PostgreSQL 9.6.5 Documentation
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# F.22. pageinspect

The `pageinspect` module provides functions that allow you to inspect the contents of database pages at a low level, which is useful for debugging purposes. All of these functions may be used only by superusers.

## F.22.1. Functions

`get_raw_page(relname text, fork text, blkno int) returns bytea`

  `get_raw_page` reads the specified block of the named relation and returns a copy as a `bytea` value. This allows a single time-consistent copy of the block to be obtained. `fork` should be `'main'` for the main data fork, `'fsm'` for the free space map, `'vm'` for the visibility map, or `'init'` for the initialization fork.

`get_raw_page(relname text, blkno int) returns bytea`

  A shorthand version of `get_raw_page`, for reading from the main fork. Equivalent to `get_raw_page(relname, 'main', blkno)`

`page_header(page bytea) returns record`

  `page_header` shows fields that are common to all PostgreSQL heap and index pages.

  A page image obtained with `get_raw_page` should be passed as argument. For example:

      test=# SELECT * FROM page_header(get_raw_page('pg_class', 0));
          lsn    | checksum | flags  | lower | upper | special | pagesize | version | prune_xid
      -----------+----------+--------+-------+-------+---------+----------+---------+-----------
       0/24A1B50 |        1 |      1 |   232 |   368 |    8192 |     8192 |       4 |         0

  The returned columns correspond to the fields in the `PageHeaderData` struct. See `src/include/storage/bufpage.h` for details.

`heap_page_items(page bytea) returns setof record`

  `heap_page_items` shows all line pointers on a heap page. For those line pointers that are in use, tuple headers as well as tuple raw data are also shown. All tuples are shown, whether or not the tuples were visible to an MVCC snapshot at the time the raw page was copied.

  A heap page image obtained with `get_raw_page` should be passed as argument. For example:

      test=# SELECT * FROM heap_page_items(get_raw_page('pg_class', 0));

  See `src/include/storage/itemid.h` and `src/include/access/htup_details.h` for explanations of the fields returned.

`tuple_data_split(rel_oid, t_data bytea, t_infomask integer, t_infomask2 integer, t_bits text [, do_detoast bool]) returns bytea[]`

  `tuple_data_split` splits tuple data into attributes in the same way as backend internals.

      test=# SELECT tuple_data_split('pg_class'::regclass, t_data, t_infomask, t_infomask2, t_bits) FROM heap_page_items(get_raw_page('pg_class', 0));

  This function should be called with the same arguments as the return attributes of `heap_page_items`.

  If `do_detoast` is `true`, attribute that will be detoasted as needed. Default value is `false`.

`heap_page_item_attrs(rel_oid, t_data bytea, [, do_detoast bool]) returns bytea[]`

  `heap_page_item_attrs` is equivalent to `heap_page_items` except that it returns tuple raw data as an array of attributes that can optionally be detoasted by `do_detoast` which is `false` by default.

  A heap page image obtained with `get_raw_page` should be passed as argument. For example:

      test=# SELECT * FROM heap_page_item_attrs(get_raw_page('pg_class', 0), 'pg_class'::regclass);

`bt_metap(relname text) returns record`

  `bt_metap` returns information about a B-tree index's metapage. For example:

      test=# SELECT * FROM bt_metap('pg_cast_oid_index');
      -[ RECORD 1 ]-----
      magic     | 340322
      version   | 2
      root      | 1
      level     | 0
      fastroot  | 1
      fastlevel | 0

`bt_page_stats(relname text, blkno int) returns record`

  `bt_page_stats` returns summary information about single pages of B-tree indexes. For example:

      test=# SELECT * FROM bt_page_stats('pg_cast_oid_index', 1);
      -[ RECORD 1 ]-+-----
      blkno         | 1
      type          | l
      live_items    | 256
      dead_items    | 0
      avg_item_size | 12
      page_size     | 8192
      free_size     | 4056
      btpo_prev     | 0
      btpo_next     | 0
      btpo          | 0
      btpo_flags    | 3

`bt_page_items(relname text, blkno int) returns setof record`

  `bt_page_items` returns detailed information about all of the items on a B-tree index page. For example:

      test=# SELECT * FROM bt_page_items('pg_cast_oid_index', 1);
       itemoffset |  ctid   | itemlen | nulls | vars |    data
      ------------+---------+---------+-------+------+-------------
                1 | (0,1)   |      12 | f     | f    | 23 27 00 00
                2 | (0,2)   |      12 | f     | f    | 24 27 00 00
                3 | (0,3)   |      12 | f     | f    | 25 27 00 00
                4 | (0,4)   |      12 | f     | f    | 26 27 00 00
                5 | (0,5)   |      12 | f     | f    | 27 27 00 00
                6 | (0,6)   |      12 | f     | f    | 28 27 00 00
                7 | (0,7)   |      12 | f     | f    | 29 27 00 00
                8 | (0,8)   |      12 | f     | f    | 2a 27 00 00

  In a B-tree leaf page, `ctid` points to a heap tuple. In an internal page, the block number part of `ctid` points to another page in the index itself, while the offset part (the second number) is ignored and is usually 1.

