Received: from maia.hub.org (unknown [200.46.204.183])
	by mail.postgresql.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9B9206335BC
	for <pgsql-performance-postgresql.org@mail.postgresql.org>;
	Tue,  3 Nov 2009 23:12:41 -0400 (AST)
Received: from mail.postgresql.org ([200.46.204.86])
	by maia.hub.org (mx1.hub.org [200.46.204.183]) (amavisd-maia,
	port 10024) with ESMTP id 70871-09
	for <pgsql-performance-postgresql.org@mail.postgresql.org>;
	Wed,  4 Nov 2009 03:12:32 +0000 (UTC)
X-Greylist: from auto-whitelisted by SQLgrey-1.7.6
Received: from fempexch.FireEye.com (mail2.FireEye.com [12.68.100.48])
	by mail.postgresql.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id BC52E63222F
	for <pgsql-performance@postgresql.org>;
	Tue,  3 Nov 2009 23:12:32 -0400 (AST)
Received: from mail2.FireEye.com ([192.168.0.116]) by fempexch.FireEye.com
	with Microsoft SMTPSVC(6.0.3790.1830);
	Tue, 3 Nov 2009 19:12:31 -0800
Received: from mail2.FireEye.com ([fe80::c1f0:c46:3b66:3f6c]) by
	mail2.FireEye.com ([fe80::c1f0:c46:3b66:3f6c%11]) with mapi;
	Tue, 3 Nov 2009 19:12:31 -0800
From: Jay Manni <JManni@FireEye.com>
To: "pgsql-performance@postgresql.org" <pgsql-performance@postgresql.org>
Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 19:12:29 -0800
Subject: High Frequency Inserts to Postgres Database vs Writing to a File
Thread-Topic: High Frequency Inserts to Postgres Database vs Writing to a File
Thread-Index: Acpc+0ubBi18HvW7SG6CVEDg9si6OwAAU87A
Message-ID: <60B0F2124D07B942988329B5B7CA393D01E5B93FF7@mail2.FireEye.com>
References: <95652FF3B9EF3045AC4AE8FE5AF8671EED65CF6B@mail2.FireEye.com>
In-Reply-To: <95652FF3B9EF3045AC4AE8FE5AF8671EED65CF6B@mail2.FireEye.com>
Accept-Language: en-US
Content-Language: en-US
X-MS-Has-Attach: 
X-MS-TNEF-Correlator: 
acceptlanguage: en-US
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;
	boundary="_000_60B0F2124D07B942988329B5B7CA393D01E5B93FF7mail2FireEyec_"
MIME-Version: 1.0
X-OriginalArrivalTime: 04 Nov 2009 03:12:31.0303 (UTC)
	FILETIME=[A5957570:01CA5CFC]
X-Virus-Scanned: Maia Mailguard 1.0.1
X-Spam-Status: No, hits=-2.598 tagged_above=-10 required=5
	tests=BAYES_00=-2.599, HTML_MESSAGE=0.001
X-Spam-Level: 
X-Archive-Number: 200911/37
X-Sequence-Number: 36205

--_000_60B0F2124D07B942988329B5B7CA393D01E5B93FF7mail2FireEyec_
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Hi:

I have an application wherein a process needs to read data from a stream an=
d store the records for further analysis and reporting. The data in the str=
eam is in the form of variable length records with clearly defined fields -=
 so it can be stored in a database or in a file. The only caveat is that th=
e rate of records coming in the stream could be several 1000 records a seco=
nd.

The design choice I am faced with currently is whether to use a postgres da=
tabase or a flat file for this purpose. My application already maintains a =
postgres (8.3.4) database for other reasons - so it seemed like the straigh=
tforward thing to do. However I am concerned about the performance overhead=
 of writing several 1000 records a second to the database. The same databas=
e is being used simultaneously for other activities as well and I do not wa=
nt those to be adversely affected by this operation (especially the query t=
imes). The advantage of running complex queries to mine the data in various=
 different ways is very appealing but the performance concerns are making m=
e wonder if just using a flat file to store the data would be a better appr=
oach.

Anybody have any experience in high frequency writes to a postgres database=
?

