Re: Max number of rows in a table - Mailing list pgsql-hackers

From Christopher Browne
Subject Re: Max number of rows in a table
Date
Msg-id m3isl0qyey.fsf@wolfe.cbbrowne.com
Whole thread Raw
In response to Re: Max number of rows in a table  (Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>)
List pgsql-hackers
Clinging to sanity, oneway_111@yahoo.com (ow) mumbled into her beard:
> --- Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us> wrote: 
>> > Wouldn't the above put a limit on a number of records one could have
>> > in table?
>> 
>> No.
>
> If I understand correctly, a table that has 4B+ rows cannot be restored after
> the dump and that, in turn, may/will affect the ability to upgrade to new
> versions of pgSql.
>
> This is somewhat similar to saying "yes" to the question "Can I drive this car
> at 55 mph?" and then forgetting to mention that the brakes will fail if the car
> reaches 55 mph.

No, you are NOT understanding correctly.

Restoring a table from pg_dump generally involves _ONE_ command.

For instance, the following is what pg_dump generates for my table, "stocks."

COPY stocks (symbol, description, exchange) FROM stdin;
AADBX   AADBX   NYSE
AADEX   AADEX   NYSE
AAIEX   AAIEX   NYSE
BTS.A   BTS.A   TSX
CTSTK   TD Canadian Equity      CTE
CASH    CASH    TSX
CTAMER  TD AmeriGrowth RSP      CTE
CTASIA  TD AsiaGrowth RSP       CTE
CTEMER  TD Emerging Markets RSP CTE
CTEURO  TD European Growth RSP  CTE
CTIBND  TD Global RSP Bond      CTE
FDIVX   FDIVX   NYSE
FDRXX   FDRXX   NYSE
FUSEX   FUSEX   NYSE
MOT     MOT     NYSE
NCX     NOVA Chemicals Corporation      TSX
NT      NT      NYSE
PCA     Petro Canada    TSX
RY      Royal Bank of Canada    TSX
TOC     Thomson Corporation     TSX
TRP     TransCanada PipeLines Limited   TSX
WORKVE  Working Ventures        OTHER
CTSPEC  TD SPECIAL EQUITY       CTE
CTUSEQ  TD US EQUITY    CTE
CTMM    TD MONEY MARKET PL      CTE
CTCBOND TD Canadian Bond        CTE
\.

Recovery from this involves the SQL processor using ONE transaction
ID, and ONE SQL statement.  If there were 8 billion rows in the table,
whatever other challenges there might be, it would still use ONE
transaction ID and ONE SQL statement.

What is there about "This involves just one SQL statement" that isn't
making sense?
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