diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'doc/src')
| -rw-r--r-- | doc/src/sgml/config.sgml | 30 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | doc/src/sgml/maintenance.sgml | 49 |
2 files changed, 60 insertions, 19 deletions
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/config.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/config.sgml index 57a618faa6f..e10d2d753a3 100644 --- a/doc/src/sgml/config.sgml +++ b/doc/src/sgml/config.sgml @@ -1,4 +1,4 @@ -<!-- $PostgreSQL: pgsql/doc/src/sgml/config.sgml,v 1.119 2007/04/02 15:27:02 petere Exp $ --> +<!-- $PostgreSQL: pgsql/doc/src/sgml/config.sgml,v 1.120 2007/04/16 18:29:50 alvherre Exp $ --> <chapter Id="runtime-config"> <title>Server Configuration</title> @@ -3166,7 +3166,7 @@ SELECT * FROM parent WHERE key = 2400; <listitem> <para> Controls whether the server should run the - autovacuum daemon. This is off by default. + autovacuum launcher daemon. This is on by default. <varname>stats_start_collector</> and <varname>stats_row_level</> must also be turned on for autovacuum to work. This parameter can only be set in the <filename>postgresql.conf</> @@ -3175,6 +3175,21 @@ SELECT * FROM parent WHERE key = 2400; </listitem> </varlistentry> + <varlistentry id="guc-autovacuum-max-workers" xreflabel="autovacuum_max_workers"> + <term><varname>autovacuum_max_workers</varname> (<type>integer</type>)</term> + <indexterm> + <primary><varname>autovacuum_max_workers</> configuration parameter</primary> + </indexterm> + <listitem> + <para> + Specifies the maximum number of autovacuum processes (other than the + autovacuum launcher) which may be running at any one time. The default + is three (<literal>3</literal>). This parameter can only be set in + the <filename>postgresql.conf</> file or on the server command line. + </para> + </listitem> + </varlistentry> + <varlistentry id="guc-autovacuum-naptime" xreflabel="autovacuum_naptime"> <term><varname>autovacuum_naptime</varname> (<type>integer</type>)</term> <indexterm> @@ -3182,9 +3197,9 @@ SELECT * FROM parent WHERE key = 2400; </indexterm> <listitem> <para> - Specifies the delay between activity rounds for the autovacuum - daemon. In each round the daemon examines one database - and issues <command>VACUUM</> and <command>ANALYZE</> commands + Specifies the minimum delay between autovacuum runs on any given + database. In each round the daemon examines the + database and issues <command>VACUUM</> and <command>ANALYZE</> commands as needed for tables in that database. The delay is measured in seconds, and the default is one minute (<literal>1m</>). This parameter can only be set in the <filename>postgresql.conf</> @@ -3318,7 +3333,10 @@ SELECT * FROM parent WHERE key = 2400; Specifies the cost limit value that will be used in automatic <command>VACUUM</> operations. If <literal>-1</> is specified (which is the default), the regular - <xref linkend="guc-vacuum-cost-limit"> value will be used. + <xref linkend="guc-vacuum-cost-limit"> value will be used. Note that + the value is distributed proportionally among the running autovacuum + workers, if there is more than one, so that the sum of the limits of + each worker never exceeds the limit on this variable. This parameter can only be set in the <filename>postgresql.conf</> file or on the server command line. This setting can be overridden for individual tables by entries in diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/maintenance.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/maintenance.sgml index fe5369c19c3..2be11332c27 100644 --- a/doc/src/sgml/maintenance.sgml +++ b/doc/src/sgml/maintenance.sgml @@ -1,4 +1,4 @@ -<!-- $PostgreSQL: pgsql/doc/src/sgml/maintenance.sgml,v 1.70 2007/02/01 19:10:24 momjian Exp $ --> +<!-- $PostgreSQL: pgsql/doc/src/sgml/maintenance.sgml,v 1.71 2007/04/16 18:29:50 alvherre Exp $ --> <chapter id="maintenance"> <title>Routine Database Maintenance Tasks</title> @@ -466,26 +466,43 @@ HINT: Stop the postmaster and use a standalone backend to VACUUM in "mydb". <secondary>general information</secondary> </indexterm> <para> - Beginning in <productname>PostgreSQL </productname> 8.1, there is a - separate optional server process called the <firstterm>autovacuum - daemon</firstterm>, whose purpose is to automate the execution of + Beginning in <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> 8.1, there is an + optional feature called <firstterm>autovacuum</firstterm>, + whose purpose is to automate the execution of <command>VACUUM</command> and <command>ANALYZE </command> commands. - When enabled, the autovacuum daemon runs periodically and checks for + When enabled, autovacuum checks for tables that have had a large number of inserted, updated or deleted tuples. These checks use the row-level statistics collection facility; - therefore, the autovacuum daemon cannot be used unless <xref + therefore, autovacuum cannot be used unless <xref linkend="guc-stats-start-collector"> and <xref - linkend="guc-stats-row-level"> are set to <literal>true</literal>. Also, - it's important to allow a slot for the autovacuum process when choosing - the value of <xref linkend="guc-superuser-reserved-connections">. In - the default configuration, autovacuuming is enabled and the related + linkend="guc-stats-row-level"> are set to <literal>true</literal>. + In the default configuration, autovacuuming is enabled and the related configuration parameters are appropriately set. </para> <para> - The autovacuum daemon, when enabled, runs every <xref - linkend="guc-autovacuum-naptime"> seconds. On each run, it selects - one database to process and checks each table within that database. + Beginning in <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> 8.3, autovacuum has a + multi-process architecture: there is a daemon process, called the + <firstterm>autovacuum launcher</firstterm>, which is in charge of starting + an <firstterm>autovacuum worker</firstterm> process on each database every + <xref linkend="guc-autovacuum-naptime"> seconds. + </para> + + <para> + There is a limit of <xref linkend="guc-autovacuum-max-workers"> worker + processes that may be running at at any time, so if the <command>VACUUM</> + and <command>ANALYZE</> work to do takes too long to run, the deadline may + be failed to meet for other databases. Also, if a particular database + takes long to process, more than one worker may be processing it + simultaneously. The workers are smart enough to avoid repeating work that + other workers have done, so this is normally not a problem. Note that the + number of running workers does not count towards the <xref + linkend="guc-max-connections"> nor the <xref + linkend="guc-superuser-reserved-connections"> limits. + </para> + + <para> + On each run, the worker process checks each table within that database, and <command>VACUUM</command> or <command>ANALYZE</command> commands are issued as needed. </para> @@ -581,6 +598,12 @@ analyze threshold = analyze base threshold + analyze scale factor * number of tu </para> </caution> + <para> + When multiple workers are running, the cost limit is "balanced" among all + the running workers, so that the total impact on the system is the same, + regardless of the number of workers actually running. + </para> + </sect2> </sect1> |