Re: eliminate xl_heap_visible to reduce WAL (and eventually set VM on-access)

On Thu, 9 Oct 2025 at 03:54, Melanie Plageman <melanieplageman@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On Mon, Oct 6, 2025 at 6:40 PM Melanie Plageman
> <melanieplageman@gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > In attached v16, I’ve reverted to removing XLOG_HEAP2_VISIBLE
> > entirely, rather than first removing each caller's heap page from the
> > VM WAL chain. I reordered changes and squashed several refactoring
> > patches to improve patch-by-patch readability. This should make the
> > set read differently from earlier versions that removed
> > XLOG_HEAP2_VISIBLE and had more step-by-step mechanical refactoring.
> >
> > I think if we plan to go all the way with removing XLOG_HEAP2_VISIBLE,
> > having intermediate patches that just set PD_ALL_VISIBLE when making
> > other heap pages are more confusing than helpful. Also, I think having
> > separate flags for setting PD_ALL_VISIBLE in the WAL record
> > over-complicated the code.
>
> I decided to reorder the patches to remove XLOG_HEAP2_VISIBLE from
> vacuum phase III before removing it from vacuum phase I because
> removing it from phase III doesn't require preliminary refactoring
> patches. I've done that in the attached v17.
>
> I've also added an experimental patch on the end that refactors large
> chunks of heap_page_prune_and_freeze() into helpers. I got some
> feedback off-list that heap_page_prune_and_freeze() is too unwieldy
> now. I'm not sure how I feel about them yet, so I haven't documented
> them or moved them up in the patch set to before changes to
> heap_page_prune_and_freeze().
>
> 0001: Eliminate XLOG_HEAP2_VISIBLE from COPY FREEZE
> 0002: Eliminate XLOG_HEAP2_VISIBLE from phase III of vacuum
> 0003 - 0006: cleanup and refactoring to prepare for 0007
> 0007: Eliminate XLOG_HEAP2_VISIBLE from vacuum prune/freeze
> 0008 - 0009: Remove XLOG_HEAP2_VISIBLE
> 0010 - 0012: refactoring to prepare for 0013
> 0013: Set VM on-access
> 0014: Set pd_prune_xid on insert
> 0015: Experimental refactoring of heap_page_prune_and_freeze into helpers
>
> - Melanie

Hi! Should we also bump XLOG_PAGE_MAGIC after d96f87332 & add323da40a
or do we wait for full set to be committed?
--
Best regards,
Kirill Reshke