Query is not using index when it should

From: tomas(at)nocrew(dot)org (Tomas =?iso-8859-1?q?Sk=E4re?=)
To: pgsql-general(at)postgresql(dot)org
Cc: pgsql-performance(at)postgresql(dot)org
Subject: Query is not using index when it should
Date: 2004-12-10 11:40:50
Message-ID: 80oeh2tm7x.fsf@junk.nocrew.org
Views: Raw Message | Whole Thread | Download mbox | Resend email
Thread:
Lists: pgsql-general pgsql-performance pgsql-sql

I tried to subscribe to pgsql-performance, but there seems to be
something wrong with the majordomo, so I'm sending to general too,
where I'm already subscribed.

My problem is this, using PostgreSQL 7.4.6:

I have a table that looks like this:

Table "public.cjm_object"
Column | Type | Modifiers
-----------+-------------------+-----------
timestamp | bigint | not null
jobid | bigint | not null
objectid | bigint | not null
class | integer | not null
field | character varying | not null
data | bytea |
Indexes:
"cjm_object_pkey" primary key, btree ("timestamp", jobid, objectid, "class", field)
"idx_cjm_object1" btree (objectid, "class", field)

The table has 283465 rows, and the column combination
(objectid,class,field) can occur several times.

Doing a search with all columns in the pkey works, it uses the index:

db=# explain analyze select * from cjm_object where timestamp=1102497954815296 and jobid=9 and objectid=4534 and class=12 and field='paroid';
QUERY PLAN
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Index Scan using cjm_object_pkey on cjm_object (cost=0.00..32.75 rows=1 width=54) (actual time=0.169..0.172 rows=1 loops=1)
Index Cond: ("timestamp" = 1102497954815296::bigint)
Filter: ((jobid = 9) AND (objectid = 4534) AND ("class" = 12) AND ((field)::text = 'paroid'::text))
Total runtime: 0.381 ms
(4 rows)

But when doing a search with objectid, class and field, it doesn't use
the idx_cjm_object1 index.
db=# explain analyze select * from cjm_object where objectid=4534 and class=12 and field='paroid';
QUERY PLAN
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seq Scan on cjm_object (cost=0.00..7987.83 rows=2 width=54) (actual time=21.660..475.664 rows=1 loops=1)
Filter: ((objectid = 4534) AND ("class" = 12) AND ((field)::text = 'paroid'::text))
Total runtime: 475.815 ms
(3 rows)

I have tried to set enable_seqscan to false, but it gives the same
result, except that the estimated cost is higher.

I have also done a vacuum full analyze, and I have reindexed the
database, the table and the index. I have dropped the index and
recreated it, but it still gives the same result.

Please, could someone give me a clue to this?

Tomas

Responses

Browse pgsql-general by date

  From Date Subject
Next Message Lada 'Ray' Lostak 2004-12-10 14:27:50 Sql performace - why soo long ?
Previous Message Vikas Kumawat 2004-12-10 10:26:13 Regarding Postgres installation and administration on linux suse 9.0

Browse pgsql-performance by date

  From Date Subject
Next Message Mike Rylander 2004-12-10 18:40:02 LIMIT causes SEQSCAN in subselect
Previous Message Stacy White 2004-12-08 04:32:49 Re: Partitioned table performance

Browse pgsql-sql by date

  From Date Subject
Next Message Wei Weng 2004-12-10 19:24:56 Cast NULL into Timestamp?
Previous Message Alex Beamish 2004-12-09 20:19:56 parse error at or near "(" -- Huh???