Introduction

The software described in this chapter is evolving quickly each year. It is important to understand the release levels of the database servers you are targeting so that you don't just assume that all required features are available.

Replication isn't magic, though it can be pretty cool! It's even cooler when it works, and that's what this chapter is all about.

Replication requires understanding, effort, and patience. There are a significant number of points to get right. My emphasis here is on providing simple approaches to get you started, and some clear best practices on operational robustness.

PostgreSQL has included some form of native or "in-core" replication since version 8.2, though that support has steadily improved over time. External projects and tools have always been a significant part of the PostgreSQL landscape, with most of them being written and supported by very skilled PostgreSQL technical developers. Some people with a negative viewpoint have observed that this...