{
  "slug": "recovery-target",
  "term": "Recovery target",
  "aliases": [
    "PITR stopping point"
  ],
  "definition": "A recovery target is the configured condition at which database log replay should stop.",
  "note": "PostgreSQL 18 accepts one target type: time, transaction ID, LSN, named restore point or the earliest consistent state. The inclusive setting governs time, transaction-ID and LSN boundaries; timeline selection identifies the history branch. [pg-target]",
  "advantages": [
    {
      "text": "An explicit target makes the intended replay endpoint inspectable.",
      "citationIds": [
        "pg-target"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    {
      "text": "PostgreSQL raises a fatal error if archive recovery ends before a configured target is reached.",
      "citationIds": [
        "pg-target"
      ]
    },
    {
      "text": "A target is a recovery setting, not the recovery point objective that specifies acceptable data loss.",
      "citationIds": [
        "pg-target",
        "nist-recovery"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "point-in-time-recovery",
    "wal-archiving",
    "restore-test",
    "recovery-point-objective"
  ],
  "citations": [
    {
      "id": "pg-target",
      "title": "PostgreSQL 18: Recovery Target",
      "url": "https://www.postgresql.org/docs/18/runtime-config-wal.html#RUNTIME-CONFIG-WAL-RECOVERY-TARGET",
      "accessed": "2026-10-14"
    },
    {
      "id": "nist-recovery",
      "title": "NIST SP 800-34 Rev. 1: Recovery objectives",
      "url": "https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/legacy/sp/nistspecialpublication800-34r1.pdf",
      "accessed": "2026-10-14"
    },
    {
      "id": "hesela-backup-evidence",
      "title": "Hesela: Backup verification is not a restore test",
      "url": "https://hesela.com/analyses/backup-verification-is-not-a-restore-test/",
      "accessed": "2026-10-14"
    }
  ],
  "status": "shipping",
  "supersedes": [],
  "supersededBy": [],
  "firstSeen": null,
  "lastSeen": null,
  "updated": "2026-10-14"
}