Re: Indirect indexes - Mailing list pgsql-hackers

From Robert Haas
Subject Re: Indirect indexes
Date
Msg-id CA+Tgmob0jj64p+x-rtQ=t+R+eqBAf1Tso9ZTvgJ68V8JeasBXw@mail.gmail.com
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In response to Re: Indirect indexes  (Simon Riggs <simon@2ndquadrant.com>)
List pgsql-hackers
On Wed, Oct 19, 2016 at 9:21 AM, Simon Riggs <simon@2ndquadrant.com> wrote:
> The main problem IMV is GIN indexes. It's relatively easy to discuss
> variable length PKs with btrees, but the GIN format is designed around
> use of 6byte values, so expanding beyond that would require
> significant redesign/reimplementation. That would be at least a year's
> work for not much benefit, so cannot occur for the first release.

That doesn't bother me.  We can add an amcanindirect flag or similar.

>> The whole point of an indirect index is that it
>> doesn't disable HOT, and the physical location within the index page
>> you stick the PK value doesn't have any impact on whether that's safe.
>
> Agreed, though it does have an impact on the length of the index tuple
> and thus the size and effectiveness of the index.
>
> Perhaps its best to see the restriction to 6byte PKs as both the first
> phase of implementation and an optimization, rather than an ugly wart.

Perhaps, but I'm not ready to rule out "ugly wart".

-- 
Robert Haas
EnterpriseDB: http://www.enterprisedb.com
The Enterprise PostgreSQL Company



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