Administration Session
Cancel vs Terminate PostgreSQL Backends Explained
Cancel vs Terminate PostgreSQL Backends: What Every DBA Should Know PostgreSQL gives you two tools for dealing with problem backends: pg_cancel_backend() and pg_terminate_backend(). They sound similar but behave very differently. Using the wrong one can disrupt users unnecessarily, or leave a problematic connection in …
Read MoreDetect PostgreSQL Transaction ID Wraparound Risk
Apr 3, 2026 / · 4 min read · postgresql administration vacuum monitoring database pg_class pg_database pg_settings pg_stat_activity pg_stat_user_tables ·Detect PostgreSQL Transaction ID Wraparound Before It Causes Downtime PostgreSQL assigns a transaction ID (XID) to every write transaction. These IDs are 32-bit integers, which means they can only count up to about 2 billion. When the counter gets close to the limit, PostgreSQL must freeze old transaction IDs to …
Read MoreFind PostgreSQL Tables That Need VACUUM FREEZE
Apr 2, 2026 / · 3 min read · postgresql administration vacuum maintenance database pg_class pg_settings pg_stat_activity ·Find PostgreSQL Tables That Need VACUUM FREEZE PostgreSQL uses transaction IDs (XIDs) to track which rows are visible to which transactions. Over time, these IDs age. When a table's oldest unfrozen XID gets too old, PostgreSQL triggers an aggressive autovacuum to freeze it. This is controlled by the …
Read MoreMonitor PostgreSQL Index Build Progress with SQL
Mar 30, 2026 / · 4 min read · postgresql administration indexing monitoring database pg_stat_activity pg_stat_progress_create_index ·How to Monitor PostgreSQL Index Build Progress Building an index on a large table can take minutes or even hours. Without progress tracking, it is hard to know if the build is almost done or barely started. PostgreSQL 12 introduced the pg_stat_progress_create_index view to fix this. It shows real-time progress for any …
Read MoreFind Idle in Transaction Sessions in PostgreSQL
Mar 28, 2026 / · 4 min read · postgresql administration monitoring troubleshooting database pg_locks pg_stat_activity ·How to Find Idle in Transaction Sessions in PostgreSQL An idle-in-transaction session is a database connection that has started a transaction but is not currently running a query. It is just sitting there, holding the transaction open. This is different from a regular idle connection, which has no open transaction. …
Read MoreHow to Monitor Slow Running Queries in PostgreSQL
May 19, 2025 / · 3 min read · PostgreSQL SQL database performance monitor running queries pg_stat_activity ·PostgreSQL Query for Monitoring Slow Running Queries Purpose Monitoring and optimizing database performance is critical for any production environment. One common challenge is identifying slow queries that may impact overall system responsiveness. This article explains how to use a PostgreSQL SQL query to find …
Read MoreAnalyze PostgreSQL Cache-Hit Ratio with pg_stat_statements
May 18, 2025 / · 3 min read · PostgreSQL SQL database performance monitor running queries pg_stat_statements ·How to Analyze PostgreSQL Query Cache-Hit Ratio Using pg_stat_statements Purpose Measuring the cache-hit ratio of your PostgreSQL queries is essential for understanding and optimizing how efficiently your database serves data from memory versus disk. This article explains how to use the pg_stat_statements extension to …
Read MoreIdentify Idle PostgreSQL Connections: Keep Your Database Clean This blog post equips you with the knowledge to identify and potentially terminate stale connections within your PostgreSQL database. We'll delve into the provided SQL code, explain its purpose, and offer valuable insights for maintaining optimal database …
Read MoreIdentifying Blocking PostgreSQL Queries using pg_stat_activity
Mar 25, 2024 / · 3 min read · pg_blocking_pids pg_stat_activity postgresql locks database performance database administration ·Identifying Blocking PostgreSQL Queries: A Guide for Database Administrators This article explores a PostgreSQL query designed to identify currently blocked database queries and the processes (identified by PIDs) responsible for blocking them. This information is crucial for database administrators troubleshooting …
Read MorePostgreSQL query to find columns containing only NULL values
Mar 24, 2024 / · 3 min read · postgresql database optimization database schema design database administration pg_class pg_namespace pg_attribute pg_type pg_statistic information_schema ·Identifying Null-Only Columns in PostgreSQL This article explores a valuable PostgreSQL query for database administrators. It helps identify columns within your database tables that exclusively contain NULL values. Uncovering these "null-only" columns can be a key step in optimizing storage usage and streamlining your …
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