It seems to me there's no fundamental reason why there couldn't be
two VACUUMs running concurrently in a database.  With the locking
we are doing now, it should be safe enough.  So, I'd like to propose
that we get rid of the pg_vlock lock file.  It doesn't have any useful
purpose but it does force manual intervention by the dbadmin to recover
if a VACUUM crashes :-(

Comments?  Did I miss something about why we can't have more than one
vacuum process?

			regards, tom lane

Sat, 18 Sep 1999 15:58:06 -0400
Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>
Why do we need pg_vlock?
> It seems to me there's no fundamental reason why there couldn't be
> two VACUUMs running concurrently in a database.  With the locking
> we are doing now, it should be safe enough.  So, I'd like to propose
> that we get rid of the pg_vlock lock file.  It doesn't have any useful
> purpose but it does force manual intervention by the dbadmin to recover
> if a VACUUM crashes :-(
> 
> Comments?  Did I miss something about why we can't have more than one
> vacuum process?

I vote for removal.  Lock files are hacks, usually.

-- 
  Bruce Momjian                        |  http://www.op.net/~candle
  maillist@candle.pha.pa.us            |  (610) 853-3000
  +  If your life is a hard drive,     |  830 Blythe Avenue
  +  Christ can be your backup.        |  Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania 19026

Sat, 18 Sep 1999 16:25:40 -0400 (EDT)
Bruce Momjian <maillist@candle.pha.pa.us>
Re: [HACKERS] Why do we need pg_vlock?
Bruce Momjian wrote:
> 
> > It seems to me there's no fundamental reason why there couldn't be
> > two VACUUMs running concurrently in a database.  With the locking
> > we are doing now, it should be safe enough.  So, I'd like to propose
> > that we get rid of the pg_vlock lock file.  It doesn't have any useful
> > purpose but it does force manual intervention by the dbadmin to recover
> > if a VACUUM crashes :-(
> >
> > Comments?  Did I miss something about why we can't have more than one
> > vacuum process?
> 
> I vote for removal.  Lock files are hacks, usually.

Agreed.

Vadim

Mon, 20 Sep 1999 09:25:47 +0800
Vadim Mikheev <vadim@krs.ru>
Re: [HACKERS] Why do we need pg_vlock?