"[~ Command failed pg_ctl: could not start server]": A block-level restore job fails

A PostgreSQL table-level restore job of a block-level backup fails with errors.

Symptoms

A block-level restore job fails with the following error message:

[~ Command failed pg_ctl: could not start server]

You can see the following error logs in the POSTGRESBLKRESTORE.log file:

9903 26af 03/18 09:24:33 1556228 ::GetFreePort() - Host name [pgsqlawsvm1] 9903 26af 03/18 09:24:33 1556228 ::GetFreePort() - Name lookup failed

Causes

The restore operation failed to get an available port from the destination client.

Resolution

1. From the client computer, verify whether a ping to the hostname returns correctly using the following command.

ping \

2. Make the necessary host file changes, and then run the restore again.
3. If the restore job continues to fail, under PostGres, create the additional setting PORT and set its value to any available port in the destination client, as shown in the following table. For instructions about adding additional settings, see Adding or Modifying an Additional Setting.

4. Run the restore job again.
5. After the restore job is complete, remove the additional setting PORT.