database system_error ai_generated true

ERROR: archive command failed with exit code 1

ID: database/postgresql-wal-archive-timeout

Also available as: JSON · Markdown · 中文
85%Fix Rate
88%Confidence
1Evidence
2024-02-10First Seen

Version Compatibility

VersionStatusIntroducedDeprecatedNotes
PostgreSQL 15.6 active — — —
PostgreSQL 14.11 active — — —
PostgreSQL 16.2 active — — —

Root Cause

The PostgreSQL archive_command (e.g., cp or rsync) failed due to disk full, permission issues, or network unreachability, causing WAL archiving to stall and potentially leading to replication lag or transaction loss.

generic

中文

PostgreSQL 的 archive_command（例如 cp 或 rsync）因磁盘空间不足、权限问题或网络不可达而失败，导致 WAL 归档停滞，可能引发复制延迟或事务丢失。

Official Documentation

https://www.postgresql.org/docs/16/continuous-archiving.html

Workarounds

  1. 90% success Check the archive destination for disk space (df -h /archive/path) and permissions (ls -ld /archive/path). If full, free space or move to a different location; then update archive_command in postgresql.conf and reload: SELECT pg_reload_conf(); 
    Check the archive destination for disk space (df -h /archive/path) and permissions (ls -ld /archive/path). If full, free space or move to a different location; then update archive_command in postgresql.conf and reload: SELECT pg_reload_conf();
  2. 85% success Test the archive command manually: su - postgres -c 'archive_command_test' (e.g., cp /path/to/test.wal /archive/). If it fails, fix the command (e.g., add -p to mkdir) or switch to a simpler method like pg_receivewal. 
    Test the archive command manually: su - postgres -c 'archive_command_test' (e.g., cp /path/to/test.wal /archive/). If it fails, fix the command (e.g., add -p to mkdir) or switch to a simpler method like pg_receivewal.
  3. 80% success If the archive destination is temporarily unavailable, set archive_mode = off in postgresql.conf and restart, then re-enable it after fixing the destination: ALTER SYSTEM SET archive_mode = off; SELECT pg_reload_conf(); -- then fix destination, then set archive_mode = on. 
    If the archive destination is temporarily unavailable, set archive_mode = off in postgresql.conf and restart, then re-enable it after fixing the destination: ALTER SYSTEM SET archive_mode = off; SELECT pg_reload_conf(); -- then fix destination, then set archive_mode = on.

中文步骤

  1. Check the archive destination for disk space (df -h /archive/path) and permissions (ls -ld /archive/path). If full, free space or move to a different location; then update archive_command in postgresql.conf and reload: SELECT pg_reload_conf();
  2. Test the archive command manually: su - postgres -c 'archive_command_test' (e.g., cp /path/to/test.wal /archive/). If it fails, fix the command (e.g., add -p to mkdir) or switch to a simpler method like pg_receivewal.
  3. If the archive destination is temporarily unavailable, set archive_mode = off in postgresql.conf and restart, then re-enable it after fixing the destination: ALTER SYSTEM SET archive_mode = off; SELECT pg_reload_conf(); -- then fix destination, then set archive_mode = on.

Dead Ends

Common approaches that don't work:

  1. Increasing archive_timeout to reduce archiving frequency 90% fail

    This only delays the failure; the archive command will still fail if the underlying issue (e.g., disk space) is not resolved.

  2. Setting archive_mode = off to stop archiving entirely 85% fail

    This disables WAL archiving, which may be required for PITR or replication; it also leaves the system without a backup strategy, risking data loss.

  3. Restarting PostgreSQL without fixing the archive destination 100% fail

    Restarting does not resolve the root cause; the archive command will fail again immediately after the restart.