hi did: create table test as select i as id, i || ' ' || repeat('depesz', 100) as z from generate_series(1,30000000) i; create index q on test (id); vacuum verbose analyze test; vacuum verbose analyze test; then I checked that index only scans work: $ explain analyze select id from test order by id desc limit 5; QUERY PLAN ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Limit (cost=0.00..0.50 rows=5 width=4) (actual time=0.036..0.040 rows=5 loops=1) -> Index Only Scan Backward using q on test (cost=0.00..3029050.54 rows=30000000 width=4) (actual time=0.033..0.034 rows=5 loops=1) Total runtime: 0.061 ms (3 rows) but when I tried it with a bit more complex query, it failed? $ explain analyze select id from test where id = any('{29803895,11161654,17844200,2064469,10910969,6182261,12733552,3820132,3297207,6508781,5831136,4716412,3044368,14719611,8523750,21748704,19193684,13331907,4850220,10061877}'::int4[]); QUERY PLAN --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bitmap Heap Scan on test (cost=88.47..169.00 rows=20 width=4) (actual time=0.126..0.149 rows=20 loops=1) Recheck Cond: (id = ANY ('{29803895,11161654,17844200,2064469,10910969,6182261,12733552,3820132,3297207,6508781,5831136,4716412,3044368,14719611,8523750,21748704,19193684,13331907,4850220,10061877}'::integer[])) -> Bitmap Index Scan on q (cost=0.00..88.46 rows=20 width=0) (actual time=0.117..0.117 rows=20 loops=1) Index Cond: (id = ANY ('{29803895,11161654,17844200,2064469,10910969,6182261,12733552,3820132,3297207,6508781,5831136,4716412,3044368,14719611,8523750,21748704,19193684,13331907,4850220,10061877}'::integer[])) Total runtime: 0.177 ms (5 rows) it is selecting 20 rows out of 30 million. why is it: 1. not using index only scan 2. not using even normal index scan? Best regards, depesz -- The best thing about modern society is how easy it is to avoid contact with it. http://depesz.com/ -- Sent via pgsql-general mailing list (pgsql-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx) To make changes to your subscription: http://www.postgresql.org/mailpref/pgsql-general