Re: What are exactly bootstrap processes, auxiliary processes, standalone backends, normal backends(user sessions)?

On Sat, Jul 17, 2021 at 10:45:52AM -0400, Alvaro Herrera wrote:
> On 2021-Jul-17, Bharath Rupireddy wrote:
>
> > On Thu, Jul 15, 2021 at 8:17 PM Justin Pryzby <pryzby(at)telsasoft(dot)com> wrote:
> > >
> > > On Fri, Jul 09, 2021 at 09:24:19PM +0530, Bharath Rupireddy wrote:
> > > > I've always had a hard time distinguishing various types of
> > > > processes/terms used in postgres. I look at the source code every time
> > > > to understand them, yet I don't feel satisfied with my understanding.
> > > > I request any hacker (having a better idea than me) to help me with
> > > > what each different process does and how they are different from each
> > > > other? Of course, I'm clear with normal backends (user sessions), bg
> > > > workers, but the others need a bit more understanding.
> > >
> > > It sounds like something that should be in the glossary, which currently refers
> > > to but doesn't define "auxiliary processes".
> >
> > Thanks. I strongly feel that it should be documented somewhere. I will
> > be happy if someone with a clear idea about these various processes
> > does it.
>
> Auxiliary process
>
> Process of an <glossterm linkend="glossary-instance">instance</glossterm> in

I think "of an instance" is a distraction here, even if technically accurate.

> charge of some specific, hardcoded background task. Examples are

And I think "hardcoded" doesn't mean anything beyond what "specific" means.

Maybe you'd say: .. process which handles a specific, central task for the
cluster instance.

Thanks,
--
Justin