Re: [HACKERS] backend dies suddenly after a lot of error messages

Mirko Kaffka <mirko(at)interface-business(dot)de> writes:
> We have problems with backend processes that close the channel because of
> palloc() failures. When an INSERT statement fails, the backend reports an
> error (e.g. `Cannot insert a duplicate key into a unique index') and
> allocates a few bytes more memory. The next SQL statement that fails
> causes the backend to allocate more memory again, etc. until we have no
> more virtual memory left. Is this a bug?

Yeah, I'd say so --- all the memory used should get freed at transaction
end, but evidently it isn't happening.

> We are using postgres 6.4.2 on FreeBSD 2.2.8.

I still see it with 6.5-current sources. Will take a look.

regards, tom lane