Antonio Goméz Soto wrote: > I am using postgresql 8.1 (CentOS5). I have the following table: > > system # \d history > Table "public.history" > Column | Type | Modifiers > ----------+--------------------------+------------------------------------------------------ > id | integer | not null default nextval('history_id_seq'::regclass) > created | timestamp with time zone | > creator | integer | not null default 1 > contact | integer | not null default 1 > type | character varying | not null default ''::character varying > lookup | text | > lookupid | integer | not null default 1 > value | text | > Indexes: > "history_pkey" PRIMARY KEY, btree (id) > "history_created_index" btree (created) > "history_creator_index" btree (creator) > "history_lookup_lookupid_creator_index" btree (lookup, lookupid, creator) > "history_lookup_lookupid_index" btree (lookup, lookupid) > Foreign-key constraints: > "history_contact_constraint" FOREIGN KEY (contact) REFERENCES contact(id) > "history_creator_constraint" FOREIGN KEY (creator) REFERENCES contact(id) > > system # explain select history.id, history.created, creator, contact, history.type, lookup, lookupid, > value from history where (lookup = 'phone' and lookupid = '672') or creator = '790' order by > history.creator desc limit 1000; > QUERY PLAN > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > ---------- > Limit (cost=0.00..132041.59 rows=1000 width=58) > -> Index Scan Backward using history_creator_index on history (cost=0.00..11746815.97 rows=88963 > width=58) > Filter: (((lookup = 'phone'::text) AND (lookupid = 672)) OR (creator = 790)) > (3 rows) > > This table contains 2 million rows, the query takes 800 seconds on SSD HD. > > I think - probably naive - the query should use the history_lookup_lookupid_creator_index. > > Why doesn't it, and how can I speed up the query? You'd need the output of EXPLAIN ANALYZE to know why. I assume that the index is chosen because of the ORDER BY clause, otherwise it would probably have been a full table scan. The index you mention can be used efficiently for "where (lookup = 'phone' and lookupid = '672')", but the OR condition makes it less useful. Yours, Laurenz Albe -- Sent via pgsql-general mailing list (pgsql-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx) To make changes to your subscription: http://www.postgresql.org/mailpref/pgsql-general