ERROR: invalid memory alloc request size 4294967293

Hello,

Actually I use postgresql version 8.4.6-0ubuntu10.04 in bacula server
to save information about backups from bacula.
But, 2 days ago, the postgresql make a error when I run the command
pg_dump. This is the error:

====================
02-Jan 06:32 bacula-dir JobId 31005: BeforeJob: pg_dump: SQL command failed
02-Jan 06:32 bacula-dir JobId 31005: BeforeJob: pg_dump: Error message
from server: ERROR: invalid memory alloc request size 4294967293
02-Jan 06:32 bacula-dir JobId 31005: BeforeJob: pg_dump: The command
was: COPY public.file (fileid, fileindex, jobid, pathid, filenameid,
markid, lstat, md5) TO stdout;
02-Jan 06:32 bacula-dir JobId 31005: BeforeJob: pg_dumpall: pg_dump
failed on database "bacula", exiting
====================

In postgresql's logs show the same message:

====================
2011-01-02 06:31:07 CLST ERROR: table "delcandidates" does not exist
2011-01-02 06:31:07 CLST STATEMENT: DROP TABLE DelCandidates
2011-01-02 06:32:15 CLST ERROR: invalid memory alloc request size 4294967293
2011-01-02 06:32:15 CLST STATEMENT: COPY public.file (fileid,
fileindex, jobid, pathid, filenameid, markid, lstat, md5) TO stdout;
2011-01-02 06:32:15 CLST LOG: could not receive data from client:
Connection reset by peer
2011-01-02 06:32:15 CLST LOG: unexpected EOF on client connection
====================

I was searching in internet for a long time, and I found many
message/case/errors similar, but none solution !! :(

Until this moment, I have tried:

- checked the RAM... Is OK, I run memtest for 12 times and none error.
- checked the disk... Is OK, i run fsck and badblock and none error
- backuped the data... I rename the /var/lib/postgresql to
/var/lib/postgresql-old and after I copy the contain of
/var/lib/postgresql-old to /var/lib/postgresql and no errors
- checked the logs... I don't view importants messages of errors (only
the message above).
- changed the server... I move the actual data to new server, and I
have the same problem (with this test, I discard hardware problem)

If I run this command in the console:
su - postgres -c "psql bacula -c 'COPY public.file (fileid, fileindex,
jobid, pathid, filenameid, markid, lstat, md5) TO stdout'" | wc -l

in the first time, I receive a total of 1417599 lines
if a run this command for second time o more, I receive only 114
but, if I restart the server and I run this command again, so we have
the 1417599 again.

=========
su - postgres -c "psql bacula -c 'COPY public.file (fileid, fileindex,
jobid, pathid, filenameid, markid, lstat, md5) TO stdout'" | wc
ERROR: invalid memory alloc request size 4294967293
1417599 32604777 173355793

su - postgres -c "psql bacula -c 'COPY public.file (fileid, fileindex,
jobid, pathid, filenameid, markid, lstat, md5) TO stdout'" | wc
ERROR: invalid memory alloc request size 4294967293
114 2622 14192

su - postgres -c "psql bacula -c 'COPY public.file (fileid, fileindex,
jobid, pathid, filenameid, markid, lstat, md5) TO stdout'" | wc
ERROR: invalid memory alloc request size 4294967293
114 2622 14192

su - postgres -c "psql bacula -c 'COPY public.file (fileid, fileindex,
jobid, pathid, filenameid, markid, lstat, md5) TO stdout'" | wc
ERROR: invalid memory alloc request size 4294967293
1417599 32604777 173355793

su - postgres -c "psql bacula -c 'COPY public.file (fileid, fileindex,
jobid, pathid, filenameid, markid, lstat, md5) TO stdout'" | wc
ERROR: invalid memory alloc request size 4294967293
114 2622 14192
=========

This server is in a datacenter tougher a others many servers and with a UPS..
the uptime of this server was ~ 60 days (yesterday I restarted it).
is a dedicate server to postgresql and bacula with 8GB of RAM (ECC and
redundant)
and I ran the dump of database every day... and only two day ago, I
receive this error.

So.. In base a this I write to you to ask if everyone have any idea
about this problem ??

thanks and attentive.

--
--
Victor Hugo dos Santos
Linux Counter #224399