Hi all, on our PostgreSQL 8.3.1 (CentOS 5.3 64-bit) two different query plans for one of our (weird) queries are generated. One of the query plans seems to be good (and is used most of the time). The other one is bad - the query takes about 2 minutes and the database process, which is executing the query, is cpu bound during this time. After several tries I was able to reproduce the problem when executing the query with EXPLAIN ANALYZE. The bad query plan was generated only seconds after the good one was used when executing the query. What's the reasond for the different query plans? Statistics are up to date. Good: EXPLAIN ANALYZE SELECT DISTINCT t6.objid FROM ataggval q1_1, atobjval t6, atobjval t7, atobjval t8, atobjval t9, cooobject t10 WHERE q1_1.objid = t6.objid AND q1_1.attrid = 285774255985993 AND q1_1.aggrid = 0 AND t6.aggrid = q1_1.aggval AND t7.aggrid = 0 AND t7.objid = t6.objid AND t8.aggrid = 0 AND t8.objid = t6.objid AND t9.aggrid = 0 AND t9.objid = t6.objid AND t10.objid = t6.objid AND t6.objval = 285774255985589 AND t6.attrid=285774255985991 AND t7.objval = 625445988202446985 AND t7.attrid=285774255985855 AND t8.objval = 625445988286355913 AND t8.attrid=285774255985935 AND t9.objval = 625445988269570350 AND t9.attrid=285774255985938 AND t10.objclassid = 285774255985894 ORDER BY t6.objid; QUERY PLAN ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------- Unique (cost=66.58..66.59 rows=1 width=8) (actual time=1548.207..1548.208 rows=1 loops=1) -> Sort (cost=66.58..66.58 rows=1 width=8) (actual time=1548.206..1548.207 rows=1 loops=1) Sort Key: t6.objid Sort Method: quicksort Memory: 25kB -> Nested Loop (cost=0.00..66.57 rows=1 width=8) (actual time=1044.759..1548.190 rows=1 loops=1) Join Filter: (t6.objid = t7.objid) -> Nested Loop (cost=0.00..54.52 rows=1 width=40) (actual time=21.938..1541.633 rows=350 loops=1) Join Filter: (t6.objid = t8.objid) -> Nested Loop (cost=0.00..42.47 rows=1 width=32) (actual time=21.907..1422.710 rows=364 loops=1) Join Filter: (t6.objid = t9.objid) -> Nested Loop (cost=0.00..30.42 rows=1 width=24) (actual time=0.151..920.873 rows=775 loops=1) -> Nested Loop (cost=0.00..21.97 rows=1 width=16) (actual time=0.065..915.387 rows=775 loops=1) Join Filter: (q1_1.objid = t6.objid) -> Index Scan using ind_atobjval on atobjval t6 (cost=0.00..12.04 rows=1 width=12) (actual time=0.031..0.863 rows=775 loops=1) Index Cond: ((attrid = 285774255985991::bigint) AND (objval = 285774255985589::bigint)) -> Index Scan using ind_ataggval on ataggval q1_1 (cost=0.00..9.92 rows=1 width=12) (actual time=0.006..0.897 rows=1243 loops=775) Index Cond: ((q1_1.attrid = 285774255985993::bigint) AND (q1_1.aggval = t6.aggrid)) Filter: (q1_1.aggrid = 0) -> Index Scan using cooobjectix on cooobject t10 (cost=0.00..8.44 rows=1 width=8) (actual time=0.005..0.006 rows=1 loops=775) Index Cond: (t10.objid = t6.objid) Filter: (t10.objclassid = 285774255985894::bigint) -> Index Scan using ind_atobjval on atobjval t9 (cost=0.00..12.04 rows=1 width=8) (actual time=0.007..0.490 rows=694 loops=775) Index Cond: ((t9.attrid = 285774255985938::bigint) AND (t9.objval = 625445988269570350::bigint)) Filter: (t9.aggrid = 0) -> Index Scan using ind_atobjval on atobjval t8 (cost=0.00..12.04 rows=1 width=8) (actual time=0.007..0.248 rows=350 loops=364) Index Cond: ((t8.attrid = 285774255985935::bigint) AND (t8.objval = 625445988286355913::bigint)) Filter: (t8.aggrid = 0) -> Index Scan using ind_atobjval on atobjval t7 (cost=0.00..12.04 rows=1 width=8) (actual