Mark, all:
> > So your databases would listen on 5433, 5434, etc and the proxy would
> > listen on 5432 and route everything properly. If a particular cluster
> > is not up, the proxy could just error out the connection.
> >
> > Hmm, that'd be fun to write if I ever find the time...
>
> It is similar to a proxy, yes, but that is just part of it. The setup
> and running of these systems should all be managed.
Per my earlier comment, this really seems like an obvious extension of
pgPool, or Sequoia if you're a java geek. No need to re-invent the wheel.
In terms of the PostgreSQL Core, though, Mark, it sounds like you're
treating the symptoms and not the causes. What you really need is a way
to load a large database very quickly (in binary form or otherwise)
without downing the cluster. This is a generally desired feature that has
been discussed several times on this list, and you could get general
agreement on easily.
The feature you proposed is a way to make your idiosyncratic setup easier
to manage, but doesn't apply to anyone else's problems on this list, so
you're going to have a hard time drumming up enthusiasm.
--
--Josh
Josh Berkus
Aglio Database Solutions
San Francisco