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+<!-- doc/src/sgml/pgwalinspect.sgml -->
+
+<sect1 id="pgwalinspect" xreflabel="pg_walinspect">
+ <title>pg_walinspect &mdash; low-level WAL inspection</title>
+
+ <indexterm zone="pgwalinspect">
+ <primary>pg_walinspect</primary>
+ </indexterm>
+
+ <para>
+ The <filename>pg_walinspect</filename> module provides SQL functions that
+ allow you to inspect the contents of write-ahead log of
+ a running <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> database cluster at a low
+ level, which is useful for debugging, analytical, reporting or
+ educational purposes. It is similar to <xref linkend="pgwaldump"/>, but
+ accessible through SQL rather than a separate utility.
+ </para>
+
+ <para>
+ All the functions of this module will provide the WAL information using the
+ server's current timeline ID.
+ </para>
+
+ <note>
+ <para>
+ The <filename>pg_walinspect</filename> functions are often called
+ using an LSN argument that specifies the location at which a known
+ WAL record of interest <emphasis>begins</emphasis>. However, some
+ functions, such as
+ <function><link linkend="pg-logical-emit-message">pg_logical_emit_message</link></function>,
+ return the LSN <emphasis>after</emphasis> the record that was just
+ inserted.
+ </para>
+ </note>
+ <tip>
+ <para>
+ All of the <filename>pg_walinspect</filename> functions that show
+ information about records that fall within a certain LSN range are
+ permissive about accepting <replaceable>end_lsn</replaceable>
+ arguments that are after the server's current LSN. Using an
+ <replaceable>end_lsn</replaceable> <quote>from the future</quote>
+ will not raise an error.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ It may be convenient to provide the value
+ <literal>FFFFFFFF/FFFFFFFF</literal> (the maximum valid
+ <type>pg_lsn</type> value) as an <replaceable>end_lsn</replaceable>
+ argument. This is equivalent to providing an
+ <replaceable>end_lsn</replaceable> argument matching the server's
+ current LSN.
+ </para>
+ </tip>
+ <para>
+ By default, use of these functions is restricted to superusers and members of
+ the <literal>pg_read_server_files</literal> role. Access may be granted by
+ superusers to others using <command>GRANT</command>.
+ </para>
+
+ <sect2 id="pgwalinspect-funcs">
+ <title>General Functions</title>
+
+ <variablelist>
+ <varlistentry id="pgwalinspect-funcs-pg-get-wal-record-info">
+ <term>
+ <function>pg_get_wal_record_info(in_lsn pg_lsn) returns record</function>
+ </term>
+
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Gets WAL record information about a record that is located at or
+ after the <replaceable>in_lsn</replaceable> argument. For
+ example:
+<screen>
+postgres=# SELECT * FROM pg_get_wal_record_info('0/E419E28');
+-[ RECORD 1 ]----+-------------------------------------------------
+start_lsn | 0/E419E28
+end_lsn | 0/E419E68
+prev_lsn | 0/E419D78
+xid | 0
+resource_manager | Heap2
+record_type | VACUUM
+record_length | 58
+main_data_length | 2
+fpi_length | 0
+description | nunused: 5, unused: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
+block_ref | blkref #0: rel 1663/16385/1249 fork main blk 364
+</screen>
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ If <replaceable>in_lsn</replaceable> isn't at the start of a WAL
+ record, information about the next valid WAL record is shown
+ instead. If there is no next valid WAL record, the function
+ raises an error.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+
+ <varlistentry id="pgwalinspect-funcs-pg-get-wal-records-info">
+ <term>
+ <function>
+ pg_get_wal_records_info(start_lsn pg_lsn, end_lsn pg_lsn)
+ returns setof record
+ </function>
+ </term>
+
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Gets information of all the valid WAL records between
+ <replaceable>start_lsn</replaceable> and <replaceable>end_lsn</replaceable>.
+ Returns one row per WAL record. For example:
+<screen>
+postgres=# SELECT * FROM pg_get_wal_records_info('0/1E913618', '0/1E913740') LIMIT 1;
+-[ RECORD 1 ]----+--------------------------------------------------------------
+start_lsn | 0/1E913618
+end_lsn | 0/1E913650
+prev_lsn | 0/1E9135A0
+xid | 0
+resource_manager | Standby
+record_type | RUNNING_XACTS
+record_length | 50
+main_data_length | 24
+fpi_length | 0
+description | nextXid 33775 latestCompletedXid 33774 oldestRunningXid 33775
+block_ref |
+</screen>
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ The function raises an error if
+ <replaceable>start_lsn</replaceable> is not available.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+
+ <varlistentry id="pgwalinspect-funcs-pg-get-wal-block-info">
+ <term>
+ <function>pg_get_wal_block_info(start_lsn pg_lsn, end_lsn pg_lsn, show_data boolean DEFAULT true) returns setof record</function>
+ </term>
+
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Gets information about each block reference from all the valid
+ WAL records between <replaceable>start_lsn</replaceable> and
+ <replaceable>end_lsn</replaceable> with one or more block
+ references. Returns one row per block reference per WAL record.
