multiple runs of the same query cause out of memory - WAS [Re: capturing/viewing sort_mem utilization on a per query basis]

List & Tom,
Following up on this thread from a weeks ago:
http://archives.postgresql.org/pgsql-general/2005-02/msg00106.php

We have found that this query can indeed cause terrible things to
happen to postgresql - it can run several times with response times of
a few seconds, and then the next time cause postgres to go out of
control on memory usage. (I've had to reboot my machine twice to get
control). On a beefier machine with more memory and two CPUs, the
query worked okay for a few dozen repetitions (with a few in
parallel), then eventually one instance would cause the postgres
process to spiral out of control and consume more
and more memory at the rate of a megabyte every second or so.

I'm not quite sure where to go from here, but this is definitely
reproducable now. Help?!

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L. Friedman netllama(at)gmail(dot)com
LlamaLand http://netllama.linux-sxs.org