Terminating a backend

oikBruce Momjian wrote:
> Bruce Momjian wrote:
> > > > When we get the termination signal, why can't we just set a global
> > > > boolean, do a query cancel, and in the setjmp() code block check the
> > > > global and exit --- at that stage we know we have released all locks and
> > > > can exit cleanly.
> > >
> > > I have implemented this idea with the attached patch.
> >
> > One problem I have with my patch is that SIGTERM is currently used by
> > the postmaster to shut down backends.  Now because the postmaster knows
> > that all backend are terminating, it can accept a dirtier shutdown than
> > one where we are terminating just one backend and the rest are going to
> > keep running.  The new SIGTERM coding is going to exit a backend only in
> > a place where cancel is checked.
>
> I have a idea --- to have pg_terminate_backend() set a PGPROC boolean
> and then send a query cancel signal to the backend --- the backend can
> then check the boolean and exit if required.  I will work on a new
> version of this patch tomorrow/Monday.

Updated patch attached.  I didn't modify SIGTERM at all but set a PRPROC
boolean and piggybacked on SIGINT.  I think I got the PGPROC locking
right.  I had to split apart pg_signal_backend() so I could do the
permission and pid checks independent of the signalling, because I
pg_terminate_backend() needs to check, then set the PGPROC variable,
then send the signal.

I also added an administration doc mention about when to use
pg_terminate_backend().

--
  Bruce Momjian  <bruce@momjian.us>        http://momjian.us
  EnterpriseDB                             http://enterprisedb.com

  + If your life is a hard drive, Christ can be your backup. +
Index: doc/src/sgml/func.sgml
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/pgsql/doc/src/sgml/func.sgml,v
retrieving revision 1.429
diff -c -c -r1.429 func.sgml
*** doc/src/sgml/func.sgml    10 Apr 2008 13:34:33 -0000    1.429
--- doc/src/sgml/func.sgml    14 Apr 2008 17:19:10 -0000
***************
*** 11849,11854 ****
--- 11849,11857 ----
      <primary>pg_cancel_backend</primary>
     </indexterm>
     <indexterm>
+     <primary>pg_terminate_backend</primary>
+    </indexterm>
+    <indexterm>
      <primary>pg_reload_conf</primary>
     </indexterm>
     <indexterm>
***************
*** 11885,11890 ****
--- 11888,11900 ----
        </row>
        <row>
         <entry>
+         <literal><function>pg_terminate_backend</function>(<parameter>pid</parameter> <type>int</>)</literal>
+         </entry>
+        <entry><type>boolean</type></entry>
+        <entry>Terminate a backend</entry>
+       </row>
+       <row>
+        <entry>
          <literal><function>pg_reload_conf</function>()</literal>
          </entry>
         <entry><type>boolean</type></entry>
***************
*** 11907,11915 ****
     </para>

     <para>
!     <function>pg_cancel_backend</> sends a query cancel
!     (<systemitem>SIGINT</>) signal to a backend process identified by
!     process ID.  The process ID of an active backend can be found from
      the <structfield>procpid</structfield> column in the
      <structname>pg_stat_activity</structname> view, or by listing the
      <command>postgres</command> processes on the server with
--- 11917,11926 ----
     </para>

     <para>
!     <function>pg_cancel_backend</> and <function>pg_terminate_backend</>
!     send a query cancel (<systemitem>SIGINT</>) signal to a backend process
!     identified by process ID.  The
!     process ID of an active backend can be found from
      the <structfield>procpid</structfield> column in the
      <structname>pg_stat_activity</structname> view, or by listing the
      <command>postgres</command> processes on the server with
Index: doc/src/sgml/runtime.sgml
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/pgsql/doc/src/sgml/runtime.sgml,v
retrieving revision 1.411
diff -c -c -r1.411 runtime.sgml
*** doc/src/sgml/runtime.sgml    31 Mar 2008 02:43:14 -0000    1.411
--- doc/src/sgml/runtime.sgml    14 Apr 2008 17:19:10 -0000
***************
*** 1372,1377 ****
--- 1372,1384 ----
      well.
     </para>
    </important>
+
+   <para>
+    To terminate a session while allowing other sessions to continue, use
+    <function>pg_terminate_backend()</> (<xref
+    linkend="functions-admin-signal-table">) rather than sending a signal
+    to the child process.
+   </para>
   </sect1>

