"Iain" <iain@mst.co.jp> writes:
> If we use it, can we stop using nightly vacuums? I'd like to do this if
> possible, since the current version (it's a 7.1 db) of the system runs a
> number of batch processes at night (large deletes and large inserts), and
> finishes with a vacuum analyse. The vacuum takes quite a long time and the
> nightly window is gradually getting tighter and tighter.
Just moving from 7.1 to 7.4 should help, since you can start using plain
vacuum (7.1's vacuum is equivalent to vacuum full IIRC).
> If I start a VACUUM FULL, is it ok to interrupt it part way through? I mean,
> is a partially completed vacuum full worth anything, and is there any danger
> in routinely killing it?
It's crash-safe but you may leave your indexes bigger than before :-(
regards, tom lane