Patches welcome. :) BTW, -docs or -www might be a better place to discuss this. On Mon, Oct 02, 2006 at 05:11:20PM -0400, Brandon Aiken wrote: > I think the problem would be partly mitigated be better or more obvious > documentation that makes it clear that a) PostgreSQL is probably not > configured optimally, and b) where exactly to go to get server > optimization information. Even basic docs on postgresql.conf seem > lacking. The fact that something like these exist: > > http://www.varlena.com/varlena/GeneralBits/Tidbits/annotated_conf_e.html > > http://www.varlena.com/GeneralBits/Tidbits/perf.html#conf > > Should be a giant red flag that documentation is a tad sparse for the > config file. Those docs would take hours of work, they're the only > thing I've really found, *and they're still 3 years out of date*. > > It took me a lot of digging to find the docs on optimizing PostgreSQL > from postgresql.org. It's in the documentation area, but it's not > documented in the manual at all that I could find (which is highly > counter-intuitive). Instead, it's listed under 'Technical > Documentation' (making the manual casual documentation? I thought all > Postgre docs were technical.) then under 'Community Guides and Docs', > and finally under the subheading Optimizing (note that the above links > are listed here): > > http://www.postgresql.org/docs/techdocs.2 > > Either the server installer or the (preferably) the manual needs to make > it very clear about this documentation. If nobody can find it nobody > will use it, and it's very well hidden at the moment. > > The manual gets updated with every release, but more and more I realize > that the manual isn't comprehensive. The manual explains the SQL syntax > and how PostgreSQL interprets the relational model, but it has very > little information on how to really *use* PostgreSQL as a server. The > manual is all app dev and no sysadmin. For example, *what* compile time > options are available? I know they exist, but I've never seen them > listed. > > For another example, take a look at this so-called detailed guide to > installing PG on Fedora, which is linked from the 'Technical > Documentation' area of postgresql.org: > > http://dancameron.org/pages/how-to-install-and-setup-postgresql-for-fedo > ralinux/ > > Now, really, this 'guide' is little more than what yum command to run > and which config lines to edit to limit remote TCP connections. > > Now take a look at the first comment: > "Thanks for the advice. For an Oracle DBA this really helped me in > comming up to speed on Postgres administration." > > There should be an Administration Guide companion to the Manual. > > -- > Brandon Aiken > CS/IT Systems Engineer > -----Original Message----- > From: pgsql-general-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx > [mailto:pgsql-general-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jeff Davis > Sent: Monday, October 02, 2006 2:58 PM > To: Oisin Glynn > Cc: pgsql-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx > Subject: Re: [GENERAL] Performance and Generic Config after install > > On Mon, 2006-10-02 at 14:40 -0400, Oisin Glynn wrote: > > As an aside to the "[GENERAL] Advantages of PostgreSQL" thread going > on > > today, I have wondered why the initial on install config of PostgreSQL > > > is (according to most posts) very conservative. I can see how this > > would be a plus when people may be getting PostgreSQL as part of an OS > > > in the Linux world who may never/rarely use it. > > > > I know that in reality tuning and sizing all of the parameters is a > very > > database specific thing, but it would seem that if some default > choices > > would be available it would give those testing/evaluation and trying > to > > get started a shot at quicker progress. Obviously they would still > need > > to tune to your own application. > > > > Some dreadfully named, possibly pointless options? > > > > Unoptimized / low performance - Low load on Server (The current out > > > of the box) > > Keep in mind that PostgreSQL doesn't really restrict itself as a whole. > If you set the settings too low, and throw costly queries at it, the > load on the server will be very high. We don't want to imply that > PostgreSQL's settings restrict it's cpu, memory, or disk usage as a > whole. > > > Production Non Dedicated - PostgreSQL is one of the apps sharing > > server but is important. > > Production Dedicated Server - The only purpose of this box is to run > > > PostgreSQL > > > > In my opinion, this is more the job of distributions packaging it. > Distributions have these advantages when they are choosing the settings: > > (1) They have more information about the target computer > (2) They have more information about the intended use of the system as a > whole > (3) They have more ability to ask questions of the user > > PostgreSQL itself can't easily do those things in a portable way. If > someone is compiling from source, it is more reasonable to expect them > to know what settings to use. > > However, that said, I think that distributions certainly do take a cue > from the default settings in the source distribution. That's why lately > the default settings have been growing more aggressive with each > release. > > Regards, > Jeff Davis > > > > > > > > > ---------------------------(end of broadcast)--------------------------- > TIP 2: Don't 'kill -9' the postmaster > > ---------------------------(end of broadcast)--------------------------- > TIP 9: In versions below 8.0, the planner will ignore your desire to > choose an index scan if your joining column's datatypes do not > match > -- Jim Nasby jim@xxxxxxxxx EnterpriseDB http://enterprisedb.com 512.569.9461 (cell)
