Re: Temporary files directory - Mailing list pgsql-admin

From Tom Lane
Subject Re: Temporary files directory
Date
Msg-id 6515.980267935@sss.pgh.pa.us
Whole thread Raw
In response to Temporary files directory  (Robert.Farrugia@go.com.mt)
Responses Re: Temporary files directory  (Ragnar Kjørstad <postgres@ragnark.vestdata.no>)
Re: Temporary files directory  ("Oliver Elphick" <olly@lfix.co.uk>)
List pgsql-admin
Robert.Farrugia@go.com.mt writes:
> Is it possible to tell postgres where to create the temporary files
> (especially during clustering and re-indexing) ?

Not at present.

> Additionally, is it possible to create a database than spans on more than
> one partition or harddisk under Linux ?

Right now, the only way to do this is to manually move individual files
around and then establish symlinks to them from where they were in the
database directory.  While this works, it's pretty darn tedious to
maintain, especially for large tables that might contain many segments;
and you more or less have to shut down the database while moving files
around, too.  We have plans to create a more useful "tablespace"
administration capability in the future.

What I'd recommend in the short term is that you use a filesystem
implementation that allows a logical filesystem to span multiple
physical disks.  My preferred OS, HPUX, can do this easily; I believe
the same thing can be done with some Linux filesystems but don't know
the details.  (Any help out there?)

            regards, tom lane

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