On Mon, 12 Jan 2004 13:09:36 +0100
Michal Pasternak <michal@pasternak.w.lub.pl> wrote:

> Gavan Fantom [Mon, Jan 12, 2004 at 12:57:22PM +0000]:
> > Could the deinstall script not dump the data into some "standard"
> > location, to be used by a subsequent install script if necessary?
> 
> I think someone could have a look how Debian does it. Debian can
> automatically upgrade existing PgSQL databases (via dump/restore
> procedure, nothing magic there) -- but it had such functionality from
> some time, so I guess that Debian PostgreSQL upgrading scripts can be
> quite mature now.

These deals naturally must be performed by an DBA rather than any
automated script. You can't restore data into new DBS until you have
already installed it. At another hand, you can't install new DBS until
you have removed old one. But if resoration fails, it is quite hard to
roll-back installation. Moreover, that roll-back take a lot of time and
your clients will be unable to use your DB.

One of good ways is use pkgviews in this case for install and ran both
new and old DBSes, and then manually complete a DB migration. And in
this case no any automated scripts will be needed.

--
Mishka