   <sect1 id="preventing-server-spoofing">
Index: src/backend/tcop/postgres.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/backend/tcop/postgres.c,v
retrieving revision 1.548
diff -c -c -r1.548 postgres.c
*** src/backend/tcop/postgres.c    2 Apr 2008 18:31:50 -0000    1.548
--- src/backend/tcop/postgres.c    14 Apr 2008 17:19:10 -0000
***************
*** 2541,2547 ****
           * waiting for input, however.
           */
          if (ImmediateInterruptOK && InterruptHoldoffCount == 0 &&
!             CritSectionCount == 0 && !DoingCommandRead)
          {
              /* bump holdoff count to make ProcessInterrupts() a no-op */
              /* until we are done getting ready for it */
--- 2541,2548 ----
           * waiting for input, however.
           */
          if (ImmediateInterruptOK && InterruptHoldoffCount == 0 &&
!             CritSectionCount == 0 &&
!             (!DoingCommandRead || MyProc->terminate))
          {
              /* bump holdoff count to make ProcessInterrupts() a no-op */
              /* until we are done getting ready for it */
***************
*** 2621,2626 ****
--- 2622,2631 ----
              ereport(ERROR,
                      (errcode(ERRCODE_QUERY_CANCELED),
                       errmsg("canceling autovacuum task")));
+         else if (MyProc->terminate)
+             ereport(ERROR,
+                     (errcode(ERRCODE_ADMIN_SHUTDOWN),
+                      errmsg("terminating backend due to administrator command")));
          else
              ereport(ERROR,
                      (errcode(ERRCODE_QUERY_CANCELED),
***************
*** 3459,3464 ****
--- 3464,3472 ----
          /* We don't have a transaction command open anymore */
          xact_started = false;

+         if (MyProc->terminate)
+             die(SIGINT);
+
          /* Now we can allow interrupts again */
          RESUME_INTERRUPTS();
      }
Index: src/backend/utils/adt/misc.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/backend/utils/adt/misc.c,v
retrieving revision 1.59
diff -c -c -r1.59 misc.c
*** src/backend/utils/adt/misc.c    4 Apr 2008 16:57:21 -0000    1.59
--- src/backend/utils/adt/misc.c    14 Apr 2008 17:19:11 -0000
***************
*** 27,32 ****
--- 27,33 ----
  #include "postmaster/syslogger.h"
  #include "storage/fd.h"
  #include "storage/pmsignal.h"
+ #include "storage/proc.h"
  #include "storage/procarray.h"
  #include "utils/builtins.h"
  #include "tcop/tcopprot.h"
***************
*** 89,95 ****
   * Functions to send signals to other backends.
   */
  static bool
! pg_signal_backend(int pid, int sig)
  {
      if (!superuser())
          ereport(ERROR,
--- 90,96 ----
   * Functions to send signals to other backends.
   */
  static bool
! pg_signal_check(int pid)
  {
      if (!superuser())
          ereport(ERROR,
***************
*** 106,112 ****
--- 107,122 ----
                  (errmsg("PID %d is not a PostgreSQL server process", pid)));
          return false;
      }
+     else
+         return true;
+ }

+ /*
+  * Functions to send signals to other backends.
+  */
+ static bool
+ pg_signal_backend(int pid, int sig)
+ {
      /* If we have setsid(), signal the backend's whole process group */
  #ifdef HAVE_SETSID
      if (kill(-pid, sig))
***************
*** 125,131 ****
  Datum
  pg_cancel_backend(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
  {
!     PG_RETURN_BOOL(pg_signal_backend(PG_GETARG_INT32(0), SIGINT));
  }

