Thread

  1. Very poor estimates from planner

    Rod Taylor <rbt@rbt.ca> — 2003-11-05T19:17:21Z

    Since this is a large query, attachments for the explains / query.
    
    Configuration:
            dev_iqdb=# select version();
                                            version
            ------------------------------------------------------------------------
             PostgreSQL 7.4beta1 on i386-portbld-freebsd4.7, compiled by GCC
            2.95.4
            (1 row)
    
            SET default_statistics_target = 1000;
            ANALYZE;
            set from_collapse_limit = 100;
            set join_collapse_limit = 20;
    
    The query is a segment of a report but shows the issue well enough.
    
    Effectively, the planner has amazingly inaccurate row estimates.  With
    nestloop on, it estimates 1 row returned. With it off it estimates 12
    rows returned.  The query actually returns several hundred thousand
    entries.
    
    ANALYZE output is in the nestloopoff file. With nestloopon I actually
    run out of memory prior to query completion (1GB ram to the single
    process).
    
    Any hints? I'm basically stuck. Oh, and I would like to ask for a
    pgadmin feature -- visual explain :)
    
  2. Re: Very poor estimates from planner

    scott.marlowe <scott.marlowe@ihs.com> — 2003-11-05T22:55:56Z

    On Wed, 5 Nov 2003, Rod Taylor wrote:
    
    > Since this is a large query, attachments for the explains / query.
    > 
    > Configuration:
    >         dev_iqdb=# select version();
    >                                         version
    >         ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    >          PostgreSQL 7.4beta1 on i386-portbld-freebsd4.7, compiled by GCC
    >         2.95.4
    >         (1 row)
    > 
    >         SET default_statistics_target = 1000;
    >         ANALYZE;
    >         set from_collapse_limit = 100;
    >         set join_collapse_limit = 20;
    
    I'm not sure if that will actually change the default_statistics_target of 
    the tables you're analyzing, I think it will only apply to newly created 
    tables.  
    
    I believe you have to alter table alter column set statistics 1000 for 
    each column you want a statistic of 1000.  You might wanna try starting 
    with 50 or 100 and see if that works first.
    
    
    
  3. Re: Very poor estimates from planner

    Rod Taylor <rbt@rbt.ca> — 2003-11-05T23:46:47Z

    > I'm not sure if that will actually change the default_statistics_target of 
    > the tables you're analyzing, I think it will only apply to newly created 
    > tables.  
    > 
    > I believe you have to alter table alter column set statistics 1000 for 
    > each column you want a statistic of 1000.  You might wanna try starting 
    > with 50 or 100 and see if that works first.
    
    Hmm.. I was under the impression that it would work for any tables that
    haven't otherwise been overridden.
    
            Sets the default statistics target for table columns that have
            not had a column-specific target set via ALTER TABLE SET
            STATISTICS. Larger values increase the time needed to do
            ANALYZE, but may improve the quality of the planner's estimates.
            The default is 10.
    
  4. Re: Very poor estimates from planner

    Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us> — 2003-11-05T23:57:04Z

    Rod Taylor <rbt@rbt.ca> writes:
    >> I'm not sure if that will actually change the default_statistics_target
    
    > Hmm.. I was under the impression that it would work for any tables that
    > haven't otherwise been overridden.
    
    It will.  I think Scott is recalling the original circa-7.2
    implementation, where it wouldn't.  If you're unsure that you
    affected it, check out the actual sizes of the array values in pg_stats.
    
    			regards, tom lane
    
    
  5. Re: Very poor estimates from planner

    Rod Taylor <rbt@rbt.ca> — 2003-11-06T00:02:21Z

    On Wed, 2003-11-05 at 18:57, Tom Lane wrote:
    > Rod Taylor <rbt@rbt.ca> writes:
    > >> I'm not sure if that will actually change the default_statistics_target
    > 
    > > Hmm.. I was under the impression that it would work for any tables that
    > > haven't otherwise been overridden.
    > 
    > It will.  I think Scott is recalling the original circa-7.2
    > implementation, where it wouldn't.  If you're unsure that you
    > affected it, check out the actual sizes of the array values in pg_stats.
    
    The plan does change when I remove it and re-analyze it.
    
    Either way, it's off by a factor of a 10^5 or so.
    
  6. Re: Very poor estimates from planner

    Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us> — 2003-11-06T00:18:50Z

    Rod Taylor <rbt@rbt.ca> writes:
    > Effectively, the planner has amazingly inaccurate row estimates.
    
