#PostgreSQL

Plugin: go.d.plugin Module: postgres

#Overview

This collector monitors the activity and performance of Postgres servers, collects replication statistics, metrics for each database, table and index, and more.

It establishes a connection to the Postgres instance via a TCP or UNIX socket. To collect metrics for database tables and indexes, it establishes an additional connection for each discovered database.

This collector is supported on all platforms.

This collector supports collecting metrics from multiple instances of this integration, including remote instances.

PostgreSQL can be monitored further using the following other integrations:

• Applications
• Containers

#Default Behavior

#Auto-Detection

By default, it detects instances running on localhost by trying to connect as root and netdata using known PostgreSQL TCP and UNIX sockets:

• 127.0.0.1:5432
• /var/run/postgresql/

#Limits

Table and index metrics are not collected for databases with more than 50 tables or 250 indexes. These limits can be changed in the configuration file.

#Performance Impact

The default configuration for this integration is not expected to impose a significant performance impact on the system.

#Setup

You can configure the postgres collector in two ways:

Method	Best for	How to
UI	Fast setup without editing files	Go to Nodes → Configure this node → Collectors → Jobs, search for postgres, then click + to add a job.
File	If you prefer configuring via file, or need to automate deployments (e.g., with Ansible)	Edit go.d/postgres.conf and add a job.

:::important

UI configuration requires paid Netdata Cloud plan.

:::

#Prerequisites

#Create netdata user

Create a user with granted pg_monitor or pg_read_all_stat built-in role.

To create the netdata user with these permissions, execute the following in the psql session, as a user with CREATEROLE privileges:

CREATE USER netdata;
GRANT pg_monitor TO netdata;

After creating the new user, restart the Netdata Agent with sudo systemctl restart netdata, or the appropriate method for your system.

#Configuration

#Options

The following options can be defined globally: update_every, autodetection_retry.

Config options

| Group | Option | Description | Default | Required | |:------|:-----|:------------|:--------|:---------:| | **Collection** | update_every | Data collection interval (seconds). | 1 | no | | | autodetection_retry | Autodetection retry interval (seconds). Set 0 to disable. | 0 | no | | **Target** | dsn | Postgres connection string (DSN). See [DSN syntax](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/libpq-connect.html#LIBPQ-CONNSTRING). | postgres://postgres:postgres@127.0.0.1:5432/postgres | yes | | **Cloud Auth** | cloud_auth.provider | Cloud auth provider (`none` or `azure_ad`). | none | no | | **Cloud Auth/Azure** | cloud_auth.azure_ad.mode | Azure AD credential mode (`service_principal`, `managed_identity`, or `default`). Required when `cloud_auth.provider` is `azure_ad`. | | yes | | | cloud_auth.azure_ad.mode_service_principal.tenant_id | Azure tenant ID. Required for `service_principal` mode. | | no | | | cloud_auth.azure_ad.mode_service_principal.client_id | Azure client ID. Required for `service_principal` mode. | | no | | | cloud_auth.azure_ad.mode_service_principal.client_secret | Azure client secret for `service_principal` mode. | | no | | | cloud_auth.azure_ad.mode_managed_identity.client_id | Optional client ID of a user-assigned managed identity (`managed_identity` mode). | | no | | **Target** | timeout | Query timeout (seconds). | 2 | no | | **Filters** | collect_databases_matching | Database selector. Controls which databases are included. Uses [simple patterns](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/tree/master/src/go/pkg/matcher#simple-patterns-matcher). | | no | | **Limits** | max_db_tables | Maximum number of tables per database to collect metrics for (0 = no limit). | 50 | no | | | max_db_indexes | Maximum number of indexes per database to collect metrics for (0 = no limit). | 250 | no | | **Functions** | functions.top_queries.disabled | Disable the [top-queries](#top-queries) function. | no | no | | | functions.top_queries.timeout | Query timeout (seconds). Uses collector timeout if not set. | | no | | | functions.top_queries.limit | Maximum number of queries to return. | 500 | no | | **Virtual Node** | vnode | Associates this data collection job with a [Virtual Node](https://learn.netdata.cloud/docs/netdata-agent/configuration/organize-systems-metrics-and-alerts#virtual-nodes). | | no |

