Over the years, EDB Postgres Enterprise Manager (PEM) has emerged as an effective management tool for monitoring, alerting and tuning multiple open source PostgreSQL databases on EDB Postgres Advanced Server. PEM comprehensively simplifies critical and complex command-line interface (CLI) tasks for the user and eases database administrative work substantially. Besides its core functionality strength of monitoring and managing the database servers, we recently added integration with EDB Backup and Recovery Tool (BART). This new integration simplifies backup and recovery management for database servers by making certain BART features available through PEM graphical user interface (GUI).
For example, as of PEM version 7.11 and onwards, users are able to utilize Backup and Recovery Tool features, such as taking the cluster backup and restoring it to any local or remote host through the Postgres Enterprise Manager console.
Database backups and restores can now be performed in a few clicks using PEM. This integration also gives sysadmins and DBAs visibility into all backups across their Postgres estate. Administrators no longer need to manage backups by logging into each EDB Backup and Recovery Tool server individually, but can manage a catalog of backups from one central console (see screenshot below).

BART dashboard in Postgres Enterprise Manager

Before adding a BART host in PEM, the user must meet all the installation prerequisites for the BART configuration and associate it with the database server.
The following operations can be performed on BART using PEM:
1. Configuring the BART host in PEM.
2. Associating the BART host with a database server.
3. Scheduling the ad hoc/scheduled backups using PEM.
4. Viewing the BART host details on the PEM dashboard.
5. Restoring BART backups.

Configuring the BART host in PEM

Users must configure the BART host in PEM in order to bind the PEM agent with the BART host. Thus, the PEM agent is responsible for executing all the commands that BART performs. The BART host can be added in the object browser tree that comprises agent name, server name, BART host username and the backup path to execute the backup command. Upon successfully entering the details, the PEM agent validates the BART host. Please refer to the documentation for details.

Associating the BART host with a database server

After successful validation, the user can associate the particular BART host with any database server in the server properties (BART option after agent tab). This allows the PEM agent and BART host to work with the database server and manage the database backup or restore for that particular server. Association requires the server details such as server credentials, BART host with which we are coupling it, cluster owner, archive command, and other important details like setting up SSH passwordless authentication between BART host and database host for local or remote scenarios. Users can opt for incremental backup as well. Please refer to the documentation for details.

Scheduling the BART backup

After associating the database server, users can schedule the BART backup using PEM. Internally the PEM agent executes the commands on the associated server. Moreover, PEM shows the progress of the backup job on the scheduled task screen. Users can further drill down the status of each job that was created using the backup wizard and can see the error log in case the task fails. Please refer to the documentation for details.

Viewing the BART host details on the PEM dashboard

One of the key benefits of BART integration with PEM is the ability to monitor the status of BART activities on a dedicated BART dashboard. The dashboard depicts the details of backup and restore activity for a particular server over several time frames with respect to success or failure count. It also lists all the generated backups. Users can perform a restoration of a particular backup or delete it. Please refer to the documentation for details.

Restoring BART backups

To restore a backup, the user needs to click on the restore option that appears before the backup name on the BART dashboard in the initiated backup section on the target host. The wizard will ask for a target PEM agent and other details. Users can also do passwordless SSH authentication between the source and the target host. It creates the required jobs, which can be observed under scheduled tasks. Please refer to the documentation for details. Just like alerts and PEM job scheduling, we can configure the email notification for BART backup and restore for certain email groups. Therefore, end-to-end BART functionalities can be achieved using PEM once the user registers the database server with a BART host coupled with a PEM agent.
Postgres Enterprise Manager continues to excel at providing extensive monitoring and intelligent analytics solutions. The integration makes the administration of clusters much easier for users who have to create backups and restores to a point in time, because they can now use a GUI to access EDB Backup and Recovery Tool functionality. The integration also ensures that all users (regardless of console choice) have uniform visibility, management and vigilance over critical database systems. To get started, download the latest version of Postgres Enterprise Manager.