Database Replication

Database replication copies data from a primary database to one or more replicas, improving availability, read scalability, and disaster recovery.

Replication streams changes from a primary to replicas. Read replicas absorb read traffic and serve as standbys that can be promoted if the primary fails.

It can be synchronous (a write waits for replicas, stronger durability, higher latency) or asynchronous (faster, with a small lag). PostgreSQL supports streaming replication natively.

Replication underpins high availability and is a key part of operating a database reliably, alongside backups and failover planning.

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