Advance backend's advertised xmin more aggressively.

Currently, a backend will reset it's PGXACT->xmin value when it doesn't
have any registered snapshots left. That covered the common case that a
transaction in read committed mode runs several queries, one after each
other, as there would be no snapshots active between those queries.
However, if you hold cursors across each of the query, we didn't get a
chance to reset xmin.

To make that better, keep all the registered snapshots in a pairing heap,
ordered by xmin so that it's always quick to find the snapshot with the
smallest xmin. That allows us to advance PGXACT->xmin whenever the oldest
snapshot is deregistered, even if there are others still active.

Per discussion originally started by Jeff Davis back in 2009 and more
recently by Robert Haas.

Author: hlinnaka

src/backend/utils/time/snapmgr.c

@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 
 #include "access/transam.h"
 #include "access/xact.h"
+#include "lib/pairingheap.h"
 #include "miscadmin.h"
 #include "storage/predicate.h"
 #include "storage/proc.h"
@@ -123,13 +124,14 @@ typedef struct ActiveSnapshotElt
 static ActiveSnapshotElt *ActiveSnapshot = NULL;
 
 /*
- * How many snapshots is resowner.c tracking for us?
- *
- * Note: for now, a simple counter is enough.  However, if we ever want to be
- * smarter about advancing our MyPgXact->xmin we will need to be more
- * sophisticated about this, perhaps keeping our own list of snapshots.
+ * Currently registered Snapshots.  Ordered in a heap by xmin, so that we can
+ * quickly find the one with lowest xmin, to advance our MyPgXat->xmin.
+ * resowner.c also tracks these.
  */
-static int	RegisteredSnapshots = 0;
+static int xmin_cmp(const pairingheap_node *a, const pairingheap_node *b,
+		 void *arg);
+
+static pairingheap RegisteredSnapshots = { &xmin_cmp, NULL, NULL };
 
 /* first GetTransactionSnapshot call in a transaction? */
 bool		FirstSnapshotSet = false;
@@ -150,7 +152,7 @@ static Snapshot FirstXactSnapshot = NULL;
 /* Current xact's exported snapshots (a list of Snapshot structs) */
 static List *exportedSnapshots = NIL;
 
-
+/* Prototypes for local functions */
 static Snapshot CopySnapshot(Snapshot snapshot);
 static void FreeSnapshot(Snapshot snapshot);
 static void SnapshotResetXmin(void);
@@ -183,7 +185,7 @@ GetTransactionSnapshot(void)
 	/* First call in transaction? */
 	if (!FirstSnapshotSet)
 	{
-		Assert(RegisteredSnapshots == 0);
+		Assert(pairingheap_is_empty(&RegisteredSnapshots));
 		Assert(FirstXactSnapshot == NULL);
 
 		/*
@@ -205,7 +207,7 @@ GetTransactionSnapshot(void)
 			FirstXactSnapshot = CurrentSnapshot;
 			/* Mark it as "registered" in FirstXactSnapshot */
 			FirstXactSnapshot->regd_count++;
-			RegisteredSnapshots++;
+			pairingheap_add(&RegisteredSnapshots, &FirstXactSnapshot->ph_node);
 		}
 		else
 			CurrentSnapshot = GetSnapshotData(&CurrentSnapshotData);
@@ -350,7 +352,7 @@ SetTransactionSnapshot(Snapshot sourcesnap, TransactionId sourcexid)
 	/* Caller should have checked this already */
 	Assert(!FirstSnapshotSet);
 
-	Assert(RegisteredSnapshots == 0);
+	Assert(pairingheap_is_empty(&RegisteredSnapshots));
 	Assert(FirstXactSnapshot == NULL);
 	Assert(!HistoricSnapshotActive());
 
@@ -413,7 +415,7 @@ SetTransactionSnapshot(Snapshot sourcesnap, TransactionId sourcexid)
 		FirstXactSnapshot = CurrentSnapshot;
 		/* Mark it as "registered" in FirstXactSnapshot */
 		FirstXactSnapshot->regd_count++;
-		RegisteredSnapshots++;
+		pairingheap_add(&RegisteredSnapshots, &FirstXactSnapshot->ph_node);
 	}
 
 	FirstSnapshotSet = true;
@@ -639,7 +641,8 @@ RegisterSnapshotOnOwner(Snapshot snapshot, ResourceOwner owner)
 	snap->regd_count++;
 	ResourceOwnerRememberSnapshot(owner, snap);
 
-	RegisteredSnapshots++;
+	if (snap->regd_count == 1)
+		pairingheap_add(&RegisteredSnapshots, &snap->ph_node);
 
 	return snap;
 }
@@ -671,29 +674,70 @@ UnregisterSnapshotFromOwner(Snapshot snapshot, ResourceOwner owner)
 		return;
 
