Update documentation to emphasize autovacuum rather than

administrator-scheduled vacuums.

1 files changed, 33 insertions, 44 deletions

diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/maintenance.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/maintenance.sgml
index 8090bbe8387..d82d0c54e3f 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/maintenance.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/maintenance.sgml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-<!-- $PostgreSQL: pgsql/doc/src/sgml/maintenance.sgml,v 1.78 2007/08/19 01:41:24 adunstan Exp $ -->
+<!-- $PostgreSQL: pgsql/doc/src/sgml/maintenance.sgml,v 1.79 2007/09/13 23:43:35 momjian Exp $ -->
 
 <chapter id="maintenance">
  <title>Routine Database Maintenance Tasks</title>
@@ -59,8 +59,9 @@
   </indexterm>
 
   <para>
-   <productname>PostgreSQL</productname>'s <command>VACUUM</> command
-   <emphasis>must</emphasis> be run on a regular basis for several reasons:
+   <productname>PostgreSQL</productname>'s <command>VACUUM</> (<xref
+   linkend="sql-vacuum"> command has to run on a regular basis for several
+   reasons:
 
     <orderedlist>
      <listitem>
@@ -78,14 +79,6 @@
       <firstterm>transaction ID wraparound</>.</simpara>
      </listitem>
     </orderedlist>
-
-   The frequency and scope of the <command>VACUUM</> operations
-   performed for each of these reasons will vary depending on the
-   needs of each site.  Therefore, database administrators must
-   understand these issues and develop an appropriate maintenance
-   strategy.  This section concentrates on explaining the high-level
-   issues; for details about command syntax and so on, see the <xref
-   linkend="sql-vacuum" endterm="sql-vacuum-title"> reference page.
   </para>
 
   <para>
@@ -103,13 +96,14 @@
   </para>
 
   <para>
-   An automated mechanism for performing the necessary <command>VACUUM</>
-   operations has been added in <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> 8.1.
-   See <xref linkend="autovacuum">.
+   Fortunately, autovacuum (<xref linkend="autovacuum">) monitors table
+   activity and performs <command>VACUUM</command>s when necessary.
+   Autovacuum works dynamically so it is often better
+   administration-scheduled vacuuming.
   </para>
 
   <sect2 id="vacuum-for-space-recovery">
-   <title>Recovering disk space</title>
+   <title>Recovering Disk Space</title>
 
    <indexterm zone="vacuum-for-space-recovery">
     <primary>disk space</primary>
@@ -129,17 +123,6 @@
    </para>
 
    <para>
-    Clearly, a table that receives frequent updates or deletes will need
-    to be vacuumed more often than tables that are seldom updated. It
-    might be useful to set up periodic <application>cron</> tasks that
-    <command>VACUUM</command> only selected tables, skipping tables that are known not to
-    change often. This is only likely to be helpful if you have both
-    large heavily-updated tables and large seldom-updated tables &mdash; the
-    extra cost of vacuuming a small table isn't enough to be worth
-    worrying about.
-   </para>
-
-   <para>
     There are two variants of the <command>VACUUM</command>
     command. The first form, known as <quote>lazy vacuum</quote> or
     just <command>VACUUM</command>, marks dead data in tables and
@@ -167,30 +150,36 @@
    </para>
 
    <para>
-    The standard form of <command>VACUUM</> is best used with the goal
-    of maintaining a fairly level steady-state usage of disk space. If
-    you need to return disk space to the operating system, you can use
-    <command>VACUUM FULL</> &mdash; but what's the point of releasing disk
-    space that will only have to be allocated again soon?  Moderately
-    frequent standard <command>VACUUM</> runs are a better approach
-    than infrequent <command>VACUUM FULL</> runs for maintaining
-    heavily-updated tables. However, if some heavily-updated tables
-    have gone too long with infrequent <command>VACUUM</>, you can
+    Fortunately, autovacuum (<xref linkend="autovacuum">) monitors table
+    activity and performs <command>VACUUM</command>s when necessary.  This
+    eliminates the need for administrators to worry about disk space
+    recovery in all but the most unusual cases.
+   </para>
+
+   <para>
+    For administrators who want to control <command>VACUUM</command>
+    themselves, the standard form of <command>VACUUM</> is best used to
+    maintain a steady-state usage of disk space. If you need to return
+    disk space to the operating system, you can use <command>VACUUM
+    FULL</>, but this is unwise if the table will just grow again in the
+    future.  Moderately-frequent standard <command>VACUUM</> runs are a
+    better approach than infrequent <command>VACUUM FULL</> runs for
+    maintaining heavily-updated tables.  However, if some heavily-updated
+    tables have gone too long with infrequent <command>VACUUM</>, you can
     use <command>VACUUM FULL</> or <command>CLUSTER</> to get performance
     back (it is much slower to scan a table containing almost only dead
     rows).
    </para>
 
    <para>
-    Recommended practice for most sites is to schedule a database-wide
-    <command>VACUUM</> once a day at a low-usage time of day,
-    supplemented by more frequent vacuuming of heavily-updated tables
-    if necessary. (Some installations with extremely high update rates
-    vacuum their busiest tables as often as once every few minutes.)
-    If you have multiple databases
-    in a cluster, don't forget to <command>VACUUM</command> each one;
-    the program <xref linkend="app-vacuumdb" endterm="app-vacuumdb-title">
-    might be helpful.
+    For those not using autovacuum, one approach is to schedule a
+    database-wide <command>VACUUM</> once a day during low-usage period,
+    supplemented by more frequent vacuuming of heavily-updated tables if
+    necessary. (Some installations with extremely high update rates vacuum
+    their busiest tables as often as once every few minutes.) If you have
+    multiple databases in a cluster, don't forget to
+    <command>VACUUM</command> each one; the program <xref
+    linkend="app-vacuumdb" endterm="app-vacuumdb-title"> might be helpful.
    </para>
 
    <para>