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Using delayed read replicas for Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL disaster recovery

Database Blog

This article explains how to use delayed read replicas in Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL to recover from data corruption and human errors without lengthy restoration processes.

  • Delayed replicas intentionally lag behind primary database by configurable time interval
  • Enabled via `recovery_min_apply_delay` parameter; available in PostgreSQL 14.19+, 15.14+, 16.10+, 17.6+
  • Primary use cases: prevent accidental data modifications, protect against application bugs, enable auditing
  • Recovery functions `pg_wal_replay_pause()` and `pg_wal_replay_resume()` provide granular control
  • Demonstrated recovery from dropped database using LSN-based point-in-time recovery
  • Best practices include CloudWatch monitoring, storage auto-scaling, and WAL management

Delayed replication provides a real-time safety net for disaster recovery, complementing automated backups by enabling rapid recovery within minutes instead of hours.

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