Book Image

PostgreSQL 9 Admin Cookbook

By : Simon Riggs, Hannu Krosing
Book Image

PostgreSQL 9 Admin Cookbook

By: Simon Riggs, Hannu Krosing

Overview of this book

<p>PostgreSQL is a powerful, open source object-relational database system. An enterprise database, PostgreSQL includes features such as Multi-Version Concurrency Control (MVCC), point-in-time recovery, tablespaces, asynchronous replication, nested transactions (savepoints), online/hot backups, a sophisticated query planner/optimizer, and write-ahead logging for fault tolerance. PostgreSQL 9 Admin cookbook covers everything a database administrator needs to protect, manage and run a healthy and efficient PostgreSQL 9.0 database.</p> <p>PostgreSQL 9 Admin Cookbook describes key aspects of the PostgreSQL open source database system. The book covers everything a sysadmin or DBA needs to protect, manage, and run a healthy and efficient PostgreSQL 9 database. This hands-on guide will assist developers working on live databases, supporting web or enterprise software applications using Java, Python, Ruby, or .Net from any development framework. It's easy to manage your database when you've got PostgreSQL 9 Admin Cookbook to hand.</p> <p>PostgreSQL is fast becoming one of the world's most popular server databases with an enviable reputation for performance, stability, and an enormous range of advanced features. PostgreSQL is one of the oldest open source projects, completely free to use and developed by a very diverse worldwide community. Most of all, It Just Works!</p> <p>PostgreSQL 9 Admin Cookbook offers the information you need to manage your live production databases on PostgreSQL. The book contains insights direct from the main author of the PostgreSQL replication and recovery features, and the database architect of the most successful startup using PostgreSQL, Skype.</p> <p>This practical guide gives quick answers to common questions and problems, building on the authors' experience as trainers, users, and core developers of the PostgreSQL database server.</p> <p>Each technical aspect is broken down into short recipes that demonstrate solutions with working code then explain why and how that works. The book is intended to be a desk reference for both new users and technical experts.</p> <p>The book covers all the latest features in PostgreSQL 9. Soon you will be running a smooth database with ease!</p>
Table of Contents (18 chapters)
PostgreSQL 9 Administration Cookbook
Credits
About the Authors
About the Reviewers
Preface
Index

Updating the parameter file


The parameter file is the main location for defining parameter values for the PostgreSQL server. All of the parameters can be set in the parameter file, which is known as the postgresql.conf.

There are also two other parameter files, pg_hba.conf and pg_ident.conf . Both of these relate to connections and security, so we cover them in the appropriate chapters that follow.

Getting ready

First, locate the postgresql.conf as described earlier.

How to do it...

All of the parameters can be set in the parameter file, which is known as the postgresql.conf. Some of the parameters take effect only when the server is first started. A typical example might be shared_buffers, which defines the size of the shared memory cache.

Many of the parameters can be changed while the server is still running. After changing the required parameters, we issue a reload operation to the server, forcing PostgreSQL to re-read the postgresql.conf.

pg_ctl -D data reload

The postgresql.conf is a normal...