Re: Lots of postmaster processes

Ameet Kini <akini@cs.wisc.edu> writes:
> We're running on tao linux.  And yes, there are many client connection
> requests sent to the server at the same time. My impression was that
> client connection requests usually show up as a postgres process not
> postmaster but I could be wrong.  Is it that the postmaster forks off a
> process on receiving a client connection request and then renames the
> process to postgres and I'm issuing my ps command while its in the
> intermediate state when its still called postmaster?

A bit hard to believe, unless there's something delaying the
subprocesses from reaching their first set_ps_display() call.
Offhand it looks like DNS problems could cause that (especially if
you've got log_hostname enabled), or broken client code that doesn't
send the whole startup packet immediately.

However, a backend that's hung up that early in the startup process
really shouldn't be consuming noticeable resources, so I'm not sure why
this would create a performance issue for you.

            regards, tom lane