Re: Performace Optimization for Dummies

["Merlin Moncure" <mmoncure(at)gmail(dot)com>]

On 9/28/06, Carlo Stonebanks <stonec(dot)register(at)sympatico(dot)ca> wrote:
> We urgently need a major performance improvement. We are running the
> PostgreSQL 8.1.4 on a Windows 2003 x64 Server on a dual processor, dual core
> 3.2Ghz Xeon box with 4gb RAM and a RAID (sorry, I don't know what type) disc
> subsystem. Sorry about the long intro, but here are my questions:

are you using the 'copy' interface?

> 1) Are we paying any big penalties by running Windows vs LINUX (or any other
> OS)?

thats a tough question.  my gut says that windows will not scale as
well as recent linux kernels in high load environments.

> 2) Has the debate over PostgreSQL and Xeon processors been settled? Is this
> a factor?

hearing good things about the woodcrest. pre-woodcrest xeon (dempsey
down) is outclassed by the opteron.

> Below, please find what I believe are the configuration settings of interest
> in our system

1. can probably run fsync=off during the import
2. if import is single proecess, consider temporary bump to memory for
index creation. or, since you have four cores consider having four
processes import the data somehow.
3. turn off stats collector, stats_command_string, stats_row_level,
and autovacuum during import.

merlin

> Any help and advice will be much appreciated. TIA,
>
> Carlo
>
> max_connections = 100
> shared_buffers = 50000
> work_mem = 32768
> maintenance_work_mem = 32768
> checkpoint_segments = 128
> effective_cache_size = 10000
> random_page_cost = 3
> stats_start_collector = on
> stats_command_string = on
> stats_row_level = on
> autovacuum = on
>
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