Re: Spontaneous PostgreSQL Server Reboot?

Tom Lane wrote:
> Andrew Biagioni <andrew.biagioni@e-greek.net> writes:
>
>>On three different machines running the same PostgreSQL version (7.3.5)
>>on Linux and almost identical databases, I have been plagued by
>>occasional, unexplainable (to me) reboots of the computer.
>
>
> Postgres can *not* cause a system reboot; it's only an unprivileged user
> process.  (but see *)  You are dealing with either kernel bugs, hardware
> errors, or some other root-level process requesting a reboot.

This is one thing I was hoping to hear;  any hints on kernel bug issues
(or logs of causes)?

> Even though it being three different machines would seem to rule out
> hardware issues, I'd not jump to that conclusion ... you might be having
> some kind of common-mode hardware failure.  Two questions to ask here:
>     * did you buy all the RAM from the same vendor?
>     * is the power utility flaky where you live?  (If you say "but
>       I've got a UPS", how old are its batteries?)
>
> My money would be on a kernel bug though.  Are you up2date on kernel
> patches?

kernel patches, yes;  kernel versions, no...

>             regards, tom lane
>
> (*) ObFinePrint: at least, PG can't directly trigger a reboot.  One
> scenario to think about is flaky RAM in an address range that doesn't
> get used until the machine is under significant load --- since you say
> Postgres is the only significant load on the machine, it's entirely
> possible that triggering of a hardware failure is closely correlated to
> what Postgres is doing.  Similar remarks apply to broken disk hardware.

I just got a suggestion to run badblocks and memtest86, to check the
hardware;  that and an updated kernel should help me figure out what is
going on...

Thanks,

        Andrew

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