 	Assert(snapshot->regd_count > 0);
-	Assert(RegisteredSnapshots > 0);
+	Assert(!pairingheap_is_empty(&RegisteredSnapshots));
 
 	ResourceOwnerForgetSnapshot(owner, snapshot);
-	RegisteredSnapshots--;
-	if (--snapshot->regd_count == 0 && snapshot->active_count == 0)
+
+	snapshot->regd_count--;
+	if (snapshot->regd_count == 0)
+		pairingheap_remove(&RegisteredSnapshots, &snapshot->ph_node);
+
+	if (snapshot->regd_count == 0 && snapshot->active_count == 0)
 	{
 		FreeSnapshot(snapshot);
 		SnapshotResetXmin();
 	}
 }
 
+/*
+ * Comparison function for RegisteredSnapshots heap.  Snapshots are ordered
+ * by xmin, so that the snapshot with smallest xmin is at the top.
+ */
+static int
+xmin_cmp(const pairingheap_node *a, const pairingheap_node *b, void *arg)
+{
+	const SnapshotData *asnap = pairingheap_const_container(SnapshotData, ph_node, a);
+	const SnapshotData *bsnap = pairingheap_const_container(SnapshotData, ph_node, b);
+
+	if (TransactionIdPrecedes(asnap->xmin, bsnap->xmin))
+		return 1;
+	else if (TransactionIdFollows(asnap->xmin, bsnap->xmin))
+		return -1;
+	else
+		return 0;
+}
+
 /*
  * SnapshotResetXmin
  *
  * If there are no more snapshots, we can reset our PGXACT->xmin to InvalidXid.
  * Note we can do this without locking because we assume that storing an Xid
  * is atomic.
+ *
+ * Even if there are some remaining snapshots, we may be able to advance our
+ * PGXACT->xmin to some degree.  This typically happens when a portal is
+ * dropped.  For efficiency, we only consider recomputing PGXACT->xmin when
+ * the active snapshot stack is empty.
  */
 static void
 SnapshotResetXmin(void)
 {
-	if (RegisteredSnapshots == 0 && ActiveSnapshot == NULL)
+	Snapshot minSnapshot;
+
+	if (ActiveSnapshot != NULL)
+		return;
+
+	if (pairingheap_is_empty(&RegisteredSnapshots))
+	{
 		MyPgXact->xmin = InvalidTransactionId;
+		return;
+	}
+
+	minSnapshot = pairingheap_container(SnapshotData, ph_node,
+									pairingheap_first(&RegisteredSnapshots));
+
+	if (TransactionIdPrecedes(MyPgXact->xmin, minSnapshot->xmin))
+		MyPgXact->xmin = minSnapshot->xmin;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -769,8 +813,8 @@ AtEOXact_Snapshot(bool isCommit)
 	if (FirstXactSnapshot != NULL)
 	{
 		Assert(FirstXactSnapshot->regd_count > 0);
-		Assert(RegisteredSnapshots > 0);
-		RegisteredSnapshots--;
+		Assert(!pairingheap_is_empty(&RegisteredSnapshots));
+		pairingheap_remove(&RegisteredSnapshots, &FirstXactSnapshot->ph_node);
 	}
 	FirstXactSnapshot = NULL;
 
@@ -782,6 +826,7 @@ AtEOXact_Snapshot(bool isCommit)
 		TransactionId myxid = GetTopTransactionId();
 		int			i;
 		char		buf[MAXPGPATH];
+		ListCell   *lc;
 
 		/*
 		 * Get rid of the files.  Unlink failure is only a WARNING because (1)
@@ -798,14 +843,13 @@ AtEOXact_Snapshot(bool isCommit)
 		/*
 		 * As with the FirstXactSnapshot, we needn't spend any effort on
 		 * cleaning up the per-snapshot data structures, but we do need to
-		 * adjust the RegisteredSnapshots count to prevent a warning below.
-		 *
-		 * Note: you might be thinking "why do we have the exportedSnapshots
-		 * list at all?  All we need is a counter!".  You're right, but we do
-		 * it this way in case we ever feel like improving xmin management.
+		 * unlink them from RegisteredSnapshots to prevent a warning below.
 		 */
-		Assert(RegisteredSnapshots >= list_length(exportedSnapshots));
-		RegisteredSnapshots -= list_length(exportedSnapshots);
+		foreach(lc, exportedSnapshots)
+		{
+			Snapshot snap = (Snapshot) lfirst(lc);
+			pairingheap_remove(&RegisteredSnapshