>> Hi, >> >> On startup we get an error in the postgres log that the Autovacuum process has >> failed to start -- "autovacuum not started because of misconfiguration". >> However, if we do a restart (/etc/init/d/postgresql8.1 restart) then the >> autovacuum starts fine. >> >> Does anybody have any idea what the problem might be? > Do you have a message about failure to start the statistics collector as > well (on the first try), which is missing on the reattempt? > >It may be that the startup firewall policy (at the time the PostgreSQL >is first started) is restrictive, and is relaxed later on the boot >process. Yes, I do have the message about the failure to start the statistics collector. The firewall rules I have are : # Postgres Statistics Collector iptables -A INPUT -p udp \ -i lo --sport 32779 --dport 32779 \ -j ACCEPT iptables -A OUTPUT -p udp \ -o lo --sport 32779 --dport 32779 \ -j ACCEPT ### iptables -A INPUT -p tcp \ --sport 1024:65535 \ --dport 5432 \ -m state --state NEW,ESTABLISHED,RELATED \ -j ACCEPT iptables -A OUTPUT -p tcp \ --dport 1024:65535 \ --sport 5432 \ -m state --state ESTABLISHED,RELATED \ -j ACCEPT but these should be the same both during boot and after the boot process has finished Nick -- Nick Howden - Senior IT Analyst QinetiQ Trusted Information Management Woodward Building, Room B009 Malvern Technology Park, WR14 3PS Telephone 01684 895566, Fax 896660 The Information contained in this E-Mail and any subsequent correspondence is private and is intended solely for the intended recipient(s). For those other than the recipient any disclosure, copying, distribution, or any action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance on such information is prohibited and may be unlawful