Message-ID: <483706BA.1080403@frostconsultingllc.com>
Date: Fri, 23 May 2008 11:02:34 -0700
From: Jeff Frost <jeff@frostconsultingllc.com>
Organization: Frost Consulting, LLC
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To: Carol Walter <walterc@indiana.edu>
CC: pgsql-admin@postgresql.org
Subject: Re: Continuing issues... Can't vacuum!
References: <5897F703-1525-477B-8749-80A0A4E0A656@indiana.edu>
In-Reply-To: <5897F703-1525-477B-8749-80A0A4E0A656@indiana.edu>
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Carol Walter wrote:
>
> vacuumdb: vacuuming database "km"
> NOTICE:  number of page slots needed (2275712) exceeds max_fsm_pages 
> (200000)
> HINT:  Consider increasing the configuration parameter "max_fsm_pages" 
> to a value over 2275712.
>
> The problem is I've found the max_fsm_pages parameter in the 
> postgresql.conf file, but changing it doesn't seem to be having any 
> effect.  So I'm going to ask some questions that are probably pretty 
> silly, but I hope you'll help me.  First of all, perhaps the 
> postgresql.conf file that I am editing may not be the one that is 
> being read when the database server starts.  There are several 
> postgresql.conf files on this system.  How do I tell which one is the 
> one being read?
>
Carol,

Do the following in psql:

show config_file;

You should get some output like so:

             config_file
-------------------------------------
 /var/lib/pgsql/data/postgresql.conf
(1 row)

Go forth and edit that file. :-)
> The max_fsm_pages parameter says what the minimum setting is in the 
> file.  Is there also a maximum?
>
I'm not sure I understand the question.  max_fsm_pages is the maximum 
number of pages to be used in the free space map.  See Jim Nasby's 
article here: http://decibel.org/~decibel/pervasive/fsm.html
> I can't back up my database with the error right now, because of the 
> error.  I have a backup but I'm afraid to restore it.  I feel like I 
> have many indices that are bloated and I want to get the databases 
> vacuumed before I start trying to create and load a new database.  I'm 
> concerned that there won't be enough index space for the system to  
> sort and copy the indices.
What's the error?  All I see in this email is a warning about 
max_fsm_pages and that should not stop you from doing a pg_dump.

-- 
Jeff Frost, Owner 	<jeff@frostconsultingllc.com>
Frost Consulting, LLC 	http://www.frostconsultingllc.com/
Phone: 650-780-7908	FAX: 650-649-1954