    It seems the key estimation failure is in this join step:
    
              ->  Hash Join  (cost=1230.79..60581.82 rows=158 width=54) (actual time=1262.35..151200.29 rows=1121988 loops=1)
                    Hash Cond: ("outer".account_id = "inner".account_id)
                    ->  Hash Join  (cost=1226.78..52863.43 rows=1542558 width=50) (actual time=1261.63..100418.30 rows=1573190 loops=1)
                          (join of bsod, tsb, tss)
                    ->  Hash  (cost=4.01..4.01 rows=1 width=4) (actual time=0.33..0.33 rows=0 loops=1)
                          ->  Index Scan using single_null_parent_account_hack on account ap  (cost=0.00..4.01 rows=1 width=4) (actual time=0.26..0.28 rows=1 loops=1)
                                Filter: (parent_account_id IS NULL)
    
    The estimated number of rows out of the join of bsod, tsb, tss isn't far
    off, but the estimate for the result of joining that to ap is WAY off.
    Apparently the planner thinks that only a few rows in the join will have
    matches in ap, but really they almost all do.  Any idea why?  The
    account_id stats for each seem to be the thing to look at.
    
    > Any hints? I'm basically stuck. Oh, and I would like to ask for a
    > pgadmin feature -- visual explain :)
    
    You do know that Red Hat has been offering a Visual Explain tool for
    some time?
    http://sources.redhat.com/rhdb/
    I've not had much occasion to use it myself, but it works ...
    
    			regards, tom lane
    
    
  7. Re: Very poor estimates from planner

    scott.marlowe <scott.marlowe@ihs.com> — 2003-11-06T00:30:34Z

    On Wed, 5 Nov 2003, Tom Lane wrote:
    
    > Rod Taylor <rbt@rbt.ca> writes:
    > >> I'm not sure if that will actually change the default_statistics_target
    > 
    > > Hmm.. I was under the impression that it would work for any tables that
    > > haven't otherwise been overridden.
    > 
    > It will.  I think Scott is recalling the original circa-7.2
    > implementation, where it wouldn't.  If you're unsure that you
    > affected it, check out the actual sizes of the array values in pg_stats.
    
    Hey, can anyone guess what version I'm running in production :-)  Thanks 
    for the catch.
    
    
    
  8. Re: Very poor estimates from planner

    Rod Taylor <rbt@rbt.ca> — 2003-11-06T00:48:35Z

    On Wed, 2003-11-05 at 19:18, Tom Lane wrote:
    > Rod Taylor <rbt@rbt.ca> writes:
    > > Effectively, the planner has amazingly inaccurate row estimates.
    > 
    > It seems the key estimation failure is in this join step:
    > 
    >           ->  Hash Join  (cost=1230.79..60581.82 rows=158 width=54) (actual time=1262.35..151200.29 rows=1121988 loops=1)
    >                 Hash Cond: ("outer".account_id = "inner".account_id)
    >                 ->  Hash Join  (cost=1226.78..52863.43 rows=1542558 width=50) (actual time=1261.63..100418.30 rows=1573190 loops=1)
    >                       (join of bsod, tsb, tss)
    >                 ->  Hash  (cost=4.01..4.01 rows=1 width=4) (actual time=0.33..0.33 rows=0 loops=1)
    >                       ->  Index Scan using single_null_parent_account_hack on account ap  (cost=0.00..4.01 rows=1 width=4) (actual time=0.26..0.28 rows=1 loops=1)
    >                             Filter: (parent_account_id IS NULL)
    > 
    > The estimated number of rows out of the join of bsod, tsb, tss isn't far
    > off, but the estimate for the result of joining that to ap is WAY off.
    > Apparently the planner thinks that only a few rows in the join will have
    > matches in ap, but really they almost all do.  Any idea why?  The
    > account_id stats for each seem to be the thing to look at.
    
    The account structure is tree, as is the product catalogue. Essentially
    what the query does is convert high level recorded invoices into the
    lower (not quite base) items for billing the different parties involved
    in the transaction. bsod and tsb are both foreign keys to tss on the
    columns being joined. Since these are full table scans, all values will
    join.
    
    This join in particular is  bsod (lineitems) and tsb (cached graph of
    the product catalog tree) which are both foreign key'd off of tss
    (product catalog tree).
    
