Thread

[PATCH v12a 1/4] Refactor how some aux processes advertise their ProcNumber

Heikki Linnakangas <heikki.linnakangas@iki.fi> — 2026-02-13T12:23:35Z

This moves the responsibility of setting the
ProcGlobal->walrewriterProc and checkpointerProc fields to
InitAuxiliaryProcess. Also switch to the same pattern to advertise the
autovacuum launcher's ProcNumber, replacing the ad hoc av_launcherpid
field in shared memory. This can easily be extended to other aux
processes in the future, if other processes need to find them.

Switch to pg_atomic_uint32 for the fields. Seems easier to reason
about than volatile pointers. There was some precedence for that, as
were already using pg_atomic_uint32 for the procArrayGroupFirst and
clogGroupFirst fields, which also store ProcNumbers.

TODO: could also replace WalRecv->procno with this
---
 src/include/storage/proc.h            |  7 ++++---
 src/backend/access/transam/xlog.c     |  3 +--
 src/backend/postmaster/autovacuum.c   | 19 +++++++++--------
 src/backend/postmaster/checkpointer.c | 14 ++++---------
 src/backend/postmaster/walwriter.c    |  6 ------
 src/backend/storage/lmgr/proc.c       | 30 +++++++++++++++++++++++++--
 6 files changed, 47 insertions(+), 32 deletions(-)

diff --git a/src/include/storage/proc.h b/src/include/storage/proc.h
index 3f89450c216..4a1fafb9038 100644
--- a/src/include/storage/proc.h
+++ b/src/include/storage/proc.h
@@ -488,11 +488,12 @@ typedef struct PROC_HDR
 	pg_atomic_uint32 clogGroupFirst;
 
 	/*
-	 * Current slot numbers of some auxiliary processes. There can be only one
+	 * Current proc numbers of some auxiliary processes. There can be only one
 	 * of each of these running at a time.
 	 */
-	ProcNumber	walwriterProc;
-	ProcNumber	checkpointerProc;
+	pg_atomic_uint32 avLauncherProc;
+	pg_atomic_uint32 walwriterProc;
+	pg_atomic_uint32 checkpointerProc;
 
 	/* Current shared estimate of appropriate spins_per_delay value */
 	int			spins_per_delay;
diff --git a/src/backend/access/transam/xlog.c b/src/backend/access/transam/xlog.c
index b9b678f3722..0b5ad4dc79c 100644
--- a/src/backend/access/transam/xlog.c
+++ b/src/backend/access/transam/xlog.c
@@ -2637,8 +2637,7 @@ XLogSetAsyncXactLSN(XLogRecPtr asyncXactLSN)
 
 	if (wakeup)
 	{
-		volatile PROC_HDR *procglobal = ProcGlobal;
-		ProcNumber	walwriterProc = procglobal->walwriterProc;
+		ProcNumber	walwriterProc = pg_atomic_read_u32(&ProcGlobal->walwriterProc);
 
 		if (walwriterProc != INVALID_PROC_NUMBER)
 			SetLatch(&GetPGProcByNumber(walwriterProc)->procLatch);
diff --git a/src/backend/postmaster/autovacuum.c b/src/backend/postmaster/autovacuum.c
index 695e187ba11..74574e1eaf9 100644
--- a/src/backend/postmaster/autovacuum.c
+++ b/src/backend/postmaster/autovacuum.c
@@ -278,7 +278,6 @@ typedef struct AutoVacuumWorkItem
  * struct and the array of WorkerInfo structs.  This struct keeps:
  *
  * av_signal		set by other processes to indicate various conditions
- * av_launcherpid	the PID of the autovacuum launcher
  * av_freeWorkers	the WorkerInfo freelist
  * av_runningWorkers the WorkerInfo non-free queue
  * av_startingWorker pointer to WorkerInfo currently being started (cleared by
@@ -294,7 +293,6 @@ typedef struct AutoVacuumWorkItem
 typedef struct
 {
 	sig_atomic_t av_signal[AutoVacNumSignals];
-	pid_t		av_launcherpid;
 	dclist_head av_freeWorkers;
 	dlist_head	av_runningWorkers;
 	WorkerInfo	av_startingWorker;
@@ -565,8 +563,6 @@ AutoVacLauncherMain(const void *startup_data, size_t startup_data_len)
 		proc_exit(0);			/* done */
 	}
 
