Message-ID: <4FFC911C.4010107@commandprompt.com>
Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2012 13:31:24 -0700
From: "Joshua D. Drake" <jd@commandprompt.com>
Organization: Command Prompt, Inc.
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To: "Arnold, Sandra" <ArnoldS@osti.gov>
CC: "pgsql-admin@postgresql.org" <pgsql-admin@postgresql.org>
Subject: Re: What happens when PostgreSQL fails to log to SYSLOG
References: <54E5385D47A89542BC678F5426799F3905261D424F@OSTIEX01.osti.gov>
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On 07/10/2012 01:08 PM, Arnold, Sandra wrote:
> I am trying to find out what PostgreSQL does when it cannot write to its
> SYSLOG file, whether it is permissions or the file system where the log
> resides is full is the problem.

PostgreSQL doesn't write to a SYSLOG file. It sends it to the syslog 
daemon. (if you are indeed using syslog)

> Does PostgreSQL stall, does it rollback
> the transaction it cannot log to the SYSLOG, or does it continue on as
> if there is not an issue?

This is a non-issue in terms of transactions and operations.


> I am writing Security controls and since I am
> using the SYSLOG for auditing purposes and I need to document what
> happens in case there was a failure in writing to the SYSLOG.  For
> instance, Oracle rollbacks any transactions that are being audited it
> cannot write to its audit logs.  Just want to know what PostgreSQL does.
>

You should probably look at tablelog for auditing. It automates it. 
Syslog is not really a good way to handle that.

Sincerely,

Joshua D. Drake


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