Postgres and the default location for its storage is at my C-drive. I would like to restore a backup to another database but to access it via the same Postgres server instance - the issue is that the size of the DB is too big to be restore on the same c-drive ...would it be possible to tell Postgres that the second database should be restore and placed on another location/drive (while still remaining the first one)? Like database1 at my C-drive and database2 at my D-drive?
Otherwise the second best solution would be to install 2 separate Postgres instances - but that also seems a bit overkill?
That should be entirely achievable, if you've used the postgres pg_dump command.
The pg_dump command does not create the database, so you create it yourself first. Use CREATE TABLESPACE to specify the location.
CREATE TABLESPACE secondspace LOCATION 'D:\postgresdata';
CREATE DATABASE seconddb TABLESPACE secondspace;
This creates an empty database on the D: drive.
Then the standard restore from a pg_dump should work:
psql seconddb < dumpfile
Replication
Sounds like you need database replication.
There are several ways to do this with Postgres, one built-in, and other approaches using add-on libraries.
Built-in replication feature
The built-in replication feature is likely to suit your needs. See the manual. In this approach, you have an instance of Postgres running on your primary server, doing reads and writes of your data. On a second server, an entirely separate computer, you run another instance of Postgres known as the replica. You first set up the replica by doing a full backup of your database on the first server, and restore to the second server.
Next you configure the replication feature. The replica needs to know it is playing the role of a replica rather than a regular database server. And the primary server needs to know the replica exists, so that every database change, every insert, modification, and deletion, can be communicated.
WAL
This communication happens via WAL files.
The Write-Ahead Log (WAL) feature in Postgres is where the database writes all changes first to the WAL, and only after that is complete, then writes to the actual database. In case of crash, power outage, or other failure, the database upon restarting can detect a transaction left incomplete. If incomplete, the transaction is rolled back, and the database server can try again by seeing the "To-Do" list of work listed in the WAL.
Every so often the current WAL is closed, with a new WAL file created to take over the work. With replication enabled, the closed WAL file is copied to the replica. The replica then incorporates that WAL file, to follow the same "To-Do" list of changes as written in that WAL file. So all changes are made to the replica database exactly as they were made to the primary database. Your replica is an exact match to the primary, except for a slight lag in time. The replica is always just one WAL file behind the progress of the primary.
In times of trouble, the replica serves as a warm stand-by. You can shutdown the primary, then tell the replica that it is now the primary. You can even configure the replica to be a hot stand-by, meaning it will automatically take-over when the primary seems to have failed. There are pros and cons to hot stand-by.
Offload read-only queries
As a bonus feature, the replica can be used for read-only queries. If your database is heavily used, you can offload some of the work burden from your primary to the replica. Any queries that do not require the absolute latest information can be shifted by connecting to the replica rather than the original. For example, a quarterly sales report likely does not need the latest data stored in the active WAL file that has not yet arrived on the replica.
Physical replication means all databases are copied
Caveat: This built-in replication feature is physical replication. This means all the changes to the entire Postgres installation (formally known as a cluster, not to be confused with a hardware cluster) is copied to the replica. If you use one Postgres server to server multiple databases, all those databases must be replicated – you cannot pick and choose which get copied over. There may be alternative replication features in the future related to logical replication.
More to learn
I am being brief here. The topics of replication, high-availability, and disaster-recovery are broad and complex, too much for an Answer on Stack Overflow.
Tip: This kind of Question might have been better asked on the sister site, DBA.StackExchange.com.
I tried replication in postgres 9.3, and successfully implemented it.
After that i am unable to create new database in slave. It says "cannot execute CREATE TABLE in a read-only transaction." Does this mean i cannot create or alter database in slave?
That is correct. The slave is in read-only mode and all changes you want to make should be done on the master server that propagates it to its slaves. Making the slave read-write would defeat the purpose of the replication (if we are not considering master-master or multi-master replication)
I try to synchronize two databases using with bucardo. I create master to master replication and it works fine. However rows inserted before replication can not synchronize. I don't want dump one db to the other. How can I do that? Thanks for help.
I know the way to set up a Master/Slave DB in Postgres is having 2 DB servers, but unfortunately i have only one server for now.
How can i mirror my production db into another "backup db" in "real_time"? I want to give access to another user to the mirrored db, so even if he does something there it will not affect production.
Nothing stops you setting up hot standby streaming replication, or another replication option like Londiste, between two PostgreSQL instances on the same computer.
The two copies of PostgreSQL must use different ports, but that's the only real restriction.
How to set up the second PostgreSQL instance depends on your operating system and how you installed PostgreSQL, which you have not mentioned.
You'll want to use streaming replication with hot standby if you want a read-only replica. If you want it to be read/write, then you can do a one-off copy of the database with pg_basebackup and not keep them in sync after that. Or you can use a tool like Londiste to replicate changes selectively.
You can run multiple instances of PostgreSQL on the same computer, by using different ports.
Is it possible to exclude a specific database from streaming replication in Pg 9.1?
Say I have two databases A and B defined, the goal is to ignore everything concerning database B on the backup server.
Thanks for your hints!
No, it's not possible. The replication always works for the complete cluster.
With Postgres 9.5 or later you can use the extension pglogical to do that.
Use Slony-I http://slony.info/ or other replication solutions to replicate partially.