# pg\_basebackup

[`pg_basebackup`](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/15/app-pgbasebackup.html) is a utility that is used to create a backup of a PostgreSQL database cluster. This utility creates a copy of the entire database cluster, including all the data files, configuration files, and WAL (Write-Ahead Log) files.

To use pg\_basebackup, you'll need to connect to the PostgreSQL server. Once you're connected to the server, you can use `pg_basebackup` to create a backup of the database cluster. The following command creates a backup in the directory `/path/to/backup`:

```bash
pg_basebackup -h [host] -p [port] -U [username] -D /path/to/backup
```

This will create a copy of the entire database cluster in the directory `/path/to/backup`. Note that you may need to specify additional options depending on your specific needs.

Now, let's talk about WAL logs. WAL stands for Write-Ahead Log, which is a mechanism used by PostgreSQL to ensure data consistency and durability. WAL logs are files that contain a record of all changes made to the database.

When you create a backup using `pg_basebackup`, the backup will include all the WAL logs up to the point at which the backup was created. This ensures that you can recover your database to a consistent state in the event of a failure.