Remove log segment and log_id fields from pg_controldata

The original discussion of this patch was here:

    http://archives.postgresql.org/pgsql-hackers/2006-11/msg00876.php

Your patch has been added to the PostgreSQL unapplied patches list at:

    http://momjian.postgresql.org/cgi-bin/pgpatches

It will be applied as soon as one of the PostgreSQL committers reviews
and approves it.

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Simon Riggs wrote:
> On Tue, 2006-12-05 at 17:26 -0500, Tom Lane wrote:
> > "Simon Riggs" <simon@2ndquadrant.com> writes:
> > > On Tue, 2006-12-05 at 16:24 -0500, Tom Lane wrote:
> > >> Sure, what would happen is that every backend passing through this code
> > >> would execute the several lines of computation needed to decide whether
> > >> to call RequestCheckpoint.
> >
> > > Right, but the calculation uses RedoRecPtr, which may not be completely
> > > up to date. So presumably you want to re-read the shared memory value
> > > again to make sure we are exactly accurate and allow only one person to
> > > call checkpoint? Either way we have to take a lock. Insert lock causes
> > > deadlock, so we would need to use infolock.
> >
> > Not at all.  It's highly unlikely that RedoRecPtr would be so out of
> > date as to result in a false request for a checkpoint, and if it does,
> > so what?  Worst case is we perform an extra checkpoint.
>
> On its own, I wouldn't normally agree...
>
> > Also, given the current structure of the routine, this is probably not
> > the best place for that code at all --- it'd make more sense for it to
> > be in the just-finished-a-segment code stretch, which would ensure that
> > it's only done by one backend once per segment.
>
> But thats a much better plan since it requires no locking.
>
> There's a lot more changes there for such a simple fix though and lots
> more potential bugs, but I've coded it as you suggest and removed the
> fields from pg_control.
>
> Patch passes make check, applies cleanly on HEAD.
> pg_resetxlog and pgcontroldata tested.
>
>
> --
>   Simon Riggs
>   EnterpriseDB   http://www.enterprisedb.com
>

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  Bruce Momjian   bruce@momjian.us
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