Bucardo is a replication system for PostgreSQL. It supports both master-slave (to multiple slaves) and master-master replication, and does not require any modifications to PostgreSQL to run. Maintained by Greg Sabino Mullane, its management application (bucardo_ctl) has recently been significantly improved, making initial setup of replication very fast and easy.

1. Bucardo:
Replication with
tiny little goats
Selena Deckelmann
selena@endpoint.com
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevincollins/

2. Hi!
★ Software Engineer / Postgres Lead
http://endpoint.com
★ We’re hiring! http://tr.im/EMGj
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/4409958/Extinct-ibex-is-
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resurrected-by-cloning.html
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4. What can it do?
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/8602783@N06/2294028540
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5. Master-slave
• Scaling/Redundancy
• UPGRADES (8.x -> 8.4)
• Reporting databases
• Data warehousing
• Now handles SEQUENCES!
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6. Master-master
• Write between both databases!
• Sync type: SWAP
• Conflict resolution
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7. Custom code
• Respond to change
• Filter
• Run arbitrary code!
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8. STORY TIME!
item
ski
item
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item
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item
item
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item
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item onhand
ski
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skis 10
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item
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item
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item
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on hand = count(item)
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9. prod db
reporting db
new!
item NOTIFY bucardo
ski
sync B new!
item
syn ski
cC
on hand
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Y
TIF +1
syn
NO
custom
code
count(items)
and other stuff
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goat courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nuritwilde/394603312

10. Strengths
• Drop-in, no changes to Postgres
• Control daemon/DB can run anywhere
• EXTREME async
• No locking of slaves
• Command-line controls rock!
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11. The Fine Print
• No smooth DDL handling
• Not for failover (aka high availability)
• bloat: pg_listener, q, bucardo_delta,
bucardo_track
• No locking of slaves
• No Windows support
• One developer
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/ncarey/135901120/

12. en
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http://wiki.postgresql.org/wiki/Replication,_Clustering,_and_Connection_Pooling
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13. Bucardo
Concepts
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/kendrick/361173694

14. Glossary of terms
• replication: copying data from one place to
another
• DDL: Data Definition Language (CREATE/
DROP/ALTER)
• DML: Data Manipulation Language (SELECT/
INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE)
• triggers: bits of code run before or after DML
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15. Glossary of terms
• goat: a database object (table or sequence)
• herd: table contains unique name for a group of
goats
• syncs: replication events (one herd per sync)
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16. flexible architecture
bucardo control
database
master DB slave DB
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17. flexible architecture
same db
bucardo control
cluster database
master DB slave DB
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18. flexible architecture
same db cluster
bucardo control
database
master DB slave DB
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19. flexible architecture
same db cluster
bucardo control
database
master DB slave DB
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20. Installing
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/kendrick/361173694

