Re: Downlevel database

Gary Jackson <bargle(at)umiacs(dot)umd(dot)edu> writes:
> We have a problem with a PosgreSQL database where the user cannot get
> to their tables any more. I am not the primary administrator of this
> host (who is on vacation), nor am I the user of this database. The
> /var/log/posgresql file has entries like the following, at the end:

> FATAL 1: Database "trees_rock" does not exist in the system catalog.

> The current running version of the database is 7.2.2, and I suspect the
> database was created and maintained with 7.3.4 (after examining the
> bash history file for user postgres).

> Would running downlevel software cause this problem? Does this seem
> likely or possible?

No, no, and no. A 7.2.anything server would flat out refuse to start in
a 7.3.* database (because it checks PG_VERSION). You might have been
using 7.3 client-side code to talk to the 7.2 server, but that wouldn't
cause this sort of failure.

A possible quick-and-dirty solution is "VACUUM pg_database" (issued from
any of the databases that you can get into). If that doesn't work then
you've got serious problems :-(

regards, tom lane