Error Restoring Large Database

System Configuration
---------------------
Architecture : Dual AMD Athlon MP 1800+

Operating System : Linux dpdev02 2.4.4-64GB-SMP #1 SMP

PostgreSQL version : PostgreSQL-7.2b4 and PostgreSQL-7.2rc1

Compiler used : gcc version 2.95.3 20010315 (SuSE)

Please enter a FULL description of your problem:
------------------------------------------------

When trying to restore from a dump of a 9Gb database the restore fails.
(see below for info)
The same dump/restore procedure has worked succesfully for smaller
databases ~1-2Gb

The relevant error message appears to come from
src/backend/storage/freespace/freespace.c
which says

/* Shouldn't get here given the initial if-test for space available */
elog(ERROR, "insert_fsm_page_entry: failed to insert entry!");

The database tables total 9.0Gb with associated indexes taking up
10.0Gb.
There is >25G free disk space, and there is no error in the
system logs.

I have tried other variations on the examples below, but the
restore still fails. Apparently _in the same place_ each time.
I also tried rc1 which behaves in the same way.

Please describe a way to repeat the problem. Please try to provide a
concise reproducible example, if at all possible:
----------------------------------------------------------------------

The database is dumped using
$ pg_dump -b -Fc core4 > core4.dump

And then restored using
$ pg_restore --dbname=core4 < core4.dump

Which exits with error code 1 and the following message
pg_restore: [archiver (db)] error returned by PQputline

The logfile contains the errors
ERROR: copy: line 26501638, insert_fsm_page_entry: failed to insert entry!
FATAL 1: Socket command type 2 unknown

Retrying using an INSERT rather than COPY dump
$ pg_dump --inserts -b -Fc core4 > core4.dump

gives these errors when trying to restore

pg_restore: [archiver (db)] could not execute query: ERROR: insert_fsm_page_entry: failed to insert entry!

and

ERROR: insert_fsm_page_entry: failed to insert entry!

in the logfile

-Mark

--
Mark Rae Tel: +44(0)20 7074 4648
Inpharmatica Fax: +44(0)20 7074 4700
m(dot)rae(at)inpharmatica(dot)co(dot)uk http://www.inpharmatica.co.uk/