Re: Maximum Performance

On Thu, 2002-01-24 at 10:02, Jean Huveneers wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Within an couple of weeks we will start using PostgreSQL on Mandrake 8.1
> in real business (we have been testing, for over a half year).
>
Not that i have anything against Mandrake, but it is a desktop
distribution. I've heard several admins say their kernels are pretty
weak when it comes to server applications. So get a RedHat kernel
instead (2.2 or 2.4 series), because they are tested very thouroughly
and they include the best of Alan Cox' patches.
> In future we will have some tables with 100.000+ records an the system
> has te work very fast.

100.000+ records it's a pretty thin number. A PIII with 256 MB and X/Gnome
desktop running handles tables of 1.000.000 records on my workstation very
well.

> I know that speed of querries depend much on the amount of availible RAM
> to PostgreSQL, the server will only run the databases. What amount is
> RAM is usefull (I meen, does Postgres use the RAM, if availible, up to 2
> GB)?

Postgresql can use alot of ram. Read the pgsql docs on shared memory and kernel
parameters; you can reserve alot of shmem to postgresql, and yes, with a
large DB and/or alot of concurent connections it will even eat up your
swap. Also, check out Bruce M.'s articles on PostgreSQL optimization, as
they cover this and many more issues.

> I'm can chose for a Dual Athlon MP on a Tyan Thunder K7 motherbord, but
> does PostgreSQL use the 2 processors?

Like the post before said, using a SMP kernel (again, use RedHat's
kernels !) will send backends to both processors. Also you should note
that *any* program that forks or creates threads on a SMP machine will
be able to use (all) the processors.

--

Radu-Adrian Popescu
CSA, DBA, Programmer