MIME-Version: 1.0
From: Ahmed Et-tanany <ahmed.ettanany@aiven.io>
Date: Mon, 15 Dec 2025 12:58:43 +0100
Message-ID: <CAD7nQBASDnsxiThkH3=SZLb-=uBT7GJvZBxqY9PYUNHJdSeESA@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: Operational issues when max_replication_slots is exhausted
To: pgsql-general@lists.postgresql.org
Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="000000000000d731d90645fc5528"
Archived-At: <https://www.postgresql.org/message-id/CAD7nQBASDnsxiThkH3%3DSZLb-%3DuBT7GJvZBxqY9PYUNHJdSeESA%40mail.gmail.com>
Precedence: bulk

--000000000000d731d90645fc5528
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

Hello PostgreSQL community,

We have an issue related to `max_replication_slots` that I am not sure
would qualify as a bug,
so I thought I would ask here first.

Our problem is that when our customers use up all available replication
slots for logical replication,
our database management tasks that also require a slot fail (for example,
creating the required
replication slot for a new physical standby). Since increasing
`max_replication_slots` requires
a restart, we would like to avoid that if possible.

One idea we have considered is patching PostgreSQL to add a new GUC
parameter that would allow
a superuser to reserve a certain number of replication slots usable only
for management tasks.

Is this a known issue that might be addressed in PostgreSQL at some point?
If not,
what would be a good way to solve this problem?

Thanks in advance.

Best regards,

-- 
Ahmed Et-tanany
Aiven: https://aiven.io/

--000000000000d731d90645fc5528
Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<div dir=3D"ltr"><div><div>Hello PostgreSQL community,</div><div><br>We hav=
e an issue related to `max_replication_slots` that I am not sure would qual=
ify as a bug,<br>so I thought I would ask here first.<br><br>Our problem is=
 that when our customers use up all available replication slots for logical=
 replication,<br>our database management tasks that also require a slot fai=
l (for example, creating the required<br>replication slot for a new physica=
l standby). Since increasing `max_replication_slots` requires<br>a restart,=
 we would like to avoid that if possible.<br><br>One idea we have considere=
d is patching PostgreSQL to add a new GUC parameter that would allow</div><=
div>a superuser to reserve a certain number of replication slots usable onl=
y for management tasks.</div><div><br>Is this a known issue that might be a=
ddressed in PostgreSQL at some point? If not,<br>what would be a good way t=
o solve this problem?<br><br>Thanks in advance.<br><br>Best regards,</div><=
/div><div><br></div><span class=3D"gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><d=
iv dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_signature" data-smartmail=3D"gmail_signature"=
>Ahmed Et-tanany<br>Aiven: <a href=3D"https://aiven.io/">https://aiven.io/<=
/a></div></div>

--000000000000d731d90645fc5528--