PostgreSQL 10 High Performance - Third Edition

Configuring the database server for pgbench

All of the queries used for the built-in tests are simple: They are at most using a primary key index to look a row up, but no joins or more complicated query types. But the statements executed will heavily stress writes and the buffer cache's ability to keep up.

Accordingly, parameters you might adjust break down into three major categories:

• Important to note and possibly tune: shared_buffers, max_wal_size, autovacuum, wal_buffers, amd checkpoint_completion_target.
• Impacts test results significantly: wal_sync_method, synchronous_commit, and wal_writer_delay. Adjust on systems where a change is appropriate to get good and/or safe results.
• Does not matter: effective_cache_size, default_statistics_target ...