I'm trying to optimize postgres performance on a headless solid state
hardware platform (no fans or disks). I have the database stored on a
USB 2.0 flash drive (hdparm benchmarks reads at 10 MB/s). Performance is
limited by the 533Mhz CPU.
Hardware:
IXP425 XScale (big endian) 533Mhz 64MB RAM
USB 2.0 Flash Drive
Software:
Linux 2.6.21.4
postgres 8.2.5
I created a fresh database using initdb, then added one table.
Here is the create table:
CREATE TABLE archivetbl
(
"DateTime" timestamp without time zone,
"StationNum" smallint,
"DeviceDateTime" timestamp without time zone,
"DeviceNum" smallint,
"Tagname" character(64),
"Value" double precision,
"Online" boolean
)
WITH (OIDS=FALSE);
ALTER TABLE archivetbl OWNER TO novatech;
I've attached my postgresql.conf
I populated the table with 38098 rows.
I'm doing this simple query:
select * from archivetbl;
It takes 79 seconds to complete the query (when postgres is compiled
with -O2). I'm running the query from pgadmin3 over TCP/IP.
top shows CPU usage is at 100% with 95% being in userspace. oprofile
shows memset is using 58% of the CPU cycles!
CPU: ARM/XScale PMU2, speed 0 MHz (estimated)
Counted CPU_CYCLES events (clock cycles counter) with a unit mask of
0x00 (No unit mask) count 100000
samples % app name symbol name
288445 57.9263 libc-2.5.so memset
33273 6.6820 vmlinux default_idle
27910 5.6050 vmlinux cpu_idle
12611 2.5326 vmlinux schedule
8803 1.7678 libc-2.5.so __printf_fp
7448 1.4957 postgres dopr
6404 1.2861 libc-2.5.so vfprintf
6398 1.2849 oprofiled (no symbols)
4992 1.0025 postgres __udivdi3
4818 0.9676 vmlinux run_timer_softirq
I was having trouble getting oprofile to give a back trace for memset
(probably because my libc is optimized). So I redefined MemSet to call this:
void * gmm_memset(void *s, int c, size_t n)
{
int i=0;
unsigned char * p = (unsigned char *)s;
for(i=0; i<n; i++)
{
p[i]=0;
}
return s;
}
Here are the oprofile results for the same select query.
CPU: ARM/XScale PMU2, speed 0 MHz (estimated)
Counted CPU_CYCLES events (clock cycles counter) with a unit mask of
0x00 (No unit mask) count 100000
samples % image name app name
symbol name
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 5.2e-04 postgres postgres
LockAcquire
1 5.2e-04 postgres postgres
set_ps_display
20 0.0103 postgres postgres
pg_vsprintf
116695 60.2947 postgres postgres dopr
116717 60.3061 postgres postgres
gmm_memset
116717 60.3061 postgres postgres
gmm_memset [self]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20304 10.4908 oprofiled oprofiled (no
symbols)
20304 10.4908 oprofiled oprofiled
(no symbols) [self]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4587 2.3700 vmlinux vmlinux
rest_init
6627 3.4241 vmlinux vmlinux
cpu_idle
11214 5.7941 vmlinux vmlinux
default_idle
11214 5.7941 vmlinux vmlinux
default_idle [self]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
16151 8.3450 vmlinux vmlinux
rest_init
9524 4.9209 vmlinux vmlinux cpu_idle
9524 4.9209 vmlinux vmlinux
cpu_idle [self]
6627 3.4241 vmlinux vmlinux
default_idle
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5111 2.6408 oprofile oprofile (no
symbols)
5111 2.6408 oprofile oprofile
(no symbols) [self]
oprofile shows dopr is making most of the calls to memset.
Are these results typical? If memset is indeed using over 50% of the CPU
something seems seriously wrong.
Should I be expecting more performance from this hardware than what I'm
getting in these tests?
Regards,
George McCollister
# -----------------------------
# PostgreSQL configuration file
# -----------------------------
#
# This file consists of lines of the form:
#
# name = value
#
# (The '=' is optional.) White space may be used. Comments are introduced
# with '#' anywhere on a line. The complete list of option names and
# allowed values can be found in the PostgreSQL documentation. The
# commented-out settings shown in this file represent the default values.
#
# Please note that re-commenting a setting is NOT sufficient to revert it
# to the default value, unless you restart the server.
#
# Any option can also be given as a command line switch to the server,
# e.g., 'postgres -c log_connections=on'. Some options can be changed at
# run-time with the 'SET' SQL command.
#
# This file is read on server startup and when the server receives a
# SIGHUP. If you edit the file on a running system, you have to SIGHUP the
# server for the changes to take effect, or use "pg_ctl reload". Some
# settings, which are marked below, require a server shutdown and restart
# to take effect.
#
# Memory units: kB = kilobytes MB = megabytes GB = gigabytes
# Time units: ms = milliseconds s = seconds min = minutes h = hours d = days
#---------------------------------------------------------------------------
# FILE LOCATIONS
#---------------------------------------------------------------------------
# The default values of these variables are driven from the -D command line
# switch or PGDATA environment variable, represented here as ConfigDir.
#data_directory = 'ConfigDir' # use data in another directory
# (change requires restart)
#hba_file = 'ConfigDir/pg_hba.conf' # host-based authentication file
# (change requires restart)
#ident_file = 'ConfigDir/pg_ident.conf' # ident configuration file
# (change requires restart)
# If external_pid_file is not explicitly set, no extra PID file is written.
#external_pid_file = '(none)' # write an extra PID file
# (change requires restart)
#---------------------------------------------------------------------------
# CONNECTIONS AND AUTHENTICATION
#---------------------------------------------------------------------------
# - Connection Settings -
#listen_addresses = 'localhost' # what IP address(es) to listen on;
# comma-separated list of addresses;
# defaults to 'localhost', '*' = all
# (change requires restart)
listen_addresses = '*'
#port = 5432 # (change requires restart)
max_connections = 10 # (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_directory = '/var/run/postgresql'
#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 = 1600kB # 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 = 1MB # min 64kB
#maintenance_work_mem = 16MB # min 1MB
#max_stack_depth = 2MB # min 100kB
# - Free Space Map -
max_fsm_pages = 20000 # 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 = on # 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 = on # 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 = 3 # in logfile segments, min 1, 16MB each
#checkpoint_timeout = 5min # range 30s-1h
#checkpoint_warning = 30s # 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 = 128MB
random_page_cost = 1.0
cpu_tuple_cost = 0.1
# - 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.
log_destination = 'syslog'
# This is used when logging to stderr:
#redirect_stderr = off # 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 = '' # 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 = 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 = off # enable autovacuum subprocess?
# 'on' requires stats_start_collector
# and stats_row_level to also be on
autovacuum = 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 = 64 # 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