#via UI

Configure the postgres collector from the Netdata web interface:

1. Go to Nodes.
2. Select the node where you want the postgres data-collection job to run and click the :gear: (Configure this node). That node will run the data collection.
3. The Collectors → Jobs view opens by default.
4. In the Search box, type postgres (or scroll the list) to locate the postgres collector.
5. Click the + next to the postgres collector to add a new job.
6. Fill in the job fields, then click Test to verify the configuration and Submit to save.
   • Test runs the job with the provided settings and shows whether data can be collected.
   • If it fails, an error message appears with details (for example, connection refused, timeout, or command execution errors), so you can adjust and retest.

#via File

The configuration file name for this integration is go.d/postgres.conf.

The file format is YAML. Generally, the structure is:

update_every: 1
autodetection_retry: 0
jobs:
  - name: some_name1
  - name: some_name2

You can edit the configuration file using the edit-config script from the Netdata config directory.

cd /etc/netdata 2>/dev/null || cd /opt/netdata/etc/netdata
sudo ./edit-config go.d/postgres.conf

#Examples

#TCP socket

An example configuration.

jobs:
  - name: local
    dsn: 'postgresql://netdata@127.0.0.1:5432/postgres'

#Unix socket

An example configuration.

Config

```yaml jobs: - name: local dsn: 'host=/var/run/postgresql dbname=postgres user=netdata' ```

#Unix socket (custom port)

Connect to PostgreSQL using a Unix socket with a non-default port (5433).

Config

```yaml jobs: - name: local dsn: 'host=/var/run/postgresql port=5433 dbname=postgres user=netdata' ```

#Azure Database for PostgreSQL with service principal

Use Microsoft Entra service principal authentication.

Config

```yaml jobs: - name: azure_postgres_sp dsn: 'postgresql://netdata@myserver.postgres.database.azure.com:5432/postgres?sslmode=require' cloud_auth: provider: azure_ad azure_ad: mode: service_principal mode_service_principal: tenant_id: "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000" client_id: "11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111" client_secret: "super-secret-value" ```

#Azure Database for PostgreSQL with managed identity

Use managed identity authentication (system-assigned by default).

Config

```yaml jobs: - name: azure_postgres_mi dsn: 'postgresql://netdata@myserver.postgres.database.azure.com:5432/postgres?sslmode=require' cloud_auth: provider: azure_ad azure_ad: mode: managed_identity ```

#Multi-instance

Note: When you define multiple jobs, their names must be unique.

Local and remote instances.

Config

```yaml jobs: - name: local dsn: 'postgresql://netdata@127.0.0.1:5432/postgres' - name: remote dsn: 'postgresql://netdata@203.0.113.0:5432/postgres' ```

#Alerts

The following alerts are available:

Alert name	On metric	Description
postgres_total_connection_utilization	postgres.connections_utilization	average total connection utilization over the last minute
postgres_acquired_locks_utilization	postgres.locks_utilization	average acquired locks utilization over the last minute
postgres_txid_exhaustion_perc	postgres.txid_exhaustion_perc	percent towards TXID wraparound
postgres_db_cache_io_ratio	postgres.db_cache_io_ratio	average cache hit ratio in db ${label:database} over the last minute
postgres_db_transactions_rollback_ratio	postgres.db_cache_io_ratio	average aborted transactions percentage in db ${label:database} over the last five minutes
postgres_db_deadlocks_rate	postgres.db_deadlocks_rate	number of deadlocks detected in db ${label:database} in the last minute
postgres_table_cache_io_ratio	postgres.table_cache_io_ratio	average cache hit ratio in db ${label:database} table ${label:table} over the last minute
postgres_table_index_cache_io_ratio	postgres.table_index_cache_io_ratio	average index cache hit ratio in db ${label:database} table ${label:table} over the last minute
postgres_table_toast_cache_io_ratio	postgres.table_toast_cache_io_ratio	average TOAST hit ratio in db ${label:database} table ${label:table} over the last minute
postgres_table_toast_index_cache_io_ratio	postgres.table_toast_index_cache_io_ratio	average index TOAST hit ratio in db ${label:database} table ${label:table} over the last minute
postgres_table_bloat_size_perc	postgres.table_bloat_size_perc	bloat size percentage in db ${label:database} table ${label:table}
postgres_table_last_autovacuum_time	postgres.table_autovacuum_since_time	time elapsed since db ${label:database} table ${label:table} was vacuumed by the autovacuum daemon
postgres_table_last_autoanalyze_time	postgres.table_autoanalyze_since_time	time elapsed since db ${label:database} table ${label:table} was analyzed by the autovacuum daemon
postgres_index_bloat_size_perc	postgres.index_bloat_size_perc	bloat size percentage in db ${label:database} table ${label:table} index ${label:index}

#Metrics

Metrics grouped by scope.

The scope defines the instance that the metric belongs to. An instance is uniquely identified by a set of labels.

#Per PostgreSQL instance

These metrics refer to the entire monitored application.

This scope has no labels.

Metrics:

Metric	Dimensions	Unit
postgres.connections_utilization	used	percentage
postgres.connections_usage	available, used	connections
postgres.connections_state_count	active, idle, idle_in_transaction, idle_in_transaction_aborted, disabled	connections
postgres.transactions_duration	a dimension per bucket	transactions/s
postgres.queries_duration	a dimension per bucket	queries/s
postgres.locks_utilization	used	percentage
postgres.checkpoints_rate	scheduled, requested	checkpoints/s
postgres.checkpoints_time	write, sync	milliseconds
postgres.bgwriter_halts_rate	maxwritten	events/s
postgres.buffers_io_rate	checkpoint, backend, bgwriter	B/s
postgres.buffers_backend_fsync_rate	fsync	calls/s
postgres.buffers_allocated_rate	allocated	B/s
postgres.wal_io_rate	write	B/s
postgres.wal_files_count	written, recycled	files
postgres.wal_archiving_files_count	ready, done	files/s
postgres.autovacuum_workers_count	analyze, vacuum_analyze, vacuum, vacuum_freeze, brin_summarize	workers
postgres.txid_exhaustion_towards_autovacuum_perc	emergency_autovacuum	percentage
postgres.txid_exhaustion_perc	txid_exhaustion	percentage
postgres.txid_exhaustion_oldest_txid_num	xid	xid
postgres.catalog_relations_count	ordinary_table, index, sequence, toast_table, view, materialized_view, composite_type, foreign_table, partitioned_table, partitioned_index	relations
postgres.catalog_relations_size	ordinary_table, index, sequence, toast_table, view, materialized_view, composite_type, foreign_table, partitioned_table, partitioned_index	B
postgres.uptime	uptime	seconds
postgres.databases_count	databases	databases

#Per repl application

These metrics refer to the replication application.

Labels:

Label	Description
application	application name

Metrics:

Metric	Dimensions	Unit
postgres.replication_app_wal_lag_size	sent_lag, write_lag, flush_lag, replay_lag	B
postgres.replication_app_wal_lag_time	write_lag, flush_lag, replay_lag	seconds

#Per repl slot

These metrics refer to the replication slot.

Labels:

Label	Description
slot	replication slot name

Metrics:

Metric	Dimensions	Unit
