Testing a database restore on a different system

[Andrew Kaplan]

Hi there --

I am running tests on doing a postgreSQL restore, and part of the procedure is to import the dump file into the database. The database, version 8.1.3, is from HP-UX Internet Express Version A.14.00 Bundle and was installed onto an HP-UX 11.11 server.

As part of the testing process, I was planning on setting up a Linux system with the latest available version of PostgreSQL, and import the dump file generated on the HP-UX server into database on the Linux system. Once that was done, we would connect to the latter system, and test the database.

My questions are the following:
1. Can the dump file be imported to a remote system rather than the one that generated it?
2. Is this a good test to determine the viability of the dump file?

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom,

Last question first.

2. This is a viable test.
1. For best results, the version of postgres should be the same on both systems. I've actually had some success with hot fuzzy database backup on Linux. That's right, file system copy. Best however to use the tools that ship with the db.

My recommendation for a good answer to item 1 is to do a test in the lab.

SEP