Make pg_stop_backup's reporting a bit more verbose in hopes of making

error cases less intimidating for novices.  Per discussion.

Greg Smith

diff --git a/src/backend/access/transam/xlog.c b/src/backend/access/transam/xlog.c
index 046d80fa95dc62ae71f1852ee08e3106ce2cb417..40916571ac0335483fd8d3f3d11d86cc5e8c7488 100644 (file)
--- a/src/backend/access/transam/xlog.c
+++ b/src/backend/access/transam/xlog.c
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
  * Portions Copyright (c) 1996-2010, PostgreSQL Global Development Group
  * Portions Copyright (c) 1994, Regents of the University of California
  *
- * $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/backend/access/transam/xlog.c,v 1.377 2010/02/19 10:51:03 heikki Exp $
+ * $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/backend/access/transam/xlog.c,v 1.378 2010/02/25 02:17:50 tgl Exp $
  *
  *-------------------------------------------------------------------------
  */
@@ -8132,7 +8132,8 @@ pg_stop_backup(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
     *
     * We wait forever, since archive_command is supposed to work and we
     * assume the admin wanted his backup to work completely. If you don't
-    * wish to wait, you can set statement_timeout.
+    * wish to wait, you can set statement_timeout.  Also, some notices
+    * are issued to clue in anyone who might be doing this interactively.
     */
    XLByteToPrevSeg(stoppoint, _logId, _logSeg);
    XLogFileName(lastxlogfilename, ThisTimeLineID, _logId, _logSeg);
@@ -8141,6 +8142,9 @@ pg_stop_backup(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
    BackupHistoryFileName(histfilename, ThisTimeLineID, _logId, _logSeg,
                          startpoint.xrecoff % XLogSegSize);
 
+   ereport(NOTICE,
+           (errmsg("pg_stop_backup cleanup done, waiting for required WAL segments to be archived")));
+
    seconds_before_warning = 60;
    waits = 0;
 
@@ -8155,8 +8159,11 @@ pg_stop_backup(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
        {
            seconds_before_warning *= 2;        /* This wraps in >10 years... */
            ereport(WARNING,
-                   (errmsg("pg_stop_backup still waiting for archive to complete (%d seconds elapsed)",
-                           waits)));
+                   (errmsg("pg_stop_backup still waiting for all required WAL segments to be archived (%d seconds elapsed)",
+                           waits),
+                    errhint("Check that your archive_command is executing properly. "
+                            "pg_stop_backup can be cancelled safely, "
+                            "but the database backup will not be usable without all the WAL segments.")));
        }
    }