pg_probackup CLI
Postgres Professional utility for PostgreSQL backup and recovery with incremental backups and PITR
- 799 ★ on the repository
- Last commit
Broad access
Why this level
- Operates on data files and WAL of a production database
- Restore and backup deletion change data irreversibly
Install
- Works in
Manual install
Install pg_probackup following the Installation section at https://postgrespro.github.io/pg_probackup and complete the setup section. Run restore and delete commands only after my confirmation.
Access and checks
How we reviewBroad accessThe tool can change data, run commands or handle secrets.
- Operates on data files and WAL of a production database
- Restore and backup deletion change data irreversibly
This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.
What it does
pg_probackup takes full and incremental backups of PostgreSQL clusters in PAGE, DELTA and PTRACK modes and restores them, including incremental and partial restores. It maintains a backup catalog and WAL archive for point-in-time recovery, applies retention policies, validates backups and checks the instance with checkdb. It supports compression, parallel threads, backups from a standby and remote operations over ssh.
Who it is for. DBAs and DevOps engineers responsible for PostgreSQL backups.
Good fit when
- You set up regular incremental backups of a large database
- You need point-in-time recovery from a WAL archive
- You want to offload the primary by backing up from a standby
- An agent prepares backup scripts and a retention policy
Not a fit when
- You need a logical dump of specific tables: use pg_dump
- You need remote backup over ssh on Windows: not supported
Example request
Draft a backup plan for our PostgreSQL 16: weekly full, daily DELTA and 14-day retention using pg_probackupLimitations
Supports PostgreSQL 13 through 18. The source and restored servers must match in block_size, wal_block_size and major version. For remote operations, pg_probackup versions must match on both sides. Building for PostgreSQL 18 requires a core patch.
How to disable. Disable backup jobs in cron or your scheduler and remove the pg_probackup package.
FAQ
Is continuous WAL archiving required?
For PAGE mode, yes. DELTA and PTRACK work without it, and autonomous backups stream the required WAL segments over the replication protocol.
Where do I get PTRACK?
Vanilla PostgreSQL 13-17 needs the ptrack extension; Postgres Pro Standard and Enterprise support it natively.
Discussion
No questions or reviews yet.
Related
CLI toolsAn MCP server and skills from TigerData that help agents write PostgreSQL schemas and queries from current docs and practices
An MCP server for PostgreSQL with several databases at once, table descriptions from the catalog, PostGIS and pgvector hints and query plans
pgEdge Postgres MCP
pgEdge Postgres MCP Server
Postgres MCP in Go with read-mode queries, EXPLAIN plans, semantic search, several databases and a ready chat client and web interface
A token-lean MCP server for PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQL Server and SQLite with a read-only mode
A Go MCP server that lets an agent ask a PostgreSQL database questions in plain language and returns the query result
An archive generator for Reddit, Voat and Ruqqus dumps on PostgreSQL with search and an MCP server of 29 tools for an agent
README in short
pg_probackup manages backup and recovery of PostgreSQL clusters. The README lists incremental backup and restore, merge, validation, retention, compression and partial restore. It describes three incremental modes and two WAL delivery strategies. Windows installers are provided, Linux instructions are in the docs, and building from source is covered.