and backup 20250625055517.

This will give

Header:
  ClientVersion: 0.20.0
  Command: retain
  Compression: none
  Encryption: none
  Output: text
  Timestamp: 20250625055654
Outcome:
  Status: true
  Time: 00:00:0.1032
Request:
  Backup: newest
  Cascade: true
  Server: primary
Response:
  BackupSize: 0.00B
  Backups:
    - 20250625055547
    - 20250625055528
    - 20250625055517
  BiggestFileSize: 0.00B
  Cascade: true
  Comments: ''
  Compression: none
  Delta: 0.00B
  Encryption: none
  Keep: true
  MajorVersion: 17
  MinorVersion: 0
  RestoreSize: 0.00B
  Server: primary
  ServerVersion: 0.20.0
  Valid: yes
  WAL: 0.00B