pg_combinebackup

merges incremental backups with a full backup

TLDR

Combine incremental backups

$ pg_combinebackup [full_backup] [incr_backup] -o [output_dir]

Combine multiple incrementals

$ pg_combinebackup [full] [incr1] [incr2] -o [output]

SYNOPSIS

pg_combinebackup [options] backupdir... **-o** outputdir

pg_combinebackup reconstructs a full backup by merging a base (full) backup with one or more incremental backups taken by pg_basebackup --incremental. The backup directories must be listed in chronological order: the full backup first, followed by each incremental in the order they were taken.The output is a synthetic full backup that can be used directly with pg_restore or as a new base for future incremental backups. Introduced in PostgreSQL 17.

PARAMETERS

-o, --output dir

Output directory for the combined backup. Must not already exist.

-n, --dry-run

Show what would be done without actually writing output.

-T olddir=newdir

Relocate a tablespace directory during combination.

--no-sync

Skip fsync of the output directory (faster but less safe).

--sync-method method

Method for syncing: fsync (default) or syncfs.

--manifest-checksums algorithm

Checksum algorithm for the backup manifest: CRC32C (default), SHA224, SHA256, SHA384, SHA512, or NONE.

--no-manifest

Do not generate a backup manifest in the output.

-d, --debug

Print debug output.

-V, --version

Print version and exit.

INSTALL

sudo dnf install postgresql17

sudo apk add postgresql17

sudo zypper install postgresql17

CAVEATS

The output directory must not already exist. All backups in the chain must be present and listed in order. The full backup must have been taken with --manifest (the default). Incremental backup support requires PostgreSQL 17 or later.