21. Bucardo Requirements
• Postgres (8.3 or higher recommended)
• Perl & some packages:
• DBD::Pg 2.0
• DBI 1.51
• DBIx::Safe 1.2.4
• ExtUtils::MakeMaker 6.32
• pl/perlu and pl/pgsql
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22. Simple set up
BUCARDO CONTROL database setup:
bucardo_ctl install
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23. Simple set up
MASTER setup:
bucardo_ctl add db MyDB name=master
bucardo_ctl add all tables herd=all_tables
bucardo_ctl add all sequences herd=all_tables
SLAVE setup:
bucardo_ctl add db MyDB name=slave port=6543
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24. Setting up, cont.
TEST:
bucardo_ctl validate all
REPLICATE:
bucardo_ctl add sync delta
type=pushdelta source=all_tables
targetdb=slave
bucardo_ctl start
(installs triggers!)
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25. Setting up
• Initiate a one-time-copy: onetimecopy=[1|2]
• Set up ongoing syncs: enabled by default
(can set timeouts)
• MANY configuration options
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26. Admin stuff
• Can set up defaults in .bucardorc
• Only need one ‘bucardo’ database
• Uses the ‘bucardo’ schema in replication
sets for ease of admin, removal
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27. Smooth upgrades!
bucardo_ctl upgrade
• Stop bucardo first (bucardo_ctl stop)
• applies DDL changes, functions
• see also UPGRADE file
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28. Stuff to watch out for
• search_path for ‘bucardo’ user
• PL/Perlu & pl/pgsql must be installed
• Uses prepared statements, turn off with:
bucardo_ctl update db MyDB
server_side_prepares=0
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29. LIVE DEMO!
• http://github.com/selenamarie/
bucardo_examples
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30. Internals
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31. Internals
bucardo=# d
List of relations
Schema | Name | Type | Owner
---------+-------------------------------+----------+---------
bucardo | audit_pid | table | bucardo
bucardo | audit_pid_id_seq | sequence | bucardo
bucardo | bucardo_config | table | bucardo
bucardo | bucardo_custom_trigger | table | bucardo
bucardo | bucardo_custom_trigger_id_seq | sequence | bucardo
bucardo | bucardo_log_message | table | bucardo
bucardo | bucardo_rate | table | bucardo
bucardo | customcode | table | bucardo
bucardo | customcode_id_seq | sequence | bucardo
bucardo | customcode_map | table | bucardo
bucardo | db | table | bucardo
bucardo | db_connlog | table | bucardo
bucardo | dbgroup | table | bucardo
bucardo | dbmap | table | bucardo
bucardo | goat | table | bucardo
bucardo | goat_id_seq | sequence | bucardo
bucardo | herd | table | bucardo
bucardo | herdmap | table | bucardo
bucardo | q | table | bucardo
bucardo | sync | table | bucardo
bucardo | upgrade_log | table | bucardo
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32. goats
Table "bucardo.goat"
Column | Type |
----------------------+--------------------------+
id | integer |
db | text |
schemaname | text |
tablename | text |
reltype | text |
pkey | text |
qpkey | text |
pkeytype | text |
has_delta | boolean |
ping | boolean |
...
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33. goats
# bucardo_ctl list tables
Table: archive.course_logging DB: odw_master PK: none
Table: archive.messages DB: odw_master PK: none
Table: archive.student_assignments DB: odw_master PK: none
Table: archive.student_courses DB: odw_master PK: none
Table: logging.activity DB: odw_master PK: activity_name (varchar)
Table: logging.course_logging DB: odw_master PK: course_logging_id (int4)
Table: public.ecash_transaction DB: odw_master PK: trans_id (int4)
Table: public.feedback DB: odw_master PK: date (timestamp)
Table: public.holidays DB: odw_master PK: customernum|month|day|
year (int4|int4|int4|int4)
...
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34. bucardo_ctl list sequences
Sequence 63: logging.logging_seq
Sequence 64: public.trans_id_seq
Sequence 65: public.num_seq
Sequence 66: public.upload_seq
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35. bucardo database
bucardo=# d
List of relations
Schema | Name | Type | Owner
---------+-------------------------------+----------+---------
...
bucardo | db | table | bucardo
bucardo | db_connlog | table | bucardo
bucardo | dbgroup | table | bucardo
bucardo | dbmap | table | bucardo
bucardo | goat | table | bucardo
bucardo | goat_id_seq | sequence | bucardo
bucardo | herd | table | bucardo
bucardo | herdmap | table | bucardo
bucardo | q | table | bucardo
bucardo | sync | table | bucardo
bucardo | upgrade_log | table | bucardo
(21 rows)
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36. Status
# bucardo_ctl status
Days back: 3 User: bucardo Database: bucardo Port: 8000
PID of Bucardo MCP: 6876
Name Type State PID Last_good Time I/U/D Last_bad Time
