Re: [HACKERS] For review: Server instrumentation patch

Dave Page wrote:
> > The list isn't complete. pgadmin uses these three functions
> > for logfile
> > tracking:
> >
> > - pg_logdir_ls to list logfiles
> > - pg_file_length to check for changes of the current logfile
> > - pg_file_read to retrieve a logfile
>
> Yes you're right, I didn't check thoroughly (in my defence, the coffee
> machine broke this morning). Anyhoo, pg_file_stat is used by
> pg_file_length, so that would be required as well.
>
> None of those allow any modification of the filesystem, so do not suffer
> the potential security issues that Tom was concerned about, so hopefully
> there is no problem with them going in?

OK, I have modified the patch to include these functions:

pg_reload_conf()
pg_file_stat()
pg_file_read()
pg_file_length()
pg_dir_ls()
pg_logfile_rotate()
pg_logdir_ls()

These can only be run by the super-user, and can only access files
inside PGDATA, or in the logdir directory if that is in a different
place from PGDATA.

The only part I didn't like about the patch is the stat display:

test=> select pg_file_stat('postgresql.conf');
pg_file_stat
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

(12287,"2005-08-11 00:06:30","2005-08-11 00:06:43","2005-08-11 00:06:30",f)
(1 row)

Shouldn't this return multiple labeled columns rather than an array?

The patch is attached and genfile.c goes in utils/adt.

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