Subject: [PATCH v6] README for 64bit xid

From: Pavel Borisov <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2022 23:20:11 +0400

Authors:
- Pavel Borisov <[email-masked]>
- Maxim Orlov <[email-masked]>
- Yura Sokolov <[email-masked]> <[email-masked]>
---
 src/backend/access/heap/README.XID64 | 128 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 128 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 src/backend/access/heap/README.XID64

diff --git a/src/backend/access/heap/README.XID64 b/src/backend/access/heap/README.XID64
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..457ba9b9ef5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/backend/access/heap/README.XID64
@@ -0,0 +1,128 @@
+src/backend/access/heap/README.XID64
+
+64-bit Transaction ID's (XID)
+=============================
+
+A limited number (N = 2^32) of XID's required to do vacuum freeze to prevent
+wraparound every N/2 transactions. This causes performance degradation due
+to the need to exclusively lock tables while being vacuumed. In each
+wraparound cycle, SLRU buffers are also being cut.
+
+With 64-bit XID's wraparound is effectively postponed to a very distant
+future. Even in highly loaded systems that had 2^32 transactions per day
+it will take huge 2^31 days before the first enforced "vacuum to prevent
+wraparound"). Buffers cutting and routine vacuum are not enforced, and DBA
+can plan them independently at the time with the least system load and least
+critical for database performance. Also, it can be done less frequently
+(several times a year vs every several days) on systems with transaction rates
+similar to those mentioned above.
+
+On-disk tuple and page format
+-----------------------------
+
+On-disk tuple format remains unchanged. 32-bit t_xmin and t_xmax store the
+lower parts of 64-bit XMIN and XMAX values. Each heap page has additional
+64-bit pd_xid_base and pd_multi_base which are common for all tuples on a page.
+They are placed into a pd_special area - 16 bytes in the end of a heap page.
+Actual XMIN/XMAX for a tuple are calculated upon reading a tuple from a page
+as follows:
+
+XMIN = t_xmin + pd_xid_base. 					(1)
+XMAX = t_xmax + pd_xid_base/pd_multi_base.		(2)
+
+"Double XMAX" page format
+---------------------------------
+
+At first read of a heap page after pg_upgrade from 32-bit XID PostgreSQL
+version pd_special area with a size of 16 bytes should be added to a page.
+Though a page may not have space for this. Then it can be converted to a
+temporary format called "double XMAX".
+
+All tuples after pg-upgrade would necessarily have xmin = FrozenTransactionId.
+So we don't need tuple header t_xmin field and we reuse t_xmin to store higher
+32 bits of its XMAX.
+
+Double XMAX format is only for full pages that don't have 16 bytes for
+pd_special. So it neither has a place for a single tuple. Insert and HOT update
+for double XMAX pages is impossible and not supported. We can only read or
+delete tuples from it.
+
+When we are able to prune page double XMAX it will be converted from it to
+general 64-bit XID page format with all operations on its tuples supported.
+
+In-memory tuple format
+----------------------
+
+In-memory tuple representation consists of two parts:
+- HeapTupleHeader from disk page (contains all heap tuple contents, not only
+header)
+- HeapTuple with additional in-memory fields
+
+HeapTuple for each tuple in memory stores t_xid_base/t_multi_base - a copies of
+page's pd_xid_base/pd_multi_base. With tuple's 32-bit t_xmin and t_xmax from
+HeapTupleHeader they are used to calculate actual 64-bit XMIN and XMAX:
+
+XMIN = t_xmin + t_xid_base. 					(3)
+XMAX = t_xmax + t_xid_base/t_multi_base.		(4)
+
+The downside of this is that we can not use tuple's XMIN and XMAX right away.
+We often need to re-read t_xmin and t_xmax - which could actually be pointers
+into a page in shared buffers and therefore they could be updated by any other
+backend.
+
+Update/delete with 64-bit XIDs and 32-bit t_xmin/t_xmax
+--------------------------------------------------------------
+
+When we try to delete/update a tuple, we check that XMAX for a page fits (2).
+I.e. that t_xmax will not be over MaxShortTransactionId relative to
+pd_xid_base/pd_multi_base of a its page.
+
+If the current XID doesn't fit a range
+(pd_xid_base, pd_xid_base + MaxShortTransactionId) (5):
+
+- heap_page_prepare_for_xid() will try to increase pd_xid_base/pd_multi_base on
+a page and update all t_xmin/t_xmax of the other tuples on the page to
+correspond new pd_xid_base/pd_multi_base.
+
+- If it was impossible, it will try to prune and freeze tuples on a page.
+
+- If this is unsuccessful it will throw an error. Normally this is very
+unlikely but if there is a very old living transaction with an age of around
+2^32 this can arise. Basically, this is a behavior similar to one during the
+vacuum to prevent wraparound when XID was 32-bit. Dba should take care and
+avoid very-long-living transactions with an age close to 2^32. So long-living
+transactions often they are most likely defunct.
+
+Insert with 64-bit XIDs and 32-bit t_xmin/t_xmax
+------------------------------------------------
+
+On insert we check if current XID fits a range (5). Otherwise:
+
+- heap_page_prepare_for_xid() will try to increase pd_xid_base for t_xmin will
+not be over MaxShortTransactionId.
+
+- If it is impossible, then it will try to prune and freeze tuples on a page.
+
+Known issue: if pd_xid_base could not be shifted to accommodate a tuple being
+inserted due to a very long-running transaction, we just throw an error. We
+neither try to insert a tuple into another page nor mark the current page as
+full. So, in this (unlikely) case we will get regular insert errors on the next
+tries to insert to the page 'locked' by this very long-running transaction.
+
+Upgrade from 32-bit XID versions
+--------------------------------
+
+pg_upgrade doesn't change pages format itself. It is done lazily after.
+
+1. At first heap page read, tuples on a page are repacked to free 16 bytes
+at the end of a page, possibly freeing space from dead tuples.
+
+2A. 16 bytes of pd_special is added if there is a place for it
+
+2B. Page is converted to "Double XMAX" format if there is no place for
+pd_special
+
+3. If a page is in double XMAX format after its first read, and vacuum (or
+micro-vacuum at select query) could prune some tuples and free space for
+pd_special, prune_page will add pd_special and convert page from double XMAX
+to general 64-bit XID page format.
-- 
2.24.3 (Apple Git-128)

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