Thread: Documentation bug: reference to checkpoint activity in bgwriter
ISTM that the following reference, at config.sgml line 1345, ought to
be adjusted due to the introduction of the new checkpointer process:
Setting this to zero disables
background writing (except for checkpoint activity).
--=20
Peter Geoghegan =A0 =A0 =A0 http://www.2ndQuadrant.com/
PostgreSQL Development, 24x7 Support, Training and Services
On Sat, Dec 31, 2011 at 8:54 PM, Peter Geoghegan <peter@2ndquadrant.com> wr= ote: > ISTM that the following reference, at config.sgml line 1345, ought to > be adjusted due to the introduction of the new checkpointer process: > > =A0Setting this to zero disables > =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 background writing (except for checkpoint activity). Hmm, so what should we adjust it *to*? --=20 Robert Haas EnterpriseDB: http://www.enterprisedb.com The Enterprise PostgreSQL Company
On 9 January 2012 18:47, Robert Haas <robertmhaas@gmail.com> wrote: > On Sat, Dec 31, 2011 at 8:54 PM, Peter Geoghegan <peter@2ndquadrant.com> = wrote: >> ISTM that the following reference, at config.sgml line 1345, ought to >> be adjusted due to the introduction of the new checkpointer process: >> >> =A0Setting this to zero disables >> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 background writing (except for checkpoint activity). > > Hmm, so what should we adjust it *to*? How about "Setting this to zero disables background writing. Note that checkpoints, which are managed by a separate, dedicated auxiliary process, are unaffected." If this was the first release of Postgres, I'd suggest that we remove any references to checkpoints, which are sort of orthogonal to the stated main function of the bgwriter in past releases, which is to clean dirty buffers so that backends don't have to. However, people may still expect the bgwriter to manage checkpointing, particularly if they're working off old sources of information, so it's useful to set them straight. --=20 Peter Geoghegan =A0 =A0 =A0 http://www.2ndQuadrant.com/ PostgreSQL Development, 24x7 Support, Training and Services
On Mon, Jan 9, 2012 at 2:37 PM, Peter Geoghegan <peter@2ndquadrant.com> wro= te: > On 9 January 2012 18:47, Robert Haas <robertmhaas@gmail.com> wrote: >> On Sat, Dec 31, 2011 at 8:54 PM, Peter Geoghegan <peter@2ndquadrant.com>= wrote: >>> ISTM that the following reference, at config.sgml line 1345, ought to >>> be adjusted due to the introduction of the new checkpointer process: >>> >>> =A0Setting this to zero disables >>> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 background writing (except for checkpoint activity). >> >> Hmm, so what should we adjust it *to*? > > How about "Setting this to zero disables background writing. Note that > checkpoints, which are managed by a separate, dedicated auxiliary > process, are unaffected." > > If this was the first release of Postgres, I'd suggest that we remove > any references to checkpoints, which are sort of orthogonal to the > stated main function of the bgwriter in past releases, which is to > clean dirty buffers so that backends don't have to. However, people > may still expect the bgwriter to manage checkpointing, particularly if > they're working off old sources of information, so it's useful to set > them straight. OK, done. --=20 Robert Haas EnterpriseDB: http://www.enterprisedb.com The Enterprise PostgreSQL Company
On 20 January 2012 02:53, Robert Haas <robertmhaas@gmail.com> wrote: > OK, done. Thanks --=20 Peter Geoghegan =A0 =A0 =A0 http://www.2ndQuadrant.com/ PostgreSQL Development, 24x7 Support, Training and Services