Re: alter table without an ACCESS EXCLUSIVE lock - Mailing list pgsql-admin

From Tom Lane
Subject Re: alter table without an ACCESS EXCLUSIVE lock
Date
Msg-id 6559.1308248500@sss.pgh.pa.us
Whole thread Raw
In response to alter table without an ACCESS EXCLUSIVE lock  (Andreas Berger <4postgres@gmail.com>)
Responses Re: alter table without an ACCESS EXCLUSIVE lock  (Andreas Pötzlberger <andreas.poetzlberger@payon.com>)
List pgsql-admin
Andreas Berger <4postgres@gmail.com> writes:
> i'm searching for a solution for changing the type of a column, e.g. from
> varchar(128) to varchar(512), without an ACCESS EXCLUSIVE lock.

That specific case (increasing the max length of a varchar column) could
be handled by hacking the pg_attribute.atttypmod entry for the column,
since no change in the actual data is required.

However, I have no idea whether your replication environment would cope
with such a change --- experimenting on a non-production setup would be
highly recommendable.

            regards, tom lane

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