16.3.1 Using Replication for Backups

To use replication as a backup solution, replicate data from the source to a replica, and then back up the replica. The replica can be paused and shut down without affecting the running operation of the source, so you can produce an effective snapshot of live data that would otherwise require the source to be shut down.

How you back up a database depends on its size and whether you are backing up only the data, or the data and the replica state so that you can rebuild the replica in the event of failure. There are therefore two choices:

Another backup strategy, which can be used for either source or replica servers, is to put the server in a read-only state. The backup is performed against the read-only server, which then is changed back to its usual read/write operational status. See Section 16.3.1.3, “Backing Up a Source or Replica by Making It Read Only”.