Command line tool for PostgreSQL server activity monitoring.
pg_activity is available in many Linux distributions; the PostgreSQL Global Development Group (PGDG) also provides packages for RPM-based (https://yum.postgresql.org/) and Debian-based distributions (https://wiki.postgresql.org/wiki/Apt):
$ sudo yum install pg_activity
$ sudo apt install pg-activity
Using distribution packages is the recommended way to install pg_activity.
Alternatively, pg_activity can be installed using pip on Python 3.7 or later along with psycopg2 (version 2.8 or higher):
$ python3 -m pip install pg_activity psycopg2-binary
In case your $PATH does not already contain it, the full path is:
$ ~/.local/bin/pg_activity
This is only necessary to test development versions. First, clone the repository:
$ git clone https://github.com/dalibo/pg_activity.git
Change the branch if necessary. Then create a dedicated environment, install dependencies and then pg_activity from the repo:
$ cd pg_activity
$ python3 -m venv .venv
$ . .venv/bin/activate
(.venv) $ pip install psycopg2-binary .
(.venv) $ pg_activity
To quit this env and destroy it:
$ deactivate
$ rm -r .venv
pg_activity works locally or remotely. In local execution context, to obtain
sufficient rights to display system informations, the system user running
pg_activity must be the same user running postgresql server (postgres by
default), or have more rights like root. Otherwise, pg_activity can fallback
to a degraded mode without displaying system informations. On the same way,
PostgreSQL user used to connect to the database must be super-user.
ex:
sudo -u postgres pg_activity -U postgres
pg_activity [options]
Options:
--version Show program's version number and exit
-U USERNAME, --username=USERNAME
Database user name (default: "postgres").
-p PORT, --port=PORT Database server port (default: "5432").
-h HOSTNAME, --host=HOSTNAME
Database server host or socket directory (default:
"localhost").
-d DBNAME, --dbname=DBNAME
Database name to connect to (default: "postgres").
--blocksize=BLOCKSIZE Filesystem blocksize (default: 4096).
--rds Enable support for AWS RDS.
--output=FILEPATH Store running queries as CSV.
--help Show this help message and exit.
--no-db-size Skip total size of DB.
--duration-mode=DURATION_MODE
Duration mode. Values: 1-QUERY(default),
2-TRANSACTION, 3-BACKEND
--min-duration Don't display queries with smaller than specified
duration (in seconds).
--filter=FIELD:REGEX Filter activities with a (case insensitive) regular
expression applied on selected fields. Known fields
are: dbname.
--verbose-mode=VERBOSE_MODE
Queries display mode. Values: 1-TRUNCATED,
2-FULL(default), 3-INDENTED
Display options, you can exclude some columns by using them :
--no-database Disable DATABASE.
--no-user Disable USER.
--no-client Disable CLIENT.
--no-cpu Disable CPU%.
--no-mem Disable MEM%.
--no-read Disable READ/s.
--no-write Disable WRITE/s.
--no-time Disable TIME+.
--no-wait Disable W.
--no-app-name Disable App.
Length of SQL query text that pg_activity reports relies on PostgreSQL
parameter track_activity_query_size. Default value is 1024 (expressed in
bytes). If your SQL query text look truncated, you should increase
track_activity_query_size.
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
r |
Sort by READ/s, descending |
w |
Sort by WRITE/s, descending |
c |
Sort by CPU%, descending |
m |
Sort by MEM%, descending |
t |
Sort by TIME+, descending |
T |
Change duration mode: query, transaction, backend |
Space |
Pause on/off |
v |
Change queries display mode: full, indented, truncated |
UP/DOWN |
Scroll processes list |
k/j |
Scroll processes list |
q |
Quit |
+ |
Increase refresh time. Maximum value : 5s |
- |
Decrease refresh time. Minimum Value : 0.5s |
F1/1 |
Running queries list |
F2/2 |
Waiting queries list |
F3/3 |
Blocking queries list |
h |
Help page |
R |
Refresh |
D |
Refresh Database Size (including when --no-dbzise option applied) |
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
UP/k |
Move up the cursor |
DOWN/j |
Move down the cursor |
K |
Terminate the current backend/tagged backends |
C |
Cancel the current backend/tagged backends |
Space |
Tag or untag the process |
q |
Quit |
Other |
Back to activity |
I can't see my queries only TPS is shown
pg_activity scans the view pg_stat_activity with a user defined refresh
time comprised between O.5 and 5 seconds. It can be modified in the interface
with the + and - keys. Any query executed between two scans won't be
displayed.
What is more, pg_activity uses different queries to get :
- settings from
pg_settings - version info using
version() - queries and number of connections from
pg_stat_activity - locks from
pg_locks - tps from
pg_databaseusingpg_stat_get_db_xact_commit()andpg_stat_get_db_xact_rollback() - and more ( eg :
pg_cancel_backend()andpg_terminate_backend())
Thoses queries cannot be seen in the query tab because all queries issued from
the pg_activity backend are considered as noise and are not displayed . On
the other hand, the transactions used to get the info for pg_activity's
reporting are still accounted for by postgres in pg_stat_get_db_xact_commit()
and pg_stat_get_db_xact_commit(). Therefore pg_activity will display a non
zero TPS even with no activity on the database, and/or no activity displayed on
screen.
How can I specify a password for authentication ?
pg_activity uses libpq to access to PostgreSQL therefore all the traditional methods are available.
You can pass the password for the database connection in a password file. Information can also be given via PostgreSQL's environment variables (PGPASSFILE or PGPASSWORD) or via the connection string parameters.
The password file is preferred since it's more secure (security is deferred to the OS). Please avoid password in connection strings at all cost.