Durability

PostgreSQL Full-Page Writes Raise WAL Volume After Checkpoints

A PostgreSQL page modified for the first time after a checkpoint can generate much more WAL than a later modification to the same page. With full_page_writes enabled, the first protected change records a full page image so crash recovery can reconstruct a page even if an operating-system failure interrupts a physical page write. That protection creates a recurring WAL pattern tied to checkpoint boundaries. A checkpoint resets the condition for pages, and subsequent writes gradually encounter pages that need a new full page image.