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Improvements to Maintenance and External Projects documentation.

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Joshua D. Drake
Robert Treat
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Bruce Momjian 2006-08-01 00:09:06 +00:00
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115
doc/src/sgml/external-projects.sgml
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<!-- $PostgreSQL: pgsql/doc/src/sgml/external-projects.sgml,v 1.10 2006/03/10 19:10:47 momjian Exp $ --> <!-- $PostgreSQL: pgsql/doc/src/sgml/external-projects.sgml,v 1.11 2006/08/01 00:09:06 momjian Exp $ -->
<appendix id="external-projects"> <appendix id="external-projects">
<title>External Projects</title> <title>PgFoundry and External Projects</title>
<para> <para>
<productname>PostgreSQL</productname> is a complex software project, <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> is a complex software project,
and managing it is difficult. We have found that many and managing the project is difficult. We have found that many
enhancements to <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> can be more enhancements to <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> can be more
efficiently developed separately from the core project. Separate efficiently developed separately from the core project.
projects can
have their own developer teams, email lists, bug tracking,
and release schedules. While their independence makes
development easier, it makes users' jobs harder. They have to hunt
around looking for database enhancements to meet their needs.
This section describes some of the more popular externally
developed enhancements and guides you on how to find them.
</para> </para>
<para> <para>
Many <productname>PostgreSQL</productname>-related projects are To help our community with the development of their external projects,
hosted at either we have created the <ulink url="http://www.pgfoundry.org/">PgFoundry</ulink>.
<ulink url="http://gborg.postgresql.org"><productname>GBorg</></ulink> <ulink url="http://www.pgfoundry.org/">PgFoundry</ulink> is built using the
or <ulink url="http://pgfoundry.org"><productname>pgFoundry</></ulink>. GForge software project and is similar to SourceForge in its feature set. If
There are other <productname>PostgreSQL</productname>-related projects that are hosted you have a PostgreSQL related Open Source project that you would like to
elsewhere, but you will have to do an Internet search to find them. develop and need project management resources such as mailing lists, forums,
bug tracking, and CVS, please feel free to create a new project.
</para>
<para>
Secondly, many <productname>PostgreSQL</productname>-related projects are
still hosted at <ulink url="http://gborg.postgresql.org"><productname>GBorg</></ulink>.
GBorg is the original external community developer site, and while it is
currently closed to new projects in favor of PgFoundry, it still contains
many active and relevant projects. There are other popular <productname>PostgreSQL</productname>
related projects that are hosted independently as well at other community
sites such as <ulink url="http://www.sf.net">SourceForge</ulink>. You should
google if you don't find the project you are looking for.
</para> </para>
<sect1 id="external-interfaces"> <sect1 id="external-interfaces">
@ -36,11 +41,10 @@
<para> <para>
<productname>PostgreSQL</productname> includes very few interfaces <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> includes very few interfaces
with the base distribution. <application>libpq</> is packaged because with the base distribution. <application>libpq</> is packaged because
it is the primary <application>C</> interface and many other it is the primary dependecy of most interfaces available to PostgreSQL.
interfaces are built on top of it. <application>ecpg</> is packaged We also package <application>ecpg</> because it is tied to the
because it is tied to the server-side grammar so is very dependent server-side grammar. All other interfaces, such as PHP, Perl, Python,
on the database version. All the other interfaces are independent and Ruby, are external projects.
projects and must be installed separately.
</para> </para>
<para> <para>
@ -52,7 +56,17 @@
<listitem> <listitem>
<para> <para>
This is the most common interface for <application>Windows</> This is the most common interface for <application>Windows</>
applications. applications. <ulink url="http://odbc.postgresql.org/">Website.</ulink>
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>ODBCng</term>
<listitem>
<para>
Another ODBC driver for PostgreSQL.
<ulink url="http://projects.commandprompt.com/public/odbcng/">Website.</ulink>
</para> </para>
</listitem> </listitem>
</varlistentry> </varlistentry>
@ -62,6 +76,7 @@
<listitem> <listitem>
<para> <para>
A <application>JDBC</> interface. A <application>JDBC</> interface.
