RE: Perform streaming logical transactions by background workers and parallel apply

Hayato Kuroda (Fujitsu) <kuroda.hayato@fujitsu.com>

From: "kuroda.hayato@fujitsu.com" <kuroda.hayato@fujitsu.com>
To: "wangw.fnst@fujitsu.com" <wangw.fnst@fujitsu.com>
Cc: Dilip Kumar <dilipbalaut@gmail.com>, Peter Smith <smithpb2250@gmail.com>, Masahiko Sawada <sawada.mshk@gmail.com>, "shiy.fnst@fujitsu.com" <shiy.fnst@fujitsu.com>, PostgreSQL Hackers <pgsql-hackers@lists.postgresql.org>, Amit Kapila <amit.kapila16@gmail.com>, "houzj.fnst@fujitsu.com" <houzj.fnst@fujitsu.com>
Date: 2022-08-09T08:48:53Z
Lists: pgsql-hackers
Dear Wang,

Thanks for updating patch sets! Followings are comments about v20-0001.

1. config.sgml

```
       <para>
        Specifies maximum number of logical replication workers. This includes
        both apply workers and table synchronization workers.
       </para>
```

I think you can add a description in the above paragraph, like
" This includes apply main workers, apply background workers, and table synchronization workers."

2. logical-replication.sgml

2.a Configuration Settings

```
   <varname>max_logical_replication_workers</varname> must be set to at least
   the number of subscriptions, again plus some reserve for the table
   synchronization.
```

I think you can add a description in the above paragraph, like
"... the number of subscriptions, plus some reserve for the table synchronization
 and the streaming transaction."

2.b Monitoring

```
  <para>
   Normally, there is a single apply process running for an enabled
   subscription.  A disabled subscription or a crashed subscription will have
   zero rows in this view.  If the initial data synchronization of any
   table is in progress, there will be additional workers for the tables
   being synchronized.
  </para>
```

I think you can add a sentence in the above paragraph, like 
"... synchronized. Moreover, if the streaming transaction is applied parallelly,
there will be additional workers"

3. launcher.c

```
+       /* Sanity check : we don't support table sync in subworker. */
```

I think "Sanity check :" should be "Sanity check:", per other files.

4. worker.c

4.a handle_streamed_transaction()

```
-       /* not in streaming mode */
-       if (!in_streamed_transaction)
+       /* Not in streaming mode */
+       if (!(in_streamed_transaction || am_apply_bgworker()))
```

I think the comment should also mention about apply background worker case.

4.b handle_streamed_transaction()

```
-       Assert(stream_fd != NULL);
```

I think this assersion seems reasonable in case of stream='on'.
Could you revive it and move to later part in the function, like after subxact_info_add(current_xid)?

4.c apply_handle_prepare_internal()

```
         * BeginTransactionBlock is necessary to balance the EndTransactionBlock
         * called within the PrepareTransactionBlock below.
         */
-       BeginTransactionBlock();
+       if (!IsTransactionBlock())
+               BeginTransactionBlock();
+
```

I think the comment should be "We must be in transaction block to balance...".

4.d apply_handle_stream_prepare()

```
- *
- * Logic is in two parts:
- * 1. Replay all the spooled operations
- * 2. Mark the transaction as prepared
  */
 static void
 apply_handle_stream_prepare(StringInfo s)
```

I think these comments are useful when stream='on',
so it should be moved to later part.

5. applybgworker.c

5.a apply_bgworker_setup()

```
+       elog(DEBUG1, "setting up apply worker #%u", list_length(ApplyBgworkersList) + 1); 
```

"apply worker" should be "apply background worker".

5.b LogicalApplyBgwLoop()

```
+                               elog(DEBUG1, "[Apply BGW #%u] ended processing streaming chunk,"
+                                        "waiting on shm_mq_receive", shared->worker_id);
```

A blank is needed after comma. I checked serverlog, and the message outputed like:

```
[Apply BGW #1] ended processing streaming chunk,waiting on shm_mq_receive
```

6.

When I started up the apply background worker and did `SELECT * from pg_stat_subscription`, I got following lines:

```
postgres=# select * from pg_stat_subscription;
 subid | subname |  pid  | relid | received_lsn |      last_msg_send_time       |     last_msg_receipt_time     | latest_end_lsn |        latest_end
_time        
-------+---------+-------+-------+--------------+-------------------------------+-------------------------------+----------------+------------------
-------------
 16400 | sub     | 22383 |       |              | -infinity                     | -infinity                     |                | -infinity
 16400 | sub     | 22312 |       | 0/6734740    | 2022-08-09 07:40:19.367676+00 | 2022-08-09 07:40:19.375455+00 | 0/6734740      | 2022-08-09 07:40:
19.367676+00
(2 rows)
```


6.a

It seems that the upper line represents the apply background worker, but I think last_msg_send_time and last_msg_receipt_time should be null.
Is it like initialization mistake?

```
$ ps aux | grep 22383
... postgres: logical replication apply background worker for subscription 16400
```

6.b

Currently, the documentation doesn't clarify the method to determine the type of logical replication workers.
Could you add descriptions about it?
I think adding a column "subworker" is an alternative approach.


Best Regards,
Hayato Kuroda
FUJITSU LIMITED

Commits

Same data as JSON: GET /api/v1/messages/:b64id/commits the thread's linked commits as JSON, with link sources. API reference →
  1. Fix invalid memory access during the shutdown of the parallel apply worker.

  2. Fix assertion failure in apply worker.

  3. Use elog to report unexpected action in handle_streamed_transaction().

  4. Use appropriate wait event when sending data in the apply worker.

  5. Allow the logical_replication_mode to be used on the subscriber.

  6. Rename GUC logical_decoding_mode to logical_replication_mode.

  7. Display the leader apply worker's PID for parallel apply workers.

  8. Improve the code to decide and process the apply action.

  9. Document the newly added wait events added by commit 216a784829.

  10. Perform apply of large transactions by parallel workers.

  11. Wake up a subscription's replication worker processes after DDL.

  12. Add copyright notices to meson files

  13. Better document logical replication parameters

  14. Add a common function to generate the origin name.

  15. Harmonize parameter names in storage and AM code.

  16. Avoid using list_length() to test for empty list.

  17. Improve two comments related to a boolean DefElem's value

  18. Fix partition table's REPLICA IDENTITY checking on the subscriber.

  19. Fix data inconsistency between publisher and subscriber.

  20. Fix cache look-up failures while applying changes in logical replication.