Recovery point objective

As explained in PostgreSQL Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

A recovery point objective is the maximum amount of data loss measured in time that a disaster-recovery plan is designed to tolerate.

A recovery point objective (RPO) measures how much data a disaster-recovery plan can afford to lose. In PostgreSQL, point-in-time recovery can restore committed data through the last WAL file successfully saved. section 9.5 section 9.5

Backups are not automatically enough

A team runs automated backups and assumes the database is protected. If the server burns down before the newest WAL file is saved, recovery may stop at an earlier committed transaction; the unsaved interval is the realized data loss. Keeping a spare server addresses recovery time, not the RPO itself. section 9.5 section 9.5 section 9.5

Figure 9.3 A sample PostgreSQL HA setup with a cascaded replication for redundancy and backup

Use the cascaded-replication layout to relate redundancy and backup paths to reducing exposure to data loss. section 9.5

How PostgreSQL Mistakes and How to Avoid Them covers it

How deep it goes

Defines the metric and relates it to PITR and saved WAL, while deferring detailed recovery procedures.

Examples

Uses automated backups, server destruction, saved WAL files, PITR, and cascaded replication as operational examples.

What it assumes

Assumes PostgreSQL backup familiarity while defining RPO alongside PITR, WAL, replication, and RTO.

What you can do after

Evaluate whether backup and replication arrangements limit disaster data loss to an acceptable interval.

How it connects

Connects point-in-time recovery, write-ahead logging, replication, redundancy, and recovery time objective.

liveBookmanning.com

Read PostgreSQL Mistakes and How to Avoid Them on liveBook Get the book at manning.com

Also explained in

• 

  liveBookmanning.com
  100 SQL Server Mistakes and How to Avoid ThemRPO, or recovery point objective, is the maximum acceptable amount of data loss measured in time or recoverable data.
• 

  liveBookmanning.com
  AI for Everyday ITA recovery point objective is the maximum acceptable amount of data loss measured as time between the latest recoverable copy and a disruption.
• 

  liveBookmanning.com
  MongoDB 8.0 in Action, Third EditionA recovery point objective is the maximum acceptable amount of data loss expressed as elapsed time.
• 

  liveBookmanning.com
  Data-Driven CybersecurityA recovery point objective (RPO) is the maximum acceptable amount of data loss, expressed as the time between the latest recoverable copy and a disruption.

Compare how 5 books explain recovery point objective →

Related concepts

• disaster recoverymeasures · Disaster recovery is the planning and execution of processes and capabilities for restoring systems, data, and services after a disruptive event.
• backup and restoreconfigures · Backup and restore is the practice of preserving copies of data or system state and using them to recover it after loss, damage, or failure.
• business impact analysisproduced by · Business impact analysis is a structured assessment of how disruptions affect organizational functions and objectives, including their recovery priorities.
• data lossmeasures · Data loss is the destruction, corruption, deletion, or unavailability of information that is expected to be retained or remain usable.
• transaction log backupconfigures · A transaction log backup is a saved sequence of database transaction-log records used to support recovery and manage log space.

This explainer was generated by Manning's knowledge graph from the text of PostgreSQL Mistakes and How to Avoid Them. The section links point to the parts of the book it draws on.