Database server crash ! URGENT !

Hi all,

I'm running Postgresql 7.1.1 on Solaris and mostly uses JDBC Driver to
connect to the Database.

Recently I'm seeing very weird behaviour, Database Server automatically
shuts down and when I restart it, it again shuts down as soon as I start it
or sometimes it shuts down as soon as I try to establish the connection. I t
happens 3-4 times and after that it again becomes stable and would run for
days without any problems. I've seen this in 2-3 production systems.

Here is how I'm starting the server.
'postmaster -B 5- -N 25 -D/usr/local/pgsql/data -i'

Here is what I see on the console on two different instances

First Instance:
Sun Microsystems Inc.    SunOS 5.7    Generic    October 1998
stty: : No such device or address
DEBUG:  database system was shut down at 2000-10-17 21:04:30 PDT
DEBUG:  CheckPoint record at (0, 34075216)
DEBUG:  Redo record at (0, 34075216); Undo record at (0, 0); Shutdown TRUE
DEBUG:  NextTransactionId: 21473; NextOid: 68943
DEBUG:  database system is in production state
Fast Shutdown request at Tue Oct 17 21:40:23 2000
DEBUG:  shutting down
DEBUG:  database system is shut down
******************************************


Second Instance:
Sun Microsystems Inc.    SunOS 5.7    Generic    October 1998
stty: : No such device or address
DEBUG:  database system was interrupted at 2000-10-17 05:07:20 PDT
DEBUG:  CheckPoint record at (0, 33362784)
DEBUG:  Redo record at (0, 33362784); Undo record at (0, 0); Shutdown TRUE
DEBUG:  NextTransactionId: 21144; NextOid: 60751
DEBUG:  database system was not properly shut down; automatic recovery in
progress...
DEBUG:  redo starts at (0, 33362848)
DEBUG:  ReadRecord: record with zero len at (0, 34075152)
DEBUG:  redo done at (0, 34075112)
DEBUG:  database system is in production state
pq_recvbuf: unexpected EOF on client connection
pq_recvbuf: unexpected EOF on client connection
/usr/local/pgsql/bin/postmaster: dumpstatus:
/usr/local/pgsql/bin/postmaster: dumpstatus:
Fast Shutdown request at Tue Oct 17 21:04:28 2000
Aborting any active transaction...
FATAL 1:  This connection has been terminated by the administrator.
FATAL 1:  This connection has been terminated by the administrator.
DEBUG:  shutting down
DEBUG:  MoveOfflineLogs: remove 0000000000000001
DEBUG:  database system is shut down
********************************************


I tried following precautions/solutions:

* I tried to make sure that I properly shut down the database server, but it
happens even if the last shutdown was 'Fast Shutdown'.
* I issue 'VACCUM' command, every time my application (which is built on top
of JDBC) starts. and I do it automatically once in 24 hrs.
But I see this problem on those systems too, where I do auto VACUUM.


Can somebody suggest how to debug this problem or if somebody has
experienced this before !!

Also please tell what is the meaning of 'Redo Record at..' messages printed
on the console.

thanks
Sunit













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