Re: Review of GetUserId() Usage

Alvaro,

* Alvaro Herrera (alvherre@2ndquadrant.com) wrote:
> I think the case for pgstat_get_backend_current_activity() and
> pg_stat_get_activity and the other pgstatfuncs.c callers is easy to make
> and seems acceptable to me; but I would leave pg_signal_backend out of
> that discussion, because it has a potentially harmful side effect.  By
> requiring SET ROLE you add an extra layer of protection against
> mistakes.  (Hopefully, pg_signal_backend() is not a routine thing for
> well-run systems, which means human intervention, and therefore the room
> for error isn't insignificant.)

While I certainly understand where you're coming from, I don't really
buy into it.  Yes, cancelling a query (the only thing normal users can
do anyway- they can't terminate backends) could mean the loss of any
in-progress work, but it's not like 'rm' and I don't see that it needs
to require extra hoops for individuals to go through.
Thanks!
    Stephen