recovery-target · shipping · also PITR stopping point

Recovery target

A recovery target is the configured condition at which database log replay should stop.

Related Observatory article: Recovery target on hesela.com

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. [1]

Relations

related

point-in-time-recovery, wal-archiving, restore-test, recovery-point-objective

Advantages

• An explicit target makes the intended replay endpoint inspectable. [1]

Limitations

• PostgreSQL raises a fatal error if archive recovery ends before a configured target is reached. [1]
• A target is a recovery setting, not the recovery point objective that specifies acceptable data loss. [1, 2]

Citations

1. PostgreSQL 18: Recovery Target (accessed 2026-10-14)
2. NIST SP 800-34 Rev. 1: Recovery objectives (accessed 2026-10-14)
3. Hesela: Backup verification is not a restore test (accessed 2026-10-14)

JSON: /data/terms/recovery-target.json