-	AutoVacuumShmem->av_launcherpid = MyProcPid;
-
 	/*
 	 * Create the initial database list.  The invariant we want this list to
 	 * keep is that it's ordered by decreasing next_worker.  As soon as an
@@ -800,8 +796,6 @@ AutoVacLauncherShutdown(void)
 {
 	ereport(DEBUG1,
 			(errmsg_internal("autovacuum launcher shutting down")));
-	AutoVacuumShmem->av_launcherpid = 0;
-
 	proc_exit(0);				/* done */
 }
 
@@ -1532,6 +1526,8 @@ AutoVacWorkerMain(const void *startup_data, size_t startup_data_len)
 	 */
 	if (AutoVacuumShmem->av_startingWorker != NULL)
 	{
+		ProcNumber	launcherProc;
+
 		MyWorkerInfo = AutoVacuumShmem->av_startingWorker;
 		dbid = MyWorkerInfo->wi_dboid;
 		MyWorkerInfo->wi_proc = MyProc;
@@ -1550,8 +1546,14 @@ AutoVacWorkerMain(const void *startup_data, size_t startup_data_len)
 		on_shmem_exit(FreeWorkerInfo, 0);
 
 		/* wake up the launcher */
-		if (AutoVacuumShmem->av_launcherpid != 0)
-			kill(AutoVacuumShmem->av_launcherpid, SIGUSR2);
+		launcherProc = pg_atomic_read_u32(&ProcGlobal->avLauncherProc);
+		if (launcherProc != INVALID_PROC_NUMBER)
+		{
+			int			pid = GetPGProcByNumber(launcherProc)->pid;
+
+			if (pid != 0)
+				kill(pid, SIGUSR2);
+		}
 	}
 	else
 	{
@@ -3394,7 +3396,6 @@ AutoVacuumShmemInit(void)
 
 		Assert(!found);
 
-		AutoVacuumShmem->av_launcherpid = 0;
 		dclist_init(&AutoVacuumShmem->av_freeWorkers);
 		dlist_init(&AutoVacuumShmem->av_runningWorkers);
 		AutoVacuumShmem->av_startingWorker = NULL;
diff --git a/src/backend/postmaster/checkpointer.c b/src/backend/postmaster/checkpointer.c
index 3c982c6ffac..e4075265495 100644
--- a/src/backend/postmaster/checkpointer.c
+++ b/src/backend/postmaster/checkpointer.c
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
 #include "libpq/pqsignal.h"
 #include "miscadmin.h"
 #include "pgstat.h"
+#include "port/atomics.h"
 #include "postmaster/auxprocess.h"
 #include "postmaster/bgwriter.h"
 #include "postmaster/interrupt.h"
@@ -349,12 +350,6 @@ CheckpointerMain(const void *startup_data, size_t startup_data_len)
 	 */
 	UpdateSharedMemoryConfig();
 
-	/*
-	 * Advertise our proc number that backends can use to wake us up while
-	 * we're sleeping.
-	 */
-	ProcGlobal->checkpointerProc = MyProcNumber;
-
 	/*
 	 * Loop until we've been asked to write the shutdown checkpoint or
 	 * terminate.
@@ -1126,7 +1121,7 @@ RequestCheckpoint(int flags)
 	for (ntries = 0;; ntries++)
 	{
 		volatile PROC_HDR *procglobal = ProcGlobal;
-		ProcNumber	checkpointerProc = procglobal->checkpointerProc;
+		ProcNumber	checkpointerProc = pg_atomic_read_u32(&procglobal->checkpointerProc);
 
 		if (checkpointerProc == INVALID_PROC_NUMBER)
 		{
@@ -1267,8 +1262,7 @@ ForwardSyncRequest(const FileTag *ftag, SyncRequestType type)
 	/* ... but not till after we release the lock */
 	if (too_full)
 	{
-		volatile PROC_HDR *procglobal = ProcGlobal;
-		ProcNumber	checkpointerProc = procglobal->checkpointerProc;
+		ProcNumber	checkpointerProc = pg_atomic_read_u32(&ProcGlobal->checkpointerProc);
 
 		if (checkpointerProc != INVALID_PROC_NUMBER)
 			SetLatch(&GetPGProcByNumber(checkpointerProc)->procLatch);
@@ -1549,7 +1543,7 @@ void
 WakeupCheckpointer(void)
 {
 	volatile PROC_HDR *procglobal = ProcGlobal;
-	ProcNumber	checkpointerProc = procglobal->checkpointerProc;
+	ProcNumber	checkpointerProc = pg_atomic_read_u32(&procglobal->checkpointerProc);
 