postgres.replication_slot_files_count	wal_keep, pg_replslot_files	files

#Per database

These metrics refer to the database.

Labels:

Label	Description
database	database name

Metrics:

Metric	Dimensions	Unit
postgres.db_transactions_ratio	committed, rollback	percentage
postgres.db_transactions_rate	committed, rollback	transactions/s
postgres.db_connections_utilization	used	percentage
postgres.db_connections_count	connections	connections
postgres.db_cache_io_ratio	miss	percentage
postgres.db_io_rate	memory, disk	B/s
postgres.db_ops_fetched_rows_ratio	fetched	percentage
postgres.db_ops_read_rows_rate	returned, fetched	rows/s
postgres.db_ops_write_rows_rate	inserted, deleted, updated	rows/s
postgres.db_conflicts_rate	conflicts	queries/s
postgres.db_conflicts_reason_rate	tablespace, lock, snapshot, bufferpin, deadlock	queries/s
postgres.db_deadlocks_rate	deadlocks	deadlocks/s
postgres.db_locks_held_count	access_share, row_share, row_exclusive, share_update, share, share_row_exclusive, exclusive, access_exclusive	locks
postgres.db_locks_awaited_count	access_share, row_share, row_exclusive, share_update, share, share_row_exclusive, exclusive, access_exclusive	locks
postgres.db_temp_files_created_rate	created	files/s
postgres.db_temp_files_io_rate	written	B/s
postgres.db_size	size	B

#Per table

These metrics refer to the database table.

Labels:

Label	Description
database	database name
schema	schema name
table	table name
parent_table	parent table name

Metrics:

Metric	Dimensions	Unit
postgres.table_rows_dead_ratio	dead	percentage
postgres.table_rows_count	live, dead	rows
postgres.table_ops_rows_rate	inserted, deleted, updated	rows/s
postgres.table_ops_rows_hot_ratio	hot	percentage
postgres.table_ops_rows_hot_rate	hot	rows/s
postgres.table_cache_io_ratio	miss	percentage
postgres.table_io_rate	memory, disk	B/s
postgres.table_index_cache_io_ratio	miss	percentage
postgres.table_index_io_rate	memory, disk	B/s
postgres.table_toast_cache_io_ratio	miss	percentage
postgres.table_toast_io_rate	memory, disk	B/s
postgres.table_toast_index_cache_io_ratio	miss	percentage
postgres.table_toast_index_io_rate	memory, disk	B/s
postgres.table_scans_rate	index, sequential	scans/s
postgres.table_scans_rows_rate	index, sequential	rows/s
postgres.table_autovacuum_since_time	time	seconds
postgres.table_vacuum_since_time	time	seconds
postgres.table_autoanalyze_since_time	time	seconds
postgres.table_analyze_since_time	time	seconds
postgres.table_null_columns	null	columns
postgres.table_size	size	B
postgres.table_bloat_size_perc	bloat	percentage
postgres.table_bloat_size	bloat	B

#Per index

These metrics refer to the table index.

Labels:

Label	Description
database	database name
schema	schema name
table	table name
parent_table	parent table name
index	index name

Metrics:

Metric	Dimensions	Unit
postgres.index_size	size	B
postgres.index_bloat_size_perc	bloat	percentage
postgres.index_bloat_size	bloat	B
postgres.index_usage_status	used, unused	status

#Live Data

This collector exposes real-time functions for interactive troubleshooting in the Live tab.

#Top Queries

Retrieves aggregated SQL query performance metrics from PostgreSQL using either pg_stat_monitor (preferred) or pg_stat_statements.

The collector automatically detects which extension is available: - pg_stat_monitor (Percona): Enhanced statistics with additional columns like application name, client IP, CPU time, error info, and query classification - pg_stat_statements (standard): Core execution statistics available in all PostgreSQL installations

Statistics include execution counts, timing metrics, I/O operations, and resource consumption. Columns are dynamically detected based on your PostgreSQL version and available extension.

Use cases: - Identify slow queries consuming the most total execution time - Find queries with high shared block reads for I/O optimization - Analyze temp block usage to detect queries needing memory tuning - With pg_stat_monitor: Track queries by application, identify error patterns

Query text is truncated at 4096 characters for display purposes.

Aspect	Description
Name	Postgres:top-queries
Require Cloud	yes
Performance	Queries pg_stat_statements or pg_stat_monitor which maintain statistics in shared memory: • On busy servers with many unique queries, the extension may consume significant memory • Default limit of 500 rows balances usefulness with performance • pg_stat_monitor uses time-based buckets which may have different memory characteristics
Security	Query text may contain unmasked literal values including potentially sensitive data: • Personal information in WHERE clauses or INSERT values • Business data and internal identifiers • Access should be restricted to authorized personnel only
