Hi
We have installed Percona Distribution for PostgreSQL 18 with High Availability (Patroni) in our test environment as part of our preparation for production.
Environment Overview
PostgreSQL: Percona Distribution for PostgreSQL 18
HA: Patroni (3-node cluster)
Backup Tool: pgBackRest
Additional Node: 1 dedicated node for pgBackRest backups
The PostgreSQL cluster was built successfully and is working fine. We then added an additional node specifically for pgBackRest to handle backups.
Backup Status
pgBackRest is configured successfully
Backups are completing without any issues
Issue During Restore
When we attempt to restore a backup, we encounter the following problem:
The percona-patroni service starts successfully
PostgreSQL does not fully start
The database remains stuck in the “starting up” state
PostgreSQL continuously waits for WAL files and does not progress further
Restore Command Used
sudo -iu postgres pgbackrest --stanza=cluster_1 --set=20251215-131545F restore
Error Messages Observed
2025-12-17 05:02:40.019 UTC [264813] FATAL: the database system is starting up
2025-12-17 05:02:40.023 UTC [264814] FATAL: the database system is starting up
2025-12-17 05:02:40.283 UTC [241849] LOG: waiting for WAL to become available at 0/B000098
Observation
It appears that after restore:
Patroni comes up
PostgreSQL waits indefinitely for WAL files
The restore process does not complete successfully
Request for Guidance
Could you please help us understand:
Whether there is a recommended restore procedure for pgBackRest when using Patroni-based HA clusters
Whether this behavior indicates a missing WAL archive or configuration issue
Any best practices for restoring backups in a Percona PostgreSQL HA setup
If required, we can share:
pgbackrest.conf
Patroni configuration
PostgreSQL logs
Backup info output
Thank you for your support.