+ For example:
+<screen>
+postgres=# SELECT * FROM pg_get_wal_block_info('0/1230278', '0/12302B8');
+-[ RECORD 1 ]-----+-----------------------------------
+start_lsn | 0/1230278
+end_lsn | 0/12302B8
+prev_lsn | 0/122FD40
+block_id | 0
+reltablespace | 1663
+reldatabase | 1
+relfilenode | 2658
+relforknumber | 0
+relblocknumber | 11
+xid | 341
+resource_manager | Btree
+record_type | INSERT_LEAF
+record_length | 64
+main_data_length | 2
+block_data_length | 16
+block_fpi_length | 0
+block_fpi_info |
+description | off: 46
+block_data | \x00002a00070010402630000070696400
+block_fpi_data |
+</screen>
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ This example involves a WAL record that only contains one block
+ reference, but many WAL records contain several block
+ references. Rows output by
+ <function>pg_get_wal_block_info</function> are guaranteed to
+ have a unique combination of
+ <replaceable>start_lsn</replaceable> and
+ <replaceable>block_id</replaceable> values.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ Much of the information shown here matches the output that
+ <function>pg_get_wal_records_info</function> would show, given
+ the same arguments. However,
+ <function>pg_get_wal_block_info</function> unnests the
+ information from each WAL record into an expanded form by
+ outputting one row per block reference, so certain details are
+ tracked at the block reference level rather than at the
+ whole-record level. This structure is useful with queries that
+ track how individual blocks changed over time. Note that
+ records with no block references (e.g.,
+ <literal>COMMIT</literal> WAL records) will have no rows
+ returned, so <function>pg_get_wal_block_info</function> may
+ actually return <emphasis>fewer</emphasis> rows than
+ <function>pg_get_wal_records_info</function>.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ The <structfield>reltablespace</structfield>,
+ <structfield>reldatabase</structfield>, and
+ <structfield>relfilenode</structfield> parameters reference
+ <link linkend="catalog-pg-tablespace"><structname>pg_tablespace</structname></link>.<structfield>oid</structfield>,
+ <link linkend="catalog-pg-database"><structname>pg_database</structname></link>.<structfield>oid</structfield>, and
+ <link linkend="catalog-pg-class"><structname>pg_class</structname></link>.<structfield>relfilenode</structfield>
+ respectively. The <structfield>relforknumber</structfield>
+ field is the fork number within the relation for the block
+ reference; see <filename>common/relpath.h</filename> for
+ details.
+ </para>
+ <tip>
+ <para>
+ The <function>pg_filenode_relation</function> function (see
+ <xref linkend="functions-admin-dblocation"/>) can help you to
+ determine which relation was modified during original execution.
+ </para>
+ </tip>
+ <para>
+ It is possible for clients to avoid the overhead of
+ materializing block data. This may make function execution
+ significantly faster. When <replaceable>show_data</replaceable>
+ is set to <literal>false</literal>, <structfield>block_data</structfield>
+ and <structfield>block_fpi_data</structfield> values are omitted
+ (that is, the <structfield>block_data</structfield> and
+ <structfield>block_fpi_data</structfield> <literal>OUT</literal>
+ arguments are <literal>NULL</literal> for all rows returned).
+ Obviously, this optimization is only feasible with queries where
+ block data isn't truly required.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ The function raises an error if
+ <replaceable>start_lsn</replaceable> is not available.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+
+ <varlistentry id="pgwalinspect-funcs-pg-get-wal-stats">
+ <term>
+ <function>
+ pg_get_wal_stats(start_lsn pg_lsn, end_lsn pg_lsn, per_record boolean DEFAULT false)
+ returns setof record
+ </function>
+ </term>
+
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Gets statistics of all the valid WAL records between
+ <replaceable>start_lsn</replaceable> and
+ <replaceable>end_lsn</replaceable>. By default, it returns one row per
+ <replaceable>resource_manager</replaceable> type. When
+ <replaceable>per_record</replaceable> is set to <literal>true</literal>,
+ it returns one row per <replaceable>record_type</replaceable>.
+ For example:
+<screen>
+postgres=# SELECT * FROM pg_get_wal_stats('0/1E847D00', '0/1E84F500')
+ WHERE count > 0 AND
+ "resource_manager/record_type" = 'Transaction'
+ LIMIT 1;
+-[ RECORD 1 ]----------------+-------------------
+resource_manager/record_type | Transaction
+count | 2
+count_percentage | 8
+record_size | 875
+record_size_percentage | 41.23468426013195
+fpi_size | 0
+fpi_size_percentage | 0
+combined_size | 875
+combined_size_percentage | 2.8634072910530795
+</screen>
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ The function raises an error if
+ <replaceable>start_lsn</replaceable> is not available.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+
+ </variablelist>
+ </sect2>
+
+ <sect2 id="pgwalinspect-author">
+ <title>Author</title>
+
+ <para>
+ Bharath Rupireddy <email>bharath.rupireddyforpostgres@gmail.com</email>
+ </para>
+ </sect2>
+
+</sect1>