time=0.005..0.015 rows=13 loops=350) Index Cond: ((t7.attrid = 285774255985855::bigint) AND (t7.objval = 625445988202446985::bigint)) Filter: (t7.aggrid = 0) Total runtime: 1548.339 ms (31 rows) Bad: EXPLAIN ANALYZE SELECT DISTINCT t6.objid FROM ataggval q1_1, atobjval t6, atobjval t7, atobjval t8, atobjval t9, cooobject t10 WHERE q1_1.objid = t6.objid AND q1_1.attrid = 285774255985993 AND q1_1.aggrid = 0 AND t6.aggrid = q1_1.aggval AND t7.aggrid = 0 AND t7.objid = t6.objid AND t8.aggrid = 0 AND t8.objid = t6.objid AND t9.aggrid = 0 AND t9.objid = t6.objid AND t10.objid = t6.objid AND t6.objval = 285774255985589 AND t6.attrid=285774255985991 AND t7.objval = 625445988202446985 AND t7.attrid=285774255985855 AND t8.objval = 625445988286355913 AND t8.attrid=285774255985935 AND t9.objval = 625445988269570350 AND t9.attrid=285774255985938 AND t10.objclassid = 285774255985894 ORDER BY t6.objid; QUERY PLAN ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------- Unique (cost=66.58..66.59 rows=1 width=8) (actual time=172984.132..172984.133 rows=1 loops=1) -> Sort (cost=66.58..66.59 rows=1 width=8) (actual time=172984.129..172984.129 rows=1 loops=1) Sort Key: t6.objid Sort Method: quicksort Memory: 25kB -> Nested Loop (cost=0.00..66.57 rows=1 width=8) (actual time=118105.762..172984.109 rows=1 loops=1) Join Filter: (t6.objid = t7.objid) -> Nested Loop (cost=0.00..54.52 rows=1 width=40) (actual time=2362.708..172976.313 rows=350 loops=1) Join Filter: (t6.objid = q1_1.objid) -> Nested Loop (cost=0.00..44.59 rows=1 width=36) (actual time=2362.628..172487.721 rows=350 loops=1) Join Filter: (t6.objid = t8.objid) -> Nested Loop (cost=0.00..20.49 rows=1 width=20) (actual time=0.054..7.144 rows=775 loops=1) -> Index Scan using ind_atobjval on atobjval t6 (cost=0.00..12.04 rows=1 width=12) (actual time=0.032..0.953 rows=775 loops=1) Index Cond: ((attrid = 285774255985991::bigint) AND (objval = 285774255985589::bigint)) -> Index Scan using cooobjectix on cooobject t10 (cost=0.00..8.44 rows=1 width=8) (actual time=0.006..0.007 rows=1 loops=775) Index Cond: (t10.objid = t6.objid) Filter: (t10.objclassid = 285774255985894::bigint) -> Nested Loop (cost=0.00..24.09 rows=1 width=16) (actual time=0.019..222.445 rows=350 loops=775) Join Filter: (t8.objid = t9.objid) -> Index Scan using ind_atobjval on atobjval t8 (cost=0.00..12.04 rows=1 width=8) (actual time=0.009..0.296 rows=350 loops=775) Index Cond: ((attrid = 285774255985935::bigint) AND (objval = 625445988286355913::bigint)) Filter: (aggrid = 0) -> Index Scan using ind_atobjval on atobjval t9 (cost=0.00..12.04 rows=1 width=8) (actual time=0.009..0.475 rows=694 loops=271250) Index Cond: ((t9.attrid = 285774255985938::bigint) AND (t9.objval = 625445988269570350::bigint)) Filter: (t9.aggrid = 0) -> Index Scan using ind_ataggval on ataggval q1_1 (cost=0.00..9.92 rows=1 width=12) (actual time=0.009..1.114 rows=1248 loops=350) Index Cond: ((q1_1.attrid = 285774255985993::bigint) AND (q1_1.aggval = t6.aggrid)) Filter: (q1_1.aggrid = 0) -> Index Scan using ind_atobjval on atobjval t7 (cost=0.00..12.04 rows=1 width=8) (actual time=0.007..0.018 rows=13 loops=350) Index Cond: ((t7.attrid = 285774255985855::bigint) AND (t7.objval = 625445988202446985::bigint)) Filter: (t7.aggrid = 0) Total runtime: 172984.235 ms (31 rows) Thanks Robert -- Sent via pgsql-performance mailing list (pgsql-performance@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx) To make changes to your subscription: http://www.postgresql.org/mailpref/pgsql-performance