 	if (checkpointerProc != INVALID_PROC_NUMBER)
 		SetLatch(&GetPGProcByNumber(checkpointerProc)->procLatch);
diff --git a/src/backend/postmaster/walwriter.c b/src/backend/postmaster/walwriter.c
index 9cd86ad7022..2c3b4f831aa 100644
--- a/src/backend/postmaster/walwriter.c
+++ b/src/backend/postmaster/walwriter.c
@@ -206,12 +206,6 @@ WalWriterMain(const void *startup_data, size_t startup_data_len)
 	hibernating = false;
 	SetWalWriterSleeping(false);
 
-	/*
-	 * Advertise our proc number that backends can use to wake us up while
-	 * we're sleeping.
-	 */
-	ProcGlobal->walwriterProc = MyProcNumber;
-
 	/*
 	 * Loop forever
 	 */
diff --git a/src/backend/storage/lmgr/proc.c b/src/backend/storage/lmgr/proc.c
index daf70d9ce2a..2c241cb0244 100644
--- a/src/backend/storage/lmgr/proc.c
+++ b/src/backend/storage/lmgr/proc.c
@@ -212,8 +212,9 @@ InitProcGlobal(void)
 	dlist_init(&ProcGlobal->bgworkerFreeProcs);
 	dlist_init(&ProcGlobal->walsenderFreeProcs);
 	ProcGlobal->startupBufferPinWaitBufId = -1;
-	ProcGlobal->walwriterProc = INVALID_PROC_NUMBER;
-	ProcGlobal->checkpointerProc = INVALID_PROC_NUMBER;
+	pg_atomic_init_u32(&ProcGlobal->avLauncherProc, INVALID_PROC_NUMBER);
+	pg_atomic_init_u32(&ProcGlobal->walwriterProc, INVALID_PROC_NUMBER);
+	pg_atomic_init_u32(&ProcGlobal->checkpointerProc, INVALID_PROC_NUMBER);
 	pg_atomic_init_u32(&ProcGlobal->procArrayGroupFirst, INVALID_PROC_NUMBER);
 	pg_atomic_init_u32(&ProcGlobal->clogGroupFirst, INVALID_PROC_NUMBER);
 
@@ -712,6 +713,14 @@ InitAuxiliaryProcess(void)
 	 */
 	PGSemaphoreReset(MyProc->sem);
 
+	/* Some aux processes are also advertised in ProcGlobal */
+	if (MyBackendType == B_AUTOVAC_LAUNCHER)
+		pg_atomic_write_u32(&ProcGlobal->avLauncherProc, MyProcNumber);
+	if (MyBackendType == B_WAL_WRITER)
+		pg_atomic_write_u32(&ProcGlobal->walwriterProc, MyProcNumber);
+	if (MyBackendType == B_CHECKPOINTER)
+		pg_atomic_write_u32(&ProcGlobal->checkpointerProc, MyProcNumber);
+
 	/*
 	 * Arrange to clean up at process exit.
 	 */
@@ -1056,6 +1065,23 @@ AuxiliaryProcKill(int code, Datum arg)
 	SwitchBackToLocalLatch();
 	pgstat_reset_wait_event_storage();
 
+	/* If this was one of aux processes advertised in ProcGlobal, clear it */
+	if (MyBackendType == B_AUTOVAC_LAUNCHER)
+	{
+		Assert(pg_atomic_read_u32(&ProcGlobal->avLauncherProc) == MyProcNumber);
+		pg_atomic_write_u32(&ProcGlobal->avLauncherProc, INVALID_PROC_NUMBER);
+	}
+	if (MyBackendType == B_WAL_WRITER)
+	{
+		Assert(pg_atomic_read_u32(&ProcGlobal->walwriterProc) == MyProcNumber);
+		pg_atomic_write_u32(&ProcGlobal->walwriterProc, INVALID_PROC_NUMBER);
+	}
+	if (MyBackendType == B_CHECKPOINTER)
+	{
+		Assert(pg_atomic_read_u32(&ProcGlobal->checkpointerProc) == MyProcNumber);
+		pg_atomic_write_u32(&ProcGlobal->checkpointerProc, INVALID_PROC_NUMBER);
+	}
+
 	proc = MyProc;
 	MyProc = NULL;
 	MyProcNumber = INVALID_PROC_NUMBER;
-- 
2.53.0.1.gb2826b52eb


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