for first query QUERY PLAN 'Limit (cost=4.69..88.47 rows=10 width=1350) (actual time=32.195..32.338 rows=10 loops=1)' ' -> Nested Loop (cost=4.69..4043.09 rows=482 width=1350) (actual time=32.190..32.316 rows=10 loops=1)' ' -> Bitmap Heap Scan on documentversions (cost=4.69..1139.40 rows=482 width=996) (actual time=32.161..32.171 rows=10 loops=1)' ' Recheck Cond: (documentstatus = ''AC''::bpchar)' ' -> Bitmap Index Scan on ix_docstatus (cost=0.00..4.69 rows=482 width=0) (actual time=31.467..31.467 rows=96368 loops=1)' ' Index Cond: (documentstatus = ''AC''::bpchar)' ' -> Index Scan using ix_cdocdid on clinicaldocuments (cost=0.00..6.01 rows=1 width=354) (actual time=0.006..0.007 rows=1 loops=10)' ' Index Cond: ("outer".documentidentifier = clinicaldocuments.dssdocumentidentifier)' for second query QUERY PLAN 'Hash Join (cost=899.83..4384.17 rows=482 width=1350)' ' Hash Cond: ("outer".documentidentifier = "inner".dssdocumentidentifier)' ' -> Seq Scan on documentversions (cost=0.00..2997.68 rows=96368 width=996)' ' -> Hash (cost=898.62..898.62 rows=482 width=354)' ' -> Bitmap Heap Scan on clinicaldocuments (cost=4.69..898.62 rows=482 width=354)' ' Recheck Cond: (patientidentifier = 123)' ' -> Bitmap Index Scan on ix_cdocpid (cost=0.00..4.69 rows=482 width=0)' ' Index Cond: (patientidentifier = 123)' thnx Tim Jones Healthcare Project Manager Optio Software, Inc. (770) 576-3555 ________________________________ From: Dave Dutcher [mailto:dave@xxxxxxxxxxxx] Sent: Friday, February 10, 2006 5:15 PM To: Tim Jones; pgsql-performance@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: RE: [PERFORM] joining two tables slow due to sequential scan What version of postgres are you using? Can you post the output from EXPLAIN ANALYZE? -----Original Message----- From: pgsql-performance-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:pgsql-performance-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Tim Jones Sent: Friday, February 10, 2006 4:07 PM To: pgsql-performance@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [PERFORM] joining two tables slow due to sequential scan I am trying to join two tables and keep getting a sequential scan in the plan even though there is an index on the columns I am joining on. Basically this the deal ... I have two tables with docid in them which is what I am using for the join. ClinicalDocs ... (no primary key) though it does not help if I make docid primary key docid integer (index) patientid integer (index) visitid integer (index) ... Documentversions docid integer (index) docversionnumber (index) docversionidentifier (primary key) It seems to do an index scan if I put the primary key as docid. This is what occurs when I link on the patid from ClinicalDocs to patient table. However I can not make the docid primary key because it gets repeated depending on how may versions of a document I have. I have tried using a foreign key on documentversions with no sucess. In addition this query select * from documentversions join clinicaldocuments on documentversions.documentidentifier = clinicaldocuments.dssdocumentidentifier where documentversions.documentstatus = 'AC'; does index scan but if I change the order e.g select * from clinicaldocuments join documentversions on clinicaldocuments.dssdocumentidentifier = documentversions .documentidentifier where clinicaldocuments.patientidentifier= 123; does sequential scan what I need is bottom query it is extremely slow ... Any ideas ? Tim Jones Healthcare Project Manager Optio Software, Inc. (770) 576-3555