PostgreSQL: How to check Table Fragmentation using pgstattuple module

Anvesh Patel — Thu, 22 Dec 2016 19:23:09 +0000

This is very important task for PostgreSQL DBA to check the fragmentation level of Table.

Please do not forget about that the PostgreSQL is based on MVCC architecture. Which is good in one way, but bad in another way.

Using below article, You must read about MVCC and also access other related articles.

What is Multi Version Concurrency Control (MVCC)

PostgreSQL: Short note on VACUUM, VACUUM FULL and ANALYZE

PostgreSQL: Script to find total Live Tuples and Dead Tuples (Row) of a Table

PostgreSQL provides pgstattuple module to get all tuples information of a Table. You can find information like live_tuple, dead_tuple, free_space and other.

Using this information you can find fragmentation of table which you can remove using VACUUM / VACUUM FULL command.

You must install the pgstattuple to find tuples related information. You can also use pgstatindex() to find information related to indexes.

Load pgstattuple module:

CREATE EXTENSION pgstattuple;

Create one sample table:
CREATE TABLE tbl_ItemTransactions

(
     TranID SERIAL
     ,TransactionDate TIMESTAMPTZ
     ,TransactionName TEXT
 );

Insert few millions of data:

INSERT INTO tbl_ItemTransactions 
(TransactionDate, TransactionName)
SELECT x, 'dbrnd' 
FROM generate_series('2014-01-01 00:00:00'::timestamptz, '2016-08-01 00:00:00'::timestamptz,'2 seconds'::interval) a(x);

Check the tuple information using pgstattuple:

SELECT *FROM pgstattuple('public.tbl_itemtransactions');

The Result:

table_len          | 2125627392
tuple_count        | 40737601
tuple_len          | 1873929646
tuple_percent      | 88.16
dead_tuple_count   | 45
dead_tuple_len     | 7787
dead_tuple_percent | 0.88
free_space         | 9923
free_percent       | 1.96

free space – Database Research & Development

PostgreSQL: How to check Table Fragmentation using pgstattuple module