PostgreSQL WAL Backup failed with Error Code 94:13 POSTGRE_EXCEPTION Could not put the Cluster in backup mode

Hi Daniel,

--- What is the version of PostgreSQL running on the system?

--- Are there any other backups running on the system? This error typically shows up when a native backup is running. Sometimes a timeout statement might be configured inside PostgreSQL.

--- Have there been any random restarts, or has any previous backup job been killed before completion?

If you are certain that there are no backups running, you may ask a DBA to run ‘stop_pg_backup();’

If you are not sure, can you post some log cuts from the client’s /var/log/commvault/Log_Files/PostGresBackupChild.log? Around the line ‘eRRoR --  PQresultStatus indicates failure for SELECT pg_start_backup(‘ you should see the actual error when we try to run pg_start_backup.


Just to address it before hand, in relation to the version of PostgreSQL running, we only support PG 15 since PR 2023e, known as SP 32. There have been some changes in the PG 15 APIs that change the syntax of the backups from pg_start_backup to pg_backup_start, and pg_stop_backup to pg_backup_stop, making it incompatible with older releases. The new Commvault release detects the version and runs the proper command accordingly.

SP 28 → support up to PostgreSQL 14.x.
https://documentation.commvault.com/2022e/essential/postgresql_agent_system_requirements.html

SP 32 → support up to PostgreSQL 15.x.
https://documentation.commvault.com/2023e/essential/postgresql_agent_system_requirements.html

API changes.
https://www.enterprisedb.com/blog/exclusive-backup-mode-finally-removed-postgres-15

If you are using sp32, install hotfix pack 23 or greater and retry backup .