I have a table with 4,889,820 records in it. The table also has 47 fields. I'm having problems with update performance. Just as a test, I issued the following update: update valley set test='this is a test' This took 905641 ms. Isn't that kind of slow? There aren't any indexes, triggers, constraints or anything on this table. The version of Postgres is "PostgreSQL 8.2.4 on i686-pc-mingw32, compiled by GCC gcc.exe (GCC) 3.4.2 (mingw-special)". The operating environment is Windows 2003 Standard Edition w/service pack 2. It is 2.20 Ghz with 1.0 GB of RAM. Here is the results from Explain: "Seq Scan on valley (cost=0.00..1034083.57 rows=4897257 width=601)" Here are the settings in the postgresql.conf. Any ideas or is this the expected speed? #--------------------------------------------------------------------------- # CONNECTIONS AND AUTHENTICATION #--------------------------------------------------------------------------- # - Connection Settings - listen_addresses = '*' # what IP address(es) to listen on; # comma-separated list of addresses; # defaults to 'localhost', '*' = all # (change requires restart) port = 5432 # (change requires restart) max_connections = 20 # (change requires restart) # Note: increasing max_connections costs ~400 bytes of shared memory per # connection slot, plus lock space (see max_locks_per_transaction). You # might also need to raise shared_buffers to support more connections. #superuser_reserved_connections = 3 # (change requires restart) #unix_socket_directory = '' # (change requires restart) #unix_socket_group = '' # (change requires restart) #unix_socket_permissions = 0777 # octal # (change requires restart) #bonjour_name = '' # defaults to the computer name # (change requires restart) # - Security & Authentication - #authentication_timeout = 1min # 1s-600s #ssl = off # (change requires restart) #password_encryption = on #db_user_namespace = off # Kerberos #krb_server_keyfile = '' # (change requires restart) #krb_srvname = 'postgres' # (change requires restart) #krb_server_hostname = '' # empty string matches any keytab entry # (change requires restart) #krb_caseins_users = off # (change requires restart) # - TCP Keepalives - # see 'man 7 tcp' for details #tcp_keepalives_idle = 0 # TCP_KEEPIDLE, in seconds; # 0 selects the system default #tcp_keepalives_interval = 0 # TCP_KEEPINTVL, in seconds; # 0 selects the system default #tcp_keepalives_count = 0 # TCP_KEEPCNT; # 0 selects the system default #--------------------------------------------------------------------------- # RESOURCE USAGE (except WAL) #--------------------------------------------------------------------------- # - Memory - shared_buffers = 512MB # min 128kB or max_connections*16kB # (change requires restart) temp_buffers = 8MB # min 800kB max_prepared_transactions = 5 # can be 0 or more # (change requires restart) # Note: increasing max_prepared_transactions costs ~600 bytes of shared memory # per transaction slot, plus lock space (see max_locks_per_transaction). work_mem = 8MB # min 64kB maintenance_work_mem = 16MB # min 1MB #max_stack_depth = 4MB # min 100kB # - Free Space Map - max_fsm_pages = 700000 # min max_fsm_relations*16, 6 bytes each # (change requires restart) max_fsm_relations = 1000 # min 100, ~70 bytes each # (change requires restart) # - Kernel Resource Usage - max_files_per_process = 1000 # min 25 # (change requires restart) #shared_preload_libraries = '' # (change requires restart) # - Cost-Based Vacuum Delay - #vacuum_cost_delay = 0 # 0-1000 milliseconds #vacuum_cost_page_hit = 1 # 0-10000 credits #vacuum_cost_page_miss = 10 # 0-10000 credits #vacuum_cost_page_dirty = 20 # 0-10000 credits #vacuum_cost_limit = 200 # 0-10000 credits # - Background writer - #bgwriter_delay = 200ms # 10-10000ms between rounds #bgwriter_lru_percent = 1.0 # 0-100% of LRU buffers scanned/round #bgwriter_lru_maxpages = 5 # 0-1000 buffers max written/round #bgwriter_all_percent = 0.333 # 0-100% of all buffers scanned/round #bgwriter_all_maxpages = 5 # 0-1000 buffers max written/round #--------------------------------------------------------------------------- # WRITE AHEAD LOG #--------------------------------------------------------------------------- # - Settings - fsync = off # turns forced synchronization on or off #wal_sync_method = fsync # the default is the first option # supported by the operating system: # open_datasync # fdatasync # fsync # fsync_writethrough # open_sync full_page_writes = off # recover from partial page writes #wal_buffers = 64kB # min 32kB # (change requires restart) #commit_delay = 0 # range 0-100000, in microseconds #commit_siblings = 5 # range 1-1000 # - Checkpoints - checkpoint_segments = 60 # in logfile segments, min 1, 16MB each checkpoint_timeout = 5min # range 30s-1h checkpoint_warning = 0 # 0 is off # - Archiving - archive_command = '' # command to use to archive a logfile segment archive_timeout = 0 # force a logfile segment switch after this # many seconds; 0 is off #--------------------------------------------------------------------------- # QUERY TUNING #--------------------------------------------------------------------------- # - Planner Method Configuration - enable_bitmapscan = on enable_hashagg = on enable_hashjoin = on enable_indexscan = on enable_mergejoin = on enable_nestloop = on enable_seqscan = on enable_sort = on enable_tidscan = on # - Planner Cost Constants - #seq_page_cost = 1.0 # measured on an arbitrary scale #random_page_cost = 4.0 # same scale as above #cpu_tuple_cost = 0.01 # same scale as above #cpu_index_tuple_cost = 0.005 # same scale as above #cpu_operator_cost = 0.0025 # same scale as above effective_cache_size = 32MB # - Genetic Query Optimizer - #geqo = on #geqo_threshold = 12 #geqo_effort = 5 # range 1-10 #geqo_pool_size = 0 # selects default based on effort #geqo_generations = 0 # selects default based on effort #geqo_selection_bias = 2.0 # range 1.5-2.0 # - Other Planner Options - #default_statistics_target = 10 # range 1-1000 #constraint_exclusion = off #from_collapse_limit = 8 #join_collapse_limit = 8 # 1 disables collapsing of explicit # JOINs #--------------------------------------------------------------------------- # ERROR REPORTING AND LOGGING #--------------------------------------------------------------------------- # - Where to Log - log_destination = 'stderr' # Valid values are combinations of # stderr, syslog and eventlog, # depending on platform. # This is used when logging to stderr: redirect_stderr = on # Enable capturing of stderr into log # files # (change requires restart) # These are only used if redirect_stderr is on: #log_directory = 'pg_log' # Directory where log files are written # Can be absolute or relative to PGDATA #log_filename = 'postgresql-%Y-%m-%d_%H%M%S.log' # Log file name pattern. # Can include strftime() escapes #log_truncate_on_rotation = off # If on, any existing log file of the same # name as the new log file will be # truncated rather than appended to. But # such truncation only occurs on # time-driven rotation, not on restarts # or size-driven rotation. Default is # off, meaning append to existing files # in all cases. #log_rotation_age = 1d # Automatic rotation of logfiles will # happen after that time. 0 to # disable. #log_rotation_size = 10MB # Automatic rotation of logfiles will # happen after that much log # output. 0 to disable. # These are relevant when logging to syslog: #syslog_facility = 'LOCAL0' #syslog_ident = 'postgres' # - When to Log - #client_min_messages = notice # Values, in order of decreasing detail: # debug5 # debug4 # debug3 # debug2 # debug1 # log # notice # warning # error #log_min_messages = notice # Values, in order of decreasing detail: # debug5 # debug4 # debug3 # debug2 # debug1 # info # notice # warning # error # log # fatal # panic #log_error_verbosity = default # terse, default, or verbose messages #log_min_error_statement = error # Values in order of increasing severity: # debug5 # debug4 # debug3 # debug2 # debug1 # info # notice # warning # error # fatal # panic (effectively off) #log_min_duration_statement = -1 # -1 is disabled, 0 logs all statements # and their durations. #silent_mode = off # DO NOT USE without syslog or # redirect_stderr # (change requires restart) # - What to Log - #debug_print_parse = off #debug_print_rewritten = off #debug_print_plan = off #debug_pretty_print = off #log_connections = off #log_disconnections = off #log_duration = off log_line_prefix = '%t ' # Special values: # %u = user name # %d = database name # %r = remote host and port # %h = remote host # %p = PID # %t = timestamp (no milliseconds) # %m = timestamp with milliseconds # %i = command tag # %c = session id # %l = session line number # %s = session start timestamp # %x = transaction id # %q = stop here in non-session # processes # %% = '%' # e.g. '<%u%%%d> ' #log_statement = 'none' # none, ddl, mod, all #log_hostname = off #--------------------------------------------------------------------------- # RUNTIME STATISTICS #--------------------------------------------------------------------------- # - Query/Index Statistics Collector - #stats_command_string = on #update_process_title = on stats_start_collector = on # needed for block or row stats # (change requires restart) #stats_block_level = off stats_row_level = on #stats_reset_on_server_start = off # (change requires restart) # - Statistics Monitoring - #log_parser_stats = off #log_planner_stats = off #log_executor_stats = off #log_statement_stats = off #--------------------------------------------------------------------------- # AUTOVACUUM PARAMETERS #--------------------------------------------------------------------------- autovacuum = on # enable autovacuum subprocess? # 'on' requires stats_start_collector # and stats_row_level to also be on #autovacuum_naptime = 1min # time between autovacuum runs #autovacuum_vacuum_threshold = 500 # min # of tuple updates before # vacuum #autovacuum_analyze_threshold = 250 # min # of tuple updates before # analyze #autovacuum_vacuum_scale_factor = 0.2 # fraction of rel size before # vacuum #autovacuum_analyze_scale_factor = 0.1 # fraction of rel size before # analyze #autovacuum_freeze_max_age = 200000000 # maximum XID age before forced vacuum # (change requires restart) #autovacuum_vacuum_cost_delay = -1 # default vacuum cost delay for # autovacuum, -1 means use # vacuum_cost_delay #autovacuum_vacuum_cost_limit = -1 # default vacuum cost limit for # autovacuum, -1 means use # vacuum_cost_limit #--------------------------------------------------------------------------- # CLIENT CONNECTION DEFAULTS #--------------------------------------------------------------------------- # - Statement Behavior - #search_path = '"$user",public' # schema names #default_tablespace = '' # a tablespace name, '' uses # the default #check_function_bodies = on #default_transaction_isolation = 'read committed' #default_transaction_read_only = off #statement_timeout = 0 # 0 is disabled #vacuum_freeze_min_age = 100000000 # - Locale and Formatting - datestyle = 'iso, mdy' #timezone = unknown # actually, defaults to TZ # environment setting #timezone_abbreviations = 'Default' # select the set of available timezone # abbreviations. Currently, there are # Default # Australia # India # However you can also create your own # file in share/timezonesets/. #extra_float_digits = 0 # min -15, max 2 #client_encoding = sql_ascii # actually, defaults to database # encoding # These settings are initialized by initdb -- they might be changed lc_messages = 'C' # locale for system error message # strings lc_monetary = 'C' # locale for monetary formatting lc_numeric = 'C' # locale for number formatting lc_time = 'C' # locale for time formatting # - Other Defaults - #explain_pretty_print = on #dynamic_library_path = '$libdir' #local_preload_libraries = '' #--------------------------------------------------------------------------- # LOCK MANAGEMENT #--------------------------------------------------------------------------- #deadlock_timeout = 1s max_locks_per_transaction = 384 # min 10 # (change requires restart) # Note: each lock table slot uses ~270 bytes of shared memory, and there are # max_locks_per_transaction * (max_connections + max_prepared_transactions) # lock table slots. #--------------------------------------------------------------------------- # VERSION/PLATFORM COMPATIBILITY #--------------------------------------------------------------------------- # - Previous Postgres Versions - #add_missing_from = off #array_nulls = on #backslash_quote = safe_encoding # on, off, or safe_encoding #default_with_oids = off #escape_string_warning = on #standard_conforming_strings = off #regex_flavor = advanced # advanced, extended, or basic #sql_inheritance = on # - Other Platforms & Clients - #transform_null_equals = off #--------------------------------------------------------------------------- # CUSTOMIZED OPTIONS #--------------------------------------------------------------------------- #custom_variable_classes = '' # list of custom variable class names ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better Heartthrob. 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