Point In Time Recovery
Point In Time Recovery (PITR) is a database backup and recovery strategy that allows restoring a database to a specific moment in time, rather than just to the last full backup. It typically involves continuous archiving of transaction logs (WAL in PostgreSQL, redo logs in Oracle) combined with periodic full backups. This enables recovery from data corruption, accidental deletions, or other errors with minimal data loss, down to a precise timestamp.
Developers should implement PITR for critical production databases where data integrity and minimal downtime are essential, such as in financial systems, e-commerce platforms, or healthcare applications. It's particularly valuable for recovering from human errors (e.g., accidental table drops), application bugs, or partial data corruption, as it allows restoration to a state just before the incident occurred, reducing data loss compared to traditional backup methods.