Re: BUG #5935: Log lotation not working for default log format

> You could appending something onto the logfile to differentiate it, but I can understand why you wouldn't want to as that would change the filename format.
>
> If this is the case, the call to pg_rotate_logfile() should return false.

pg_rotate_logfile() doesn't actually rotate the log file, it just schedules the rotation to happen as soon as possible. So it doesn't know whether or not the rotation will actually succeed. pg_rotate_logfile() only returns FALSE if you haven't started the log collector.

> I'd also say that starting up and allowing a file size based rotation with a log filename that does not allow it to be rotated is also broken.

That filename pattern *does* permit rotation, just no more frequently than every 24 hours.

Consider what would happen if you set log_filename to something like pg_log.%H (where %H is replaced with the hour) and your log size exceeded the log_rotation_size within a given hour - same problem.

The key is to pick a filename pattern that *can* rotate given the value you set for log_rotation_size.

It might be nice if the logfile naming mechanism supported a new escape sequence that meant "replace me with the next available sequence number... %n might translate to _1, _2, _3, ...).

-- Korry

P.S. I'm not disagreeing with you, just explaining the code as it exists today.

>
> Brad.
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Korry Douglas [mailto:korry(dot)douglas(at)enterprisedb(dot)com]
>> Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2011 4:00 PM
>> To: Nicholson, Brad (Toronto, ON, CA)
>> Cc: pgsql-bugs(at)postgresql(dot)org
>> Subject: Re: [BUGS] BUG #5935: Log lotation not working for default log
>> format
>>
>> What would you expect the new log file to be named? Your log_filename
>> is set to postgresql-%a.log. The %a part expands to the current day of
>> the week. If it's Thursday and you already have a file for Thursday,
>> what would the new file name be?
>>
>> -- Korry
>>
>>> The following bug has been logged online:
>>>
>>> Bug reference: 5935
>>> Logged by: Brad Nicholson
>>> Email address: bnicholson(at)hp(dot)com
>>> PostgreSQL version: 9.0.3
>>> Operating system: CentOS Release 5.5
>>> Description: Log lotation not working for default log format
>>> Details:
>>>
>>> PostgreSQL 9.0.3 on x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu, compiled by GCC gcc
>> (GCC)
>>> 4.1.2 20080704 (Red Hat 4.1.2-48), 64-bit
>>> CentOS release 5.5 (Final)
>>>
>>> (using the standard PG package)
>>>
>>> The logfile will not rotate if the log_filename is set to postgresql-
>> %a.log,
>>> which is the default setting after an initdb on my platform.
>>>
>>>
>>> I have tested this by setting log_rotation_size and exceeding that
>> threshold
>>> and manually trying to rotate the logs with SELECT
>> pg_rotate_logfile().
>>> Both fail to rotate the log file.
>>>
>>>
>>> Manual Rotate:
>>>
>>> [postgres(at)pg1 pgdata]$ ls -al logs/
>>> total 24
>>> drwxr-xr-x 2 postgres postgres 4096 Mar 17 13:11 .
>>> drwxr-xr-x 4 postgres postgres 4096 Mar 17 13:08 ..
>>> -rw------- 1 postgres postgres 150 Mar 17 13:11 postgresql-Thu.log
>>> [postgres(at)pg1 pgdata]$ psql -p 6432 -c "show log_filename;" postgres
>>> log_filename
>>> -------------------
>>> postgresql-%a.log
>>> (1 row)
>>>
>>> [postgres(at)pg1 pgdata]$ psql -p 6432 -c "SELECT pg_rotate_logfile()"
>>> postgres
>>> pg_rotate_logfile
>>> -------------------
>>> t
>>> (1 row)
>>>
>>> [postgres(at)pg1 pgdata]$ ls -al logs/
>>> total 24
>>> drwxr-xr-x 2 postgres postgres 4096 Mar 17 13:11 .
>>> drwxr-xr-x 4 postgres postgres 4096 Mar 17 13:08 ..
>>> -rw------- 1 postgres postgres 150 Mar 17 13:11 postgresql-Thu.log
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Size based automatic rotation:
>>>
>>> [postgres(at)pg1 pgdata]$ psql -p 6432 -c "show log_rotation_size;"
>> postgres
>>> log_rotation_size
>>> -------------------
>>> 1MB
>>> (1 row)
>>>
>>> <generate some pgbench traffic with full statement logging>
>>>
>>> [postgres(at)pg1 pgdata]$ ls -thl logs/
>>> total 3.2M
>>> -rw------- 1 postgres postgres 3.2M Mar 17 13:24 postgresql-Thu.log
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> If I switch the log_filename to something more specific like
>>> postgresql-%Y-%m-%d_%H_%M_%S.log - the logfile rotates.
>>>
>>> --
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>>> http://www.postgresql.org/mailpref/pgsql-bugs
>

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Korry Douglas
Senior Database Dude
EnterpriseDB Corporation
The Enterprise PostgreSQL Company

Phone: (804)241-4301
Mobile: (620) EDB-NERD