    So yes, since this is a full table scan all values will be joined since
    the foreign key enforces them all to exist.
    
    > > Any hints? I'm basically stuck. Oh, and I would like to ask for a
    > > pgadmin feature -- visual explain :)
    > 
    > You do know that Red Hat has been offering a Visual Explain tool for
    > some time?
    > http://sources.redhat.com/rhdb/
    > I've not had much occasion to use it myself, but it works ...
    
    Yeah.. but pgadmin is in the ports tree.
    
    I'll take a peak at it.
    
  9. Re: Very poor estimates from planner

    Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us> — 2003-11-06T15:35:47Z

    Rod Taylor <rbt@rbt.ca> writes:
    >> ->  Hash Join  (cost=3D1230.79..60581.82 rows=3D158 width=3D54)=
    >  (actual time=3D1262.35..151200.29 rows=3D1121988 loops=3D1)
    >> Hash Cond: ("outer".account_id =3D "inner".account_id)
    >> ->  Hash Join  (cost=3D1226.78..52863.43 rows=3D1542558 w=
    > idth=3D50) (actual time=3D1261.63..100418.30 rows=3D1573190 loops=3D1)
    >> (join of bsod, tsb, tss)
    
    (btw, would you mind turning off MIME encoding in your mails to the PG
    lists?  It's a real PITA to quote.)
    
    > So yes, since this is a full table scan all values will be joined since
    > the foreign key enforces them all to exist.
    
    Well, no, because only 1121988 rows come out of the join when 1573190
    went in.  So the actual selectivity of the join is about 70%.  The
    question is why the planner is estimating the selectivity at 0.01%
    (158/1542558).
    
    Could we see the pg_stats rows for service.account_id and
    account.account_id?
    
    			regards, tom lane
    
    
  10. Re: Very poor estimates from planner

    Rod Taylor <pg@rbt.ca> — 2003-11-06T19:28:39Z

    On Thu, 2003-11-06 at 10:35, Tom Lane wrote:
    > Rod Taylor <rbt@rbt.ca> writes:
    > >> ->  Hash Join  (cost=3D1230.79..60581.82 rows=3D158 width=3D54)=
    > >  (actual time=3D1262.35..151200.29 rows=3D1121988 loops=3D1)
    > >> Hash Cond: ("outer".account_id =3D "inner".account_id)
    > >> ->  Hash Join  (cost=3D1226.78..52863.43 rows=3D1542558 w=
    > > idth=3D50) (actual time=3D1261.63..100418.30 rows=3D1573190 loops=3D1)
    > >> (join of bsod, tsb, tss)
    > 
    > (btw, would you mind turning off MIME encoding in your mails to the PG
    > lists?  It's a real PITA to quote.)
    
    I can, though I would ask which email client you use that doesn't pull
    content out of mime encoded emails.
    
    > > So yes, since this is a full table scan all values will be joined since
    > > the foreign key enforces them all to exist.
    > 
    > Well, no, because only 1121988 rows come out of the join when 1573190
    > went in.  So the actual selectivity of the join is about 70%.  The
    > question is why the planner is estimating the selectivity at 0.01%
    > (158/1542558).
    > 
    > Could we see the pg_stats rows for service.account_id and
    > account.account_id?
    
     relname |  attname   | stanullfrac | stawidth | stadistinct | stakind1
    | stakind2 | stakind3 | stakind4 | staop1 | staop2 | staop3 | staop4
    |                                          
    stanumbers1                                            | stanumbers2 |
    stanumbers3 | stanumbers4 |                          
    stavalues1                            | stavalues2 | stavalues3 |
    stavalues4
    ---------+------------+-------------+----------+-------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------+------------+------------+------------
     service | account_id |           0 |        4 |          10 |        1
    |        3 |        0 |        0 |     96 |     97 |      0 |      0 |
    {0.388393,0.0825893,0.078125,0.0758929,0.0703125,0.0647321,0.0647321,0.0636161,0.0625,0.0491071} | {0.591672}  |             |             | {1,8221,8223,8226,8222,8218,8220,8219,8224,8225}                |            |   |
     account | account_id |           0 |        4 |          -1 |        2
    |        3 |        0 |        0 |     97 |     97 |      0 |      0
    |                                                                                                  | {0.97034}   |             |             | {1,10178,12136,14099,16054,18011,19966,21924,23881,26018,27995} |            |   |
    (2 rows)