Streaming backup

Barman can backup a PostgreSQL server using the streaming connection, relying on pg_basebackup, a utility that has been available from PostgreSQL 9.1.

IMPORTANT: Barman requires that pg_basebackup is installed in the same server. For PostgreSQL 9.2 servers, you need the pg_basebackup of version 9.2 installed alongside with Barman. For PostgreSQL 9.3 and above, it is recommended to install the last available version of pg_basebackup, as it is back compatible. You can even install multiple versions of pg_basebackup on the Barman server and properly point to the specific version for a server, using the path_prefix option in the configuration file.

To successfully backup your server with the streaming connection, you need to use postgres as your backup method:

backup_method = postgres

IMPORTANT: keep in mind that if the WAL archiving is not currently configured, you will not be able to start a backup.

To check if the server configuration is valid you can use the barman check command:

barman@backup$ barman check pg

To start a backup you can use the barman backup command:

barman@backup$ barman backup pg

IMPORTANT: pg_basebackup 9.4 or higher is required for tablespace support if you use the postgres backup method.