Availability	Available when: • Either pg_stat_statements or pg_stat_monitor extension is installed • The collector has successfully connected to PostgreSQL • Returns HTTP 503 if no query statistics extension is installed • Returns HTTP 500 if the query fails • Returns HTTP 504 if the query times out

#Prerequisites

#Enable pg_stat_statements or pg_stat_monitor

Either pg_stat_statements (standard) or pg_stat_monitor (Percona) must be installed. The collector auto-detects which is available, preferring pg_stat_monitor when both are present.

Option 1: pg_stat_statements (standard PostgreSQL)

1. Add to postgresql.conf:

   shared_preload_libraries = 'pg_stat_statements'

1. Restart PostgreSQL, then create the extension:

   CREATE EXTENSION pg_stat_statements;

Option 2: pg_stat_monitor (Percona - recommended)

Provides additional columns: application name, client IP, CPU time, error tracking, and query classification.

1. Install pg_stat_monitor (available in Percona distribution or as separate package)

2. Add to postgresql.conf:

   shared_preload_libraries = 'pg_stat_monitor'

1. Restart PostgreSQL, then create the extension:

   CREATE EXTENSION pg_stat_monitor;

:::info

• Both extensions require a server restart to load the shared library
• Statistics can be reset with SELECT pg_stat_statements_reset() or SELECT pg_stat_monitor_reset()
• Enable track_io_timing for block read/write timing metrics

:::

#Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description	Required	Default	Options
Filter By	select	Select the primary sort column. Options include total time, mean time, calls, rows, shared blocks hit/read, and temp blocks written. Defaults to total time to focus on most resource-intensive queries.	yes	totalTime

#Returns

Aggregated query statistics from pg_stat_statements or pg_stat_monitor. Each row represents a unique query pattern with cumulative metrics across all executions.

Column	Type	Unit	Visibility	Description
Query ID	string		hidden	Internal hash identifier for the normalized query. Can be used to track queries across statistics resets.
Query	string			Normalized SQL query text with literals replaced by parameter placeholders. Truncated to 4096 characters.
Database	string			Database name where the query was executed.
User	string			PostgreSQL user who executed the query.
Calls	integer			Total number of times this query pattern has been executed. High values indicate frequently run queries.
Total Time	duration	milliseconds		Cumulative execution time across all executions. High values indicate queries consuming significant database resources.
Mean Time	duration	milliseconds		Average execution time per call. Use this to compare typical performance across different query patterns.
Min Time	duration	milliseconds	hidden	Minimum execution time observed for a single execution.
Max Time	duration	milliseconds	hidden	Maximum execution time observed for a single execution. Large gaps between min and max may indicate performance variability.
Stddev Time	duration	milliseconds	hidden	Standard deviation of execution time. High values indicate inconsistent query performance.
Plans	integer		hidden	Number of times the query was planned. Available in PostgreSQL 13+.
Total Plan Time	duration	milliseconds	hidden	Cumulative time spent planning the query. Available in PostgreSQL 13+.
Mean Plan Time	duration	milliseconds	hidden	Average time spent planning per execution. Available in PostgreSQL 13+.
Min Plan Time	duration	milliseconds	hidden	Minimum planning time observed. Available in PostgreSQL 13+.
Max Plan Time	duration	milliseconds	hidden	Maximum planning time observed. Available in PostgreSQL 13+.
Stddev Plan Time	duration	milliseconds	hidden	Standard deviation of planning time. Available in PostgreSQL 13+.
Rows	integer			Total number of rows retrieved or affected across all executions.
Shared Blocks Hit	integer			Total shared buffer cache hits. High values indicate good cache utilization.
Shared Blocks Read	integer			Total shared blocks read from disk. High values indicate queries that bypass the cache and may benefit from more shared_buffers.
Shared Blocks Dirtied	integer		hidden	Total shared blocks dirtied by the query.
Shared Blocks Written	integer		hidden	Total shared blocks written by the query.
Local Blocks Hit	integer		hidden	Total local buffer cache hits (temporary tables).
Local Blocks Read	integer		hidden	Total local blocks read from disk.
Local Blocks Dirtied	integer		hidden	Total local blocks dirtied.
Local Blocks Written	integer		hidden	Total local blocks written.
