Postgresql goes into recovery mode ....

Hi ,

I ran a query in my server and it runs till my pgsql is put in
recovery mode.

SQL:

UPDATE email_bank set userid=(select userid from t_a where
email_id=email_bank.email_id)
where exists (select email_id from t_a where
email_bank.email_id=t_a.email_id) ;

email_bank has 1 million record and t_a as 35K records

explain is:

NOTICE: QUERY PLAN:

Seq Scan on email_bank (cost=0.00..628392.37 rows=1009182 width=34)
SubPlan
-> Index Scan using t_a_1 on t_a (cost=0.00..196.12 rows=325
width=4)
-> Index Scan using t_a_1 on t_a (cost=0.00..196.12 rows=325
width=4)

EXPLAIN

I find that postgresql initially consumes abt, 52 % CPU runs for
sometime and then CPU utilization falls to
normal , but system load keeps increasing

also pgsql does not respond to cancel requests even.

when i try to make another connection i get the error "Database system
in recovery mode ..."

what am i supposed to do to bring postgresql to an usable state from
here?

system configs are:

database: RH62 + pgsql 7.1.3 + 1 GB ram + dualPIII 800 + SCSI HDD
btw i was using PSQL 7.2 client client to connect to PGSQL 7.1.3 (is
that ok?)

thanks for help in advance..

regds
malalh.