Re: query produces 1 GB temp file

While I can't explain why PostgreSQL would use that memory, I
recommend looking into tweaking the work_mem parameter. This setting
specifies how much memory PostgreSQL on certain temporary data
structures (hash tables, sort vectors) until it starts using
temporary files. Quoting the docs:

> work_mem (integer)
> Specifies the amount of memory to be used by internal sort
> operations and hash tables before switching to temporary disk
> files. The value is specified in kilobytes, and defaults to 1024
> kilobytes (1 MB). Note that for a complex query, several sort or
> hash operations might be running in parallel; each one will be
> allowed to use as much memory as this value specifies before it
> starts to put data into temporary files. Also, several running
> sessions could be doing such operations concurrently. So the total
> memory used could be many times the value of work_mem; it is
> necessary to keep this fact in mind when choosing the value. Sort
> operations are used for ORDER BY, DISTINCT, and merge joins. Hash
> tables are used in hash joins, hash-based aggregation, and hash-
> based processing of IN subqueries.

Alexander.

On Feb 5, 2005, at 18:25 , Dirk Lutzebaeck wrote:

> Hi,
>
> here is a query which produces over 1G temp file in pgsql_tmp. This
> is on pgsql 7.4.2, RHEL 3.0, XEON MP machine with 32GB RAM, 300MB
> sort_mem and 320MB shared_mem.
>
> Below is the query and results for EXPLAIN and EXPLAIN ANALYZE. All
> tables have been analyzed before.
>
> Can some please explain why the temp file is so huge? I understand
> there are a lot of rows. All relevant indices seem to be used.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Dirk
>
> EXPLAIN
> SELECT DISTINCT ON (ft.val_9, ft.created, ft.flatid) ft.docstart,
> ft.flatobj, bi.oid, bi.en
> FROM bi, en, df AS ft, es
> WHERE bi.rc=130170467
> AND bi.en=ft.en
> AND bi.co=117305223
> AND bi.hide=FALSE
> AND ft.en=en.oid
> AND es.en=bi.en
> AND es.co=bi.co
> AND es.spec=122293729
> AND (ft.val_2='DG' OR ft.val_2='SK')
> AND ft.docstart=1
> ORDER BY ft.val_9 ASC, ft.created DESC
> LIMIT 1000 OFFSET 0;
>
> Limit (cost=8346.75..8346.78 rows=3 width=1361)
> -> Unique (cost=8346.75..8346.78 rows=3 width=1361)
> -> Sort (cost=8346.75..8346.76 rows=3 width=1361)
> Sort Key: ft.val_9, ft.created, ft.flatid
> -> Nested Loop (cost=0.00..8346.73 rows=3 width=1361)
> -> Nested Loop (cost=0.00..5757.17 rows=17
> width=51)
> -> Nested Loop (cost=0.00..5606.39
> rows=30 width=42)
> -> Index Scan using es_sc_index
> on es (cost=0.00..847.71 rows=301 width=8)
> Index Cond: ((spec =
> 122293729) AND (co = 117305223::oid))
> -> Index Scan using bi_env_index
> on bi (cost=0.00..15.80 rows=1 width=42)
> Index Cond: ("outer".en =
> bi.en)
> Filter: ((rc =
> 130170467::oid) AND (co = 117305223::oid) AND (hide = false))
> -> Index Scan using en_oid_index on en
> (cost=0.00..5.01 rows=1 width=9)
> Index Cond: ("outer".en = en.oid)
> -> Index Scan using df_en on df ft
> (cost=0.00..151.71 rows=49 width=1322)
> Index Cond: ("outer".en = ft.en)
> Filter: (((val_2 = 'DG'::text) OR (val_2
> = 'SK'::text)) AND (docstart = 1))
> (17 rows)
>
>
> --------------
>
> EXPLAIN ANALYZE gives:
>
>
> Limit (cost=8346.75..8346.78 rows=3 width=1361) (actual
> time=75357.465..75679.964 rows=1000 loops=1)
> -> Unique (cost=8346.75..8346.78 rows=3 width=1361) (actual
> time=75357.459..75675.371 rows=1000 loops=1)
> -> Sort (cost=8346.75..8346.76 rows=3 width=1361)
> (actual time=75357.448..75499.263 rows=22439 loops=1)
> Sort Key: ft.val_9, ft.created, ft.flatid
> -> Nested Loop (cost=0.00..8346.73 rows=3
> width=1361) (actual time=34.104..18016.005 rows=703677 loops=1)
> -> Nested Loop (cost=0.00..5757.17 rows=17
> width=51) (actual time=0.467..3216.342 rows=48563 loops=1)
> -> Nested Loop (cost=0.00..5606.39
> rows=30 width=42) (actual time=0.381..1677.014 rows=48563 loops=1)
> -> Index Scan using es_sc_index
> on es (cost=0.00..847.71 rows=301 width=8) (actual
> time=0.184..46.519 rows=5863 loops=1)
> Index Cond: ((spec =
> 122293729) AND (co = 117305223::oid))
> -> Index Scan using bi_env_index
> on bi (cost=0.00..15.80 rows=1 width=42) (actual time=0.052..0.218
> rows=8 loops=5863)
> Index Cond: ("outer".en =
> bi.en)
> Filter: ((rc =
> 130170467::oid) AND (co = 117305223::oid) AND (hide = false))
> -> Index Scan using en_oid_index on en
> (cost=0.00..5.01 rows=1 width=9) (actual time=0.015..0.019 rows=1
> loops=48563)
> Index Cond: ("outer".en = en.oid)
> -> Index Scan using df_en on df ft
> (cost=0.00..151.71 rows=49 width=1322) (actual time=0.038..0.148
> rows=14 loops=48563)
> Index Cond: ("outer".en = ft.en)
> Filter: (((val_2 = 'DG'::text) OR (val_2
> = 'SK'::text)) AND (docstart = 1))
> Total runtime: 81782.052 ms
> (18 rows)
>
>
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