Temp Blocks Read	integer			Total temp blocks read. Non-zero values indicate queries spilling to disk due to insufficient work_mem.
Temp Blocks Written	integer			Total temp blocks written. High values suggest increasing work_mem may improve performance.
Block Read Time	duration	milliseconds		Time spent reading blocks from disk. Requires track_io_timing to be enabled.
Block Write Time	duration	milliseconds		Time spent writing blocks to disk. Requires track_io_timing to be enabled.
WAL Records	integer		hidden	Total number of WAL records generated. Available in PostgreSQL 13+.
WAL Full Page Images	integer		hidden	Total number of WAL full page images generated. Available in PostgreSQL 13+.
WAL Bytes	integer		hidden	Total bytes of WAL generated. Available in PostgreSQL 13+.
JIT Functions	integer		hidden	Total number of functions JIT-compiled. Available in PostgreSQL 15+.
JIT Generation Time	duration	milliseconds	hidden	Time spent generating JIT code. Available in PostgreSQL 15+.
JIT Inlining Count	integer		hidden	Number of times JIT inlining was performed. Available in PostgreSQL 15+.
JIT Inlining Time	duration	milliseconds	hidden	Time spent on JIT inlining. Available in PostgreSQL 15+.
JIT Optimization Count	integer		hidden	Number of times JIT optimization was performed. Available in PostgreSQL 15+.
JIT Optimization Time	duration	milliseconds	hidden	Time spent on JIT optimization. Available in PostgreSQL 15+.
JIT Emission Count	integer		hidden	Number of times JIT code was emitted. Available in PostgreSQL 15+.
JIT Emission Time	duration	milliseconds	hidden	Time spent emitting JIT code. Available in PostgreSQL 15+.
Temp Block Read Time	duration	milliseconds	hidden	Time spent reading temp blocks. Available in PostgreSQL 15+. Requires track_io_timing.
Temp Block Write Time	duration	milliseconds	hidden	Time spent writing temp blocks. Available in PostgreSQL 15+. Requires track_io_timing.
Application Name	string			Name of the application that executed the query. Available with pg_stat_monitor only.
Client IP	string		hidden	IP address of the client that executed the query. Available with pg_stat_monitor only.
Command Type	string			Type of SQL command (SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, etc.). Available with pg_stat_monitor only.
Comments	string		hidden	SQL comments extracted from the query. Available with pg_stat_monitor only.
Relations	string		hidden	Tables/relations involved in the query. Available with pg_stat_monitor only.
CPU User Time	duration	milliseconds	hidden	CPU time spent in user mode. Available with pg_stat_monitor only.
CPU System Time	duration	milliseconds	hidden	CPU time spent in system/kernel mode. Available with pg_stat_monitor only.
Error Level	integer		hidden	PostgreSQL error level if query produced an error. Available with pg_stat_monitor only.
SQL Code	string		hidden	PostgreSQL SQLSTATE error code if query produced an error. Available with pg_stat_monitor only.
Error Message	string		hidden	Error message if query produced an error. Available with pg_stat_monitor only.
Top Level	string		hidden	Whether this is a top-level statement (true) or nested (false). Available with pg_stat_monitor only.
Bucket Start Time	string		hidden	Start time of the statistics bucket. Available with pg_stat_monitor only.

#Running Queries

Retrieves currently executing queries from PostgreSQL pg_stat_activity system view.

This function queries pg_stat_activity which shows real-time information about each server process including the SQL query being executed, wait events, and session state. Unlike Top Queries which shows aggregated historical statistics, Running Queries shows live snapshots of active queries.

Use cases: - Identify long-running queries that may be blocking other operations - Debug stuck transactions or hanging connections - Monitor active workload during performance issues - Investigate wait events and lock contention in real-time

Query text is truncated at 4096 characters for display purposes.

Aspect	Description
Name	Postgres:running-queries
Require Cloud	yes
Performance	Queries pg_stat_activity which is a live system view: • Very lightweight query, no impact on database performance • Returns only active queries by default (state = 'active') • Limited to 500 rows
Security	Query text contains actual SQL being executed, which may include: • Personal information in WHERE clauses or INSERT values • Business data and internal identifiers • Access should be restricted to authorized personnel only
Availability	Available when: • The collector has successfully connected to PostgreSQL • Returns HTTP 503 if collector is still initializing • Returns HTTP 500 if the query fails • Returns HTTP 504 if the query times out

