I'd like to propose adding a new GUC to limit the amount of memory a backend
can allocate for its own use. The problem this addresses is that sometimes
one needs to set work_mem fairly high to get good query plans for large joins.
However, some complex queries will then use huge amounts of memory so that
one or a few of them will consume all the memory on the host and run it deep
into swap or trigger the oom killer or worse.
I've attached a patch based on 8.4.1. It works by keeping a track of the
total memory allocated via malloc to AllocBlocks (aset.c). If this is not
shot down/up too badly I will rebase it on CVS and submit it for the next
commit fest.
I would also like to propose a similar limit on temp space use. It is quite
easy for an unintended cartesion product to use hundreds of gigabytes of
scratch space and cause other processes to fail due to lack of disk space.
If this is not objectionable, I'll work on it too.
-dg
--
David Gould daveg@sonic.net 510 536 1443 510 282 0869
If simplicity worked, the world would be overrun with insects.