PostgreSQL 8.4.3
OS: Linux Red Hat 4.x
I changed my strategy with PostgreSQL recently to use a large segment of memory for shared buffers with the idea of caching disk blocks. How can I see how much memory PostgreSQL is using for this?
I tried:
ps aux | grep post | sort –k4
This lists the processes using memory at the bottom. Are they sharing memory or using individual their own blocks of memory?
When I do top I see that VIRT is the value of my shared buffers plus a tiny bit. I see %MEM is only 2.4%, 2.6%, 1.0%,1.5%, and 1.1% for all of the running processes. Do I add these percentages up to see what amount of VIRT I am really using?
Or is there some way to ask PostgreSQL how much memory are you using to cache disk blocks currently?
When you do a PG_DUMP does PostgreSQL put the disk blocks into shared buffers as it runs?
Thanks,
Lance Campbell
Software Architect/DBA/Project Manager
Web Services at Public Affairs
217-333-0382