Re: - Mailing list pgsql-hackers

From Tom Lane
Subject Re:
Date
Msg-id 16706.1098203416@sss.pgh.pa.us
Whole thread Raw
In response to  ("Ben Osborne" <bosborne@bsdmarketing.co.uk>)
List pgsql-hackers
"Ben Osborne" <bosborne@bsdmarketing.co.uk> writes:
> Postgres 7.0.2 Problem
> I am having a rather big problem with an installation of postgres 7.0.2 on
> cobalt, in that the db server is unable to see any of the data stored in the
> (only) database which is running (other than template1).

The symptoms seem reasonably consistent with the theory that you have
suffered transaction ID wraparound.  How large is the $PGDATA/pg_log
file?  If it's exactly 1Gb then this is almost certainly the answer.

> My Question is, is there ANY means by which I can get at the data.

I believe it is possible to reset the transaction counter to something a
little bit less than 4 billion, which will make everything up to that
point appear to be "in the past" again.  I have long since forgotten the
details, but digging in the list archives should turn up some discussion
of how to do that in 7.0.  Then do a quick pg_dumpall, initdb and
reload.

You should seriously consider updating to a more modern PG version
while you are at it ...
        regards, tom lane


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