#Prerequisites

#Database user permissions

The monitoring user needs pg_monitor role to view all sessions:

GRANT pg_monitor TO netdata;

Without this role, the user can only see their own sessions.

#Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description	Required	Default	Options
Sort By	select	Select the sort column. Defaults to query duration (longest running first).	yes	durationMs

#Returns

Live query data from pg_stat_activity. Each row represents a currently active backend process.

Column	Type	Unit	Visibility	Description
Duration	duration	milliseconds		Query duration in milliseconds (since query_start). High values indicate long-running queries.
Query	string			Query text of the currently executing or most recent query. May be truncated at track_activity_query_size.
Database	string			Name of the database this backend is connected to.
User	string			Name of the user logged into this backend.
Application Name	string			Name of the application connected to this backend.
Client Address	string			IP address of the client (NULL for Unix socket or internal process).
Wait Event	string			Specific wait event name if backend is currently waiting.
PID	integer			Process ID of this backend. Use with pg_terminate_backend() to kill a query.
Wait Event Type	string		hidden	Type of event the backend is waiting for (Activity, BufferPin, Client, Extension, IO, IPC, Lock, LWLock, Timeout).
State	string		hidden	Current state: active, idle, idle in transaction, idle in transaction (aborted), fastpath function call, disabled.
Backend Type	string		hidden	Type of backend: client backend, autovacuum worker, parallel worker, walsender, walreceiver, etc. Available in PostgreSQL 10+.
Query Start	timestamp		hidden	Time when the currently active query was started.
Transaction Start	timestamp		hidden	Time when current transaction started (NULL if no transaction).
Backend Start	timestamp		hidden	Time when this process/connection started.
State Change	timestamp		hidden	Time when state was last changed.
Query ID	string		hidden	Query identifier (requires compute_query_id or extension). Available in PostgreSQL 14+.
Leader PID	integer		hidden	Process ID of parallel group leader (NULL if this is leader or not parallel). Available in PostgreSQL 13+.
Database ID	integer		hidden	OID of the database this backend is connected to.
User ID	integer		hidden	OID of the user logged into this backend.
Client Hostname	string		hidden	Hostname of the client via reverse DNS (only if log_hostname enabled).
Client Port	integer		hidden	TCP port of client (-1 for Unix socket, NULL for internal process).
Backend Xid	string		hidden	Top-level transaction identifier of this backend.
Backend Xmin	string		hidden	Backend's xmin horizon.

#Troubleshooting

#Debug Mode

Important: Debug mode is not supported for data collection jobs created via the UI using the Dyncfg feature.

To troubleshoot issues with the postgres collector, run the go.d.plugin with the debug option enabled. The output should give you clues as to why the collector isn't working.

• Navigate to the plugins.d directory, usually at /usr/libexec/netdata/plugins.d/. If that's not the case on your system, open netdata.conf and look for the plugins setting under [directories].

  cd /usr/libexec/netdata/plugins.d/

• Switch to the netdata user.

  sudo -u netdata -s

• Run the go.d.plugin to debug the collector:

  ./go.d.plugin -d -m postgres

To debug a specific job:

  ./go.d.plugin -d -m postgres -j jobName

#Getting Logs

If you're encountering problems with the postgres collector, follow these steps to retrieve logs and identify potential issues:

• Run the command specific to your system (systemd, non-systemd, or Docker container).
• Examine the output for any warnings or error messages that might indicate issues. These messages should provide clues about the root cause of the problem.

#System with systemd

Use the following command to view logs generated since the last Netdata service restart:

journalctl _SYSTEMD_INVOCATION_ID="$(systemctl show --value --property=InvocationID netdata)" --namespace=netdata --grep postgres

#System without systemd

Locate the collector log file, typically at /var/log/netdata/collector.log, and use grep to filter for collector's name:

grep postgres /var/log/netdata/collector.log

Note: This method shows logs from all restarts. Focus on the latest entries for troubleshooting current issues.

#Docker Container

If your Netdata runs in a Docker container named "netdata" (replace if different), use this command:

docker logs netdata 2>&1 | grep postgres