<ulink url="http://jdbc.postgresql.org/">Website.</ulink>
</para> </para>
</listitem> </listitem>
</varlistentry> </varlistentry>
@ -70,8 +85,8 @@
<term>Npgsql</term> <term>Npgsql</term>
<listitem> <listitem>
<para> <para>
<application>.Net</> interface for more recent <application>.Net</> interface for more recent <application>mono/C#</> applications.
<application>Windows</> applications. <ulink url="http://pgfoundry.org/projects/npgsql/">Website.</ulink>
</para> </para>
</listitem> </listitem>
</varlistentry> </varlistentry>
@ -81,35 +96,17 @@
<listitem> <listitem>
<para> <para>
A newer <application>C++</> interface. A newer <application>C++</> interface.
<ulink url="http://thaiopensource.org/development/libpqxx/">Website.</ulink>
</para> </para>
</listitem> </listitem>
</varlistentry> </varlistentry>
<varlistentry> <varlistentry>
<term>libpq++</term> <term>DBD::Pg</term>
<listitem> <listitem>
<para> <para>
An older <application>C++</> interface. A <application>Perl</> DBI driver for PostgreSQL.
</para> <ulink url="http://search.cpan.org/dist/DBD-Pg/">Website.</ulink>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>pgperl</term>
<listitem>
<para>
A <application>Perl</> interface with an <acronym>API</> similar
to <application>libpq</>.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>DBD-Pg</term>
<listitem>
<para>
A <application>Perl</> interface that uses the
<acronym>DBD</>-standard <application>API</>.
</para> </para>
</listitem> </listitem>
</varlistentry> </varlistentry>
@ -119,33 +116,21 @@
<listitem> <listitem>
<para> <para>
A newer version of the <application>Tcl</> interface. A newer version of the <application>Tcl</> interface.
<ulink url="http://gborg.postgresql.org/project/pgtclng/projdisplay.php">Website.</ulink>
</para> </para>
</listitem> </listitem>
</varlistentry> </varlistentry>
<varlistentry> <varlistentry>
<term>pgtcl</term> <term>Pyscopg</term>
<listitem> <listitem>
<para> <para>
The original version of the <application>Tcl</> interface. A <application>Python</> interface library that is DB API 2.0 compliant.
<ulink url="http://www.initd.org/">Website.</ulink>
</para> </para>
</listitem> </listitem>
</varlistentry> </varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>PyGreSQL</term>
<listitem>
<para>
A <application>Python</> interface library.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist> </variablelist>
All of these can be found at
<ulink url="http://gborg.postgresql.org"><productname>GBorg</></ulink>
or <ulink url="http://pgfoundry.org"><productname>pgFoundry</></ulink>.
</para> </para>
</sect1> </sect1>
@ -175,8 +160,8 @@
<para> <para>
There are several administration tools available for There are several administration tools available for
<productname>PostgreSQL</>. The most popular is <productname>PostgreSQL</>. The most popular is
<application>pgAdmin</>, and there are several commercially <application><ulink url="http://www.pgadmin.org/">pgAdmin III</ulink></>,
available ones. and there are several commercially available ones as well.
</para> </para>
</sect1> </sect1>

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doc/src/sgml/maintenance.sgml
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<!-- $PostgreSQL: pgsql/doc/src/sgml/maintenance.sgml,v 1.56 2006/06/18 15:38:35 petere Exp $ --> <!-- $PostgreSQL: pgsql/doc/src/sgml/maintenance.sgml,v 1.57 2006/08/01 00:09:06 momjian Exp $ -->
<chapter id="maintenance"> <chapter id="maintenance">
<title>Routine Database Maintenance Tasks</title> <title>Routine Database Maintenance Tasks</title>
@ -7,43 +7,41 @@
<primary>maintenance</primary> <primary>maintenance</primary>
</indexterm> </indexterm>
<para> <indexterm zone="maintenance">
There are a few routine maintenance chores that must be performed on <primary>Routine maintenance</primary>
a regular basis to keep a <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> </indexterm>
server running smoothly. The tasks discussed here are repetitive
in nature and can easily be automated using standard Unix tools such
as <application>cron</application> scripts. But it is the database
administrator's responsibility to set up appropriate scripts, and to
check that they execute successfully.