- Jay

--_000_60B0F2124D07B942988329B5B7CA393D01E5B93FF7mail2FireEyec_
Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<html xmlns:v=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o=3D"urn:schemas-micr=
osoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" =
xmlns:x=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:excel" xmlns:p=3D"urn:schemas-m=
icrosoft-com:office:powerpoint" xmlns:a=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office=
:access" xmlns:dt=3D"uuid:C2F41010-65B3-11d1-A29F-00AA00C14882" xmlns:s=3D"=
uuid:BDC6E3F0-6DA3-11d1-A2A3-00AA00C14882" xmlns:rs=3D"urn:schemas-microsof=
t-com:rowset" xmlns:z=3D"#RowsetSchema" xmlns:b=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-co=
m:office:publisher" xmlns:ss=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:spreadshee=
t" xmlns:c=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:component:spreadsheet" xmlns=
:odc=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:odc" xmlns:oa=3D"urn:schemas-micro=
soft-com:office:activation" xmlns:html=3D"http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" =
xmlns:q=3D"http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/" xmlns:rtc=3D"http://m=
icrosoft.com/officenet/conferencing" xmlns:D=3D"DAV:" xmlns:Repl=3D"http://=
schemas.microsoft.com/repl/" xmlns:mt=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/share=
point/soap/meetings/" xmlns:x2=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/excel=
/2003/xml" xmlns:ppda=3D"http://www.passport.com/NameSpace.xsd" xmlns:ois=
=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/ois/" xmlns:dir=3D"http://=
schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/directory/" xmlns:ds=3D"http://www.w3=
.org/2000/09/xmldsig#" xmlns:dsp=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint=
/dsp" xmlns:udc=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/data/udc" xmlns:xsd=3D"http=
://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:sub=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/sha=
repoint/soap/2002/1/alerts/" xmlns:ec=3D"http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#"=
 xmlns:sp=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/" xmlns:sps=3D"http://=
schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/" xmlns:xsi=3D"http://www.w3.org/2001=
/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:udcs=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/data/udc/so=
ap" xmlns:udcxf=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/data/udc/xmlfile" xmlns:udc=
p2p=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/data/udc/parttopart" xmlns:wf=3D"http:/=
/schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/workflow/" xmlns:dsss=3D"http://sche=
mas.microsoft.com/office/2006/digsig-setup" xmlns:dssi=3D"http://schemas.mi=
crosoft.com/office/2006/digsig" xmlns:mdssi=3D"http://schemas.openxmlformat=
s.org/package/2006/digital-signature" xmlns:mver=3D"http://schemas.openxmlf=
ormats.org/markup-compatibility/2006" xmlns:m=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.c=
om/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns:mrels=3D"http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/pa=
ckage/2006/relationships" xmlns:spwp=3D"http://microsoft.com/sharepoint/web=
partpages" xmlns:ex12t=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/20=
06/types" xmlns:ex12m=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/200=
6/messages" xmlns:pptsl=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/Sli=
deLibrary/" xmlns:spsl=3D"http://microsoft.com/webservices/SharePointPortal=
Server/PublishedLinksService" xmlns:Z=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:" xmlns:=
st=3D"&#1;" xmlns=3D"http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">

<head>
<META HTTP-EQUIV=3D"Content-Type" CONTENT=3D"text/html; charset=3Dus-ascii"=
>
<meta name=3DGenerator content=3D"Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)">
<style>
<!--
 /* Font Definitions */
 @font-face
	{font-family:"Cambria Math";
	panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
	{font-family:Calibri;
	panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
	{font-family:Consolas;
	panose-1:2 11 6 9 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
 /* Style Definitions */
 p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
	{margin:0in;
	margin-bottom:.0001pt;
	font-size:11.0pt;
	font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
	{mso-style-priority:99;
	color:blue;
	text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
	{mso-style-priority:99;
	color:purple;
	text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
	{mso-style-type:personal;
	font-family:Consolas;
	color:windowtext;}
span.EmailStyle18
	{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
	font-family:Consolas;
	color:#1F497D;}
.MsoChpDefault
	{mso-style-type:export-only;
	font-size:10.0pt;}
@page Section1
	{size:8.5in 11.0in;
	margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.Section1
	{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
 <o:shapedefaults v:ext=3D"edit" spidmax=3D"1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
 <o:shapelayout v:ext=3D"edit">
  <o:idmap v:ext=3D"edit" data=3D"1" />
 </o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>

<body lang=3DEN-US link=3Dblue vlink=3Dpurple>

<div class=3DSection1>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'font-family:Consolas'>Hi:<o:p></o:p></s=
pan></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'font-family:Consolas'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>=
</span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'font-family:Consolas'>I have an applica=
tion
wherein a process needs to read data from a stream and store the records fo=
r
further analysis and reporting. The data in the stream is in the form of
variable length records with clearly defined fields &#8211; so it can be st=
ored in a
database or in a file. The only caveat is that the rate of records coming i=
n
the stream could be several 1000 records a second. <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'font-family:Consolas'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>=
</span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'font-family:Consolas'>The design choice=
 I am
faced with currently is whether to use a postgres database or a flat file f=
or
this purpose. My application already maintains a postgres (8.3.4) database =
for
other reasons &#8211; so it seemed like the straightforward thing to do. Ho=
wever I am
concerned about the performance overhead of writing several 1000 records a
second to the database. The same database is being used simultaneously for
other activities as well and I do not want those to be adversely affected b=
y
this operation (especially the query times). The advantage of running compl=
ex
queries to mine the data in various different ways is very appealing but th=
e
performance concerns are making me wonder if just using a flat file to stor=
e
the data would be a better approach. <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'font-family:Consolas'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>=
</span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'font-family:Consolas'>Anybody have any
experience in high frequency writes to a postgres database?<o:p></o:p></spa=
n></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'font-family:Consolas'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>=
</span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'font-family:Consolas'>- Jay<o:p></o:p><=
/span></p>

</div>

</body>

</html>

--_000_60B0F2124D07B942988329B5B7CA393D01E5B93FF7mail2FireEyec_--