========+=====+=====+====+=========+=====+=====+========+====
a_delta | P |idle |6886|1m4s |0s |0/0/0|unknown |
b_delta | P |idle |6885|1m4s |0s |0/0/0|9h32m47s|0s
c_delta | P |idle |6887|1m4s |0s |0/0/0|unknown |
d_delta | P |idle |6888|54s |0s |0/0/0|2m6s |3s
e_delta | P |idle |6890|1m4s |0s |0/0/0|9h32m47s|0s
f_delta | P |idle |6889|1m4s |0s |0/0/0|9h32m47s|0s
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37. # bucardo_ctl status a_delta
Days back: 3 User: bucardo Database: bucardo Port: 8000
======================================================================
Sync name: a_delta
Current state: idle (PID = 6888)
Type: pushdelta
Source herd/database: all_a / a_master
Target database: a_slave
Tables in sync: 26
Last good: 3m 34s (time to run: 0s)
Last good time: Oct 16, 2009 17:52:20 Target: a_slave
Ins/Upd/Del: 20 / 0 / 50
Last bad: 4m 47s (time to run: 3s)
Last bad time: Oct 16, 2009 17:51:08 Target: a_slave
Latest bad reason: ?
PID file: /var/run/bucardo/bucardo.ctl.sync.a_delta.pid
PID file created: Fri Oct 16 17:52:09 2009
Status: active
Limitdbs: 0
Priority: 0
Checktime: none
Overdue time: 00:00:00
Expired time: 00:00:00
Stayalive: yes Kidsalive: yes
Rebuild index: 0 Do_listen: yes
Ping: yes Makedelta: no
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Onetimecopy: 0
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38. How Bucardo replicates
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39. Triggers
INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE
bucardo_add_delta
IN
SE
RT
bucardo_delta
bucardo_triggerkick_[sync]
NOTIFY!
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40. NOTIFY / LISTEN
• Simple interprocess communication
psql# LISTEN scotch;
psql# NOTIFY scotch;
Asynchronous notification "scotch"
received from server process with PID
1337.
• Any Postgres process can listen in
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41. Actual Triggers!
Table "public.test"
Column | Type | Modifiers
--------+-----------------------+-----------
test | character varying(15) | not null
Indexes:
"test_pkey" PRIMARY KEY, btree ("test")
Triggers:
bucardo_add_delta AFTER INSERT OR DELETE OR
UPDATE ON test FOR EACH ROW EXECUTE PROCEDURE
bucardo_add_delta_role()
bucardo_triggerkick_a_delta AFTER INSERT OR
DELETE OR UPDATE ON test FOR EACH STATEMENT
EXECUTE PROCEDURE bucardo_triggerkick_a_delta()
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42. Bucardo
NOTIFY NOTIFY
NOTIFY MCP CTL KID
TRIGGER
INSERT INTO “q”
SELECT from “q”
UPDATE “q”
Flow of control REPLICATION
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43. How Syncs happen
• NOTIFY vs. timeout vs. kick
• NOTIFY - from master db to MCP
• timeout - controller detects
• kick - manual/from MCP to controller
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44. Processes!
• MCP, CTL, KID
• MCP: master control process
• CTL: controller (track, kick off/kill KIDs)
• KID: sync processes
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45. Administrativa
• Totally ok to kill KIDs
• CTL cleans up after you
• May need to kill open database handles (for
unfinished COPYs, etc)
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46. Other interesting tables
On your master DB:
• bucardo_delta table has: ID, txn_time
• bucardo_track table: who’s done what?
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47. Sync types
• Fullcopy. Timeout/kick. TRUNCATE or
DELETE, then COPY
• Pushdelta. Trigger. One way master-slave.
• Swap. Trigger. Two-way. Conflict resolution.
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48. Note about triggers:
• canonical way to disable triggers:
ALTER TABLE DISABLE TRIGGER ALL;
:(
• pre 8.3 way: UPDATE pg_class..
• SET session_replication_role = ‘replica’;
• Applies to just the current session
• Thanks, Jan!
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49. Dealing with failure
• Troubleshooting
• Backing up Bucardo itself
• What happens when you lose the
Bucardodb?
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50. Bucardo hooks
• LIVE DATA CHANGES!
• pass in a hashref (ROW or ROWINFO)
• Returned value - bitmapped (a/b or both!)
• Affect the replication event, side effects
• Example: cache invalidation
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51. Bucardo Hooks
• customcode & customcode_map
• Conflict handlers (SWAP syncs)
• Pure Perl
• Exception - fix and try again
• Pre and post trigger
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52. Development
• bucardo.org
• mailing lists: http://bucardo.org/wiki/
Bucardo_mailing_list
• Release early, often.
• Please submit patches! bug reports! tests!
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53. Questions?
.com
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54. Thanks!
http://www.slideshare.net/selenamarie/bucardo
selena@endpoint.com
@selenamarie on Twitter
rss: http://www.chesnok.com/daily
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