  Datum
--- 135,177 ----
  Datum
  pg_cancel_backend(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
  {
!     int pid = PG_GETARG_INT32(0);
!
!     if (pg_signal_check(pid))
!         PG_RETURN_BOOL(pg_signal_backend(pid, SIGINT));
!     else
!         PG_RETURN_BOOL(false);
! }
!
! /*
!  *    To cleanly terminate a backend, we set PGPROC(pid)->terminate
!  *    then send a cancel signal.  We get ProcArrayLock only when
!  *    setting PGPROC->terminate so the function might fail in
!  *    several places, but that is fine because in those cases the
!  *    backend is already gone.
!  */
! Datum
! pg_terminate_backend(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
! {
!     int pid = PG_GETARG_INT32(0);
!     volatile PGPROC *term_proc;
!
!     /* Is this the super-user, and can we find the PGPROC entry for the pid? */
!     if (pg_signal_check(pid) && (term_proc = BackendPidGetProc(pid)) != NULL)
!     {
!         LWLockAcquire(ProcArrayLock, LW_EXCLUSIVE);
!         /* Recheck now that we have the ProcArray lock. */
!         if (term_proc->pid == pid)
!         {
!             term_proc->terminate = true;
!             LWLockRelease(ProcArrayLock);
!             PG_RETURN_BOOL(pg_signal_backend(pid, SIGINT));
!         }
!         else
!             LWLockRelease(ProcArrayLock);
!     }
!
!     PG_RETURN_BOOL(false);
  }

  Datum
***************
*** 169,185 ****
      PG_RETURN_BOOL(true);
  }

- #ifdef NOT_USED
-
- /* Disabled in 8.0 due to reliability concerns; FIXME someday */
- Datum
- pg_terminate_backend(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
- {
-     PG_RETURN_INT32(pg_signal_backend(PG_GETARG_INT32(0), SIGTERM));
- }
- #endif
-
-
  /* Function to find out which databases make use of a tablespace */

  typedef struct
--- 215,220 ----
Index: src/include/catalog/pg_proc.h
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/include/catalog/pg_proc.h,v
retrieving revision 1.488
diff -c -c -r1.488 pg_proc.h
*** src/include/catalog/pg_proc.h    10 Apr 2008 22:25:25 -0000    1.488
--- src/include/catalog/pg_proc.h    14 Apr 2008 17:19:11 -0000
***************
*** 3157,3162 ****
--- 3157,3164 ----

  DATA(insert OID = 2171 ( pg_cancel_backend        PGNSP PGUID 12 1 0 f f t f v 1 16 "23" _null_ _null_ _null_
pg_cancel_backend- _null_ _null_ )); 
  DESCR("cancel a server process' current query");
+ DATA(insert OID = 2096 ( pg_terminate_backend        PGNSP PGUID 12 1 0 f f t f v 1 16 "23" _null_ _null_ _null_
pg_terminate_backend- _null_ _null_ )); 
+ DESCR("terminate a server process");
  DATA(insert OID = 2172 ( pg_start_backup        PGNSP PGUID 12 1 0 f f t f v 1 25 "25" _null_ _null_ _null_
pg_start_backup- _null_ _null_ )); 
  DESCR("prepare for taking an online backup");
  DATA(insert OID = 2173 ( pg_stop_backup            PGNSP PGUID 12 1 0 f f t f v 0 25 "" _null_ _null_ _null_
pg_stop_backup- _null_ _null_ )); 
Index: src/include/storage/proc.h
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/include/storage/proc.h,v
retrieving revision 1.104
diff -c -c -r1.104 proc.h
*** src/include/storage/proc.h    26 Jan 2008 19:55:08 -0000    1.104
--- src/include/storage/proc.h    14 Apr 2008 17:19:11 -0000
***************
*** 91,96 ****
--- 91,98 ----

      bool        inCommit;        /* true if within commit critical section */

+     bool        terminate;        /* admin requested termination */
+
      uint8        vacuumFlags;    /* vacuum-related flags, see above */

      /* Info about LWLock the process is currently waiting for, if any. */
Index: src/include/utils/builtins.h
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/include/utils/builtins.h,v
retrieving revision 1.312
diff -c -c -r1.312 builtins.h
*** src/include/utils/builtins.h    4 Apr 2008 18:45:36 -0000    1.312
--- src/include/utils/builtins.h    14 Apr 2008 17:19:11 -0000
***************
*** 416,421 ****
--- 416,422 ----
  extern Datum current_database(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS);
  extern Datum current_query(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS);
  extern Datum pg_cancel_backend(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS);
+ extern Datum pg_terminate_backend(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS);
  extern Datum pg_reload_conf(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS);
  extern Datum pg_tablespace_databases(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS);
  extern Datum pg_rotate_logfile(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS);