I hope this is the correct mailing list to ask this question.
We are setting up a system using postgresql 9.1 and streaming replication to copy reference data from a single central location to several remote sites. The database changes will come in clumps with long periods of no activity in between. I would like to add some kind of programmatic hook to tell us that new changes have been received from central so that we can trigger messages to be sent out to devices on the site that may require updates of their data so that I don't have to rely on polling the database(s).
Is there any way to hook at this point? Even if it didn't tell exactly what had changed, just that a particular database or table had been modified that would be perfect. I don't mind what language is required either.
I found reference to wal_sender and wal_receiver hooks which sounds very close to what I need, but I suspect that wal_receiver is processed before the data is applied to the database and I would like a hook after the database has been updated.
I am assuming that normal triggers cannot be used on a replicated database? Can someone confirm or deny this?