</para>
<para> <para>
One obvious maintenance task is creation of backup copies of the data on a PostgreSQL, like any database software, requires that certain tasks
regular schedule. Without a recent backup, you have no chance of recovery be performed regularly to achieve optimum performance. The tasks
after a catastrophe (disk failure, fire, mistakenly dropping a critical discussed here are <emphasis>required</emphasis>, but they
table, etc.). The backup and recovery mechanisms available in are repetitive in nature and can easily be automated using standard
<productname>PostgreSQL</productname> are discussed at length in Unix tools such as <application>cron</application> scripts.
<xref linkend="backup">.
</para>
<para>
The other main category of maintenance task is periodic <quote>vacuuming</>
of the database. This activity is discussed in
<xref linkend="routine-vacuuming">.
</para>
<para>
Something else that might need periodic attention is log file management.
This is discussed in <xref linkend="logfile-maintenance">.
</para> </para>
<para> <para>
<productname>PostgreSQL</productname> is low-maintenance compared <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> is low-maintenance compared
to some other database management systems. Nonetheless, to other database management systems. It is also fairly easy, provided
appropriate attention to these tasks will go far towards ensuring a you read the documentation.
pleasant and productive experience with the system.
</para> </para>
<para>
There are three tasks that <emphasis>must</emphasis> be performed on
a periodic basis. The first is backups. If you do not have a current backup
and your system experiences a catastrophic failure, you will lose your data.
You can read further about backups procedures in <xref linkend="backup">.
The second is vacuum which is discussed in <xref linkend="routine-vacuuming">.
The third is to update the planner statistics using the analyze command as
discussed in <xref linkend="vacuum-for-statistics">.
</para>
<para>
Another task that may need periodic attention is log file management.
This is discussed in <xref linkend="logfile-maintenance">.
</para>
<sect1 id="routine-vacuuming"> <sect1 id="routine-vacuuming">
<title>Routine Vacuuming</title> <title>Routine Vacuuming</title>
@ -53,11 +51,11 @@
<para> <para>
<productname>PostgreSQL</productname>'s <command>VACUUM</> command <productname>PostgreSQL</productname>'s <command>VACUUM</> command
must be run on a regular basis for several reasons: <emphasis>must</emphasis> be run on a regular basis for several reasons:
<orderedlist> <orderedlist>
<listitem> <listitem>
<simpara>To recover disk space occupied by updated or deleted <simpara>To recover or reuse disk space occupied by updated or deleted
rows.</simpara> rows.</simpara>
</listitem> </listitem>
@ -82,11 +80,12 @@
</para> </para>
<para> <para>
The standard form of <command>VACUUM</> can run in parallel with The standard form of <command>VACUUM</> does not intefere with production
normal database operations (SELECTs, INSERTs, UPDATEs, DELETEs, but not database operations. Items such as SELECTS, INSERTS, UPDATES and DELETES
changes to table definitions). will continue to function as normal, though you will not be able to modify the
Beginning in <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> 8.0, there are definition (Such as ALTER TABLE ADD COLUMN) of a table while it is being vacuumed.
configuration parameters that can be adjusted to further reduce the The release of <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> 8.0, introduced new
configuration parameters to further reduce the potentially negative
performance impact of background vacuuming. See performance impact of background vacuuming. See
<xref linkend="runtime-config-resource-vacuum-cost">. <xref linkend="runtime-config-resource-vacuum-cost">.
</para> </para>
@ -187,9 +186,9 @@
</para> </para>
<para> <para>
If you have a table whose contents are deleted on a periodic If you have a table whose entire contents are deleted on a periodic
basis, consider doing it with <command>TRUNCATE</command> rather basis, consider doing it with the <command>TRUNCATE</command> rather
than using <command>DELETE</command> followed by than using the <command>DELETE</command> followed by
<command>VACUUM</command>. <command>TRUNCATE</command> removes the <command>VACUUM</command>. <command>TRUNCATE</command> removes the
entire content of the table immediately, without requiring a entire content of the table immediately, without requiring a
subsequent <command>VACUUM</command> or <command>VACUUM subsequent <command>VACUUM</command> or <command>VACUUM