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From: Raj <rajeshkumar.dba09@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 13 Jun 2026 12:18:22 +0530
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 <CAJk5Atb1v7=x-wsS-tL7Lxs7yXQy8Ng-GhXG+zzZ1gVAx=Xzjw@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: Size of /pgdata
To: Pgsql-admin <pgsql-admin@lists.postgresql.org>
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Hi all,

I am using 17.9 version.

I see suddenly du -sh /pgdata/17 shows  930GB. Total allocated is 1TB.

I checked the db size using \l+ and also pg_total_relation_size and size
for particular db is 630GB. Ignoring postgres and template dbs as they are
in KBs.

Now where the remaining 300 comes from approximately..?

I checked pg_wal and is 100gb..that is intended based on max_wal_size
setting.

Postgres logs also in MBs ..so ruling out that.

Now 300 - 100 = 200gb  approximately don't know where it comes from.

So du -sh /base is approximately 830Gb whereas actual db size is 630gb as
mentioned earlier.

I took one big sample table which is 73GB, and using relfilenode(327683) I
tried finding the underlying file size du -sh 327683*  and able to find the
total size the files occpuing and found 113gb.......so for one table itself
it is 40Gb additional...

I also checked the bloat of table using pgstatstuple and no bloat observed
for this sample table

Why we have so much increase of file size? How we can avoid or tune it? Is
it about reallocating files and not being used fully? What's the solution?

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<div dir=3D"auto">Hi all,<div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">I am=
 using 17.9 version.=C2=A0</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"aut=
o">I see suddenly du -sh /pgdata/17 shows=C2=A0 930GB. Total allocated is 1=
TB.</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">I checked the db siz=
e using \l+ and also pg_total_relation_size and size for particular db is 6=
30GB. Ignoring postgres and template dbs as they are in KBs.</div><div dir=
=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">Now where the remaining 300 comes fro=
m approximately..?</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">I che=
cked pg_wal and is 100gb..that is intended based on max_wal_size setting.</=
div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">Postgres logs also in MBs=
 ..so ruling out that.</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">N=
ow 300 - 100 =3D 200gb=C2=A0 approximately don&#39;t know where it comes fr=
om.</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">So du -sh /base is a=
pproximately 830Gb whereas actual db size is 630gb as mentioned earlier.</d=
iv><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">I took one big sample tabl=
e which is 73GB, and using relfilenode(327683) I tried finding the underlyi=
ng file size du -sh 327683*=C2=A0 and able to find the total size the files=
 occpuing and found 113gb.......so for one table itself it is 40Gb addition=
al...</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">I also checked the=
 bloat of table using pgstatstuple and no bloat observed for this sample ta=
ble=C2=A0</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">Why we have so=
 much increase of file size? How we can avoid or tune it? Is it about reall=
ocating files and not being used fully? What&#39;s the solution?</div><div =
dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></=
div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div></div>

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