This test continuously tracks how often the background writer performs checkpointing and how much I/O load it imposes on the server, so that you can proactively detect potential overload conditions, appropriately fine-tune the checkpointing activity performed by the background writer to minimize the I/O, and thus prevent the performance degradation that may otherwise occur on the server.

The default parameters associated with this test are:

• The TEST PERIOD list box helps the user to decide how often this test needs to be executed.

• The HOST text box, indicates the variable name of the host for which the test is to be configured.

• The PORT number through which the postgreSQL server communicates. The default port is 5432.

• In order to monitor a PostgreSQL server, a special database user account has to be created in every PostgreSQL database instance that requires monitoring i.e., you can manually create the special database user. When doing so, ensure that this user is vested with the superuser privileges. The sample script we recommend for user creation for eG monitoring is:

  CREATE ROLE eguser LOGIN
  ENCRYPTED PASSWORD {‘eguser password’}
  SUPERUSER NOINHERIT NOCREATEDB NOCREATEROLE;

  The name of this user has to be specified in the USERNAME text box.

  Alternately you can alter the role of an existing user to be vested with the superuser privileges. The sample script we recommend for altering the user during eG monitoring is:

  ALTER Role eguser
  SUPERUSER;

• Specify the password associated with the above user name (can be ‘NULL’) in the PASSWORD text box. Here, ‘NULL’ means that the user does not have any password.

• Confirm the password by retyping it in the CONFIRM PASSWORD text box.

• Enter the name of the database to connect to in the DBNAME text box. The default is "postgres".

• If the PostgreSQL server being monitored is an SSL-enabled server, then set the SSL flag to Yes. If not, then set the SSL flag to No.

• If multiple components of the same component type are awaiting configuration, then an APPLY TO OTHER COMPONENTS check box will appear in this page. Clicking on this check box will allow you to apply the configuration to all/selected components of that type.

• Once the necessary values have been provided, clicking on the UPDATE button will register the changes made.

When changing the configuration for specific servers, a “*” beside the text box corresponding to the parameter signifies that these values have to be manually configured by the user. The parameter values that require to be configured will typically be prefixed with a “$” or contain a series of “*”. A value of "none" in the parameter value indicates that the corresponding parameter value can be changed if required.