  Note that the first item on any non-rightmost page (any page with a non-zero value in the `btpo_next` field) is the page's "high key", meaning its `data` serves as an upper bound on all items appearing on the page, while its `ctid` field is meaningless. Also, on non-leaf pages, the first real data item (the first item that is not a high key) is a "minus infinity" item, with no actual value in its `data` field. Such an item does have a valid downlink in its `ctid` field, however.

`brin_page_type(page bytea) returns text`

  `brin_page_type` returns the page type of the given BRIN index page, or throws an error if the page is not a valid BRIN page. For example:

      test=# SELECT brin_page_type(get_raw_page('brinidx', 0));
       brin_page_type
      ----------------
       meta

`brin_metapage_info(page bytea) returns record`

  `brin_metapage_info` returns assorted information about a BRIN index metapage. For example:

      test=# SELECT * FROM brin_metapage_info(get_raw_page('brinidx', 0));
         magic    | version | pagesperrange | lastrevmappage
      ------------+---------+---------------+----------------
       0xA8109CFA |       1 |             4 |              2

`brin_revmap_data(page bytea) returns setof tid`

  `brin_revmap_data` returns the list of tuple identifiers in a BRIN index range map page. For example:

      test=# SELECT * FROM brin_revmap_data(get_raw_page('brinidx', 2)) limit 5;
        pages
      ---------
       (6,137)
       (6,138)
       (6,139)
       (6,140)
       (6,141)

`brin_page_items(page bytea, index oid) returns setof record`

  `brin_page_items` returns the data stored in the BRIN data page. For example:

      test=# SELECT * FROM brin_page_items(get_raw_page('brinidx', 5),
                                           'brinidx')
             ORDER BY blknum, attnum LIMIT 6;
       itemoffset | blknum | attnum | allnulls | hasnulls | placeholder |    value
      ------------+--------+--------+----------+----------+-------------+--------------
              137 |      0 |      1 | t        | f        | f           |
              137 |      0 |      2 | f        | f        | f           | {1 .. 88}
              138 |      4 |      1 | t        | f        | f           |
              138 |      4 |      2 | f        | f        | f           | {89 .. 176}
              139 |      8 |      1 | t        | f        | f           |
              139 |      8 |      2 | f        | f        | f           | {177 .. 264}

  The returned columns correspond to the fields in the `BrinMemTuple` and `BrinValues` structs. See `src/include/access/brin_tuple.h` for details.

`gin_metapage_info(page bytea) returns record`

  `gin_metapage_info` returns information about a GIN index metapage. For example:

      test=# SELECT * FROM gin_metapage_info(get_raw_page('gin_index', 0));
      -[ RECORD 1 ]----+-----------
      pending_head     | 4294967295
      pending_tail     | 4294967295
      tail_free_size   | 0
      n_pending_pages  | 0
      n_pending_tuples | 0
      n_total_pages    | 7
      n_entry_pages    | 6
      n_data_pages     | 0
      n_entries        | 693
      version          | 2

`gin_page_opaque_info(page bytea) returns record`

  `gin_page_opaque_info` returns information about a GIN index opaque area, like the page type. For example:

      test=# SELECT * FROM gin_page_opaque_info(get_raw_page('gin_index', 2));
       rightlink | maxoff |         flags
      -----------+--------+------------------------
               5 |      0 | {data,leaf,compressed}
      (1 row)

`gin_leafpage_items(page bytea) returns setof record`

  `gin_leafpage_items` returns information about the data stored in a GIN leaf page. For example:

      test=# SELECT first_tid, nbytes, tids[0:5] as some_tids
              FROM gin_leafpage_items(get_raw_page('gin_test_idx', 2));
       first_tid | nbytes |                        some_tids
      -----------+--------+----------------------------------------------------------
       (8,41)    |    244 | {"(8,41)","(8,43)","(8,44)","(8,45)","(8,46)"}
       (10,45)   |    248 | {"(10,45)","(10,46)","(10,47)","(10,48)","(10,49)"}
       (12,52)   |    248 | {"(12,52)","(12,53)","(12,54)","(12,55)","(12,56)"}
       (14,59)   |    320 | {"(14,59)","(14,60)","(14,61)","(14,62)","(14,63)"}
       (167,16)  |    376 | {"(167,16)","(167,17)","(167,18)","(167,19)","(167,20)"}
       (170,30)  |    376 | {"(170,30)","(170,31)","(170,32)","(170,33)","(170,34)"}
       (173,44)  |    197 | {"(173,44)","(173,45)","(173,46)","(173,47)","(173,48)"}
      (7 rows)

`fsm_page_contents(page bytea) returns text`

  `fsm_page_contents` shows the internal node structure of a FSM page. The output is a multiline string, with one line per node in the binary tree within the page. Only those nodes that are not zero are printed. The so-called "next" pointer, which points to the next slot to be returned from the page, is also printed.

  See `src/backend/storage/freespace/README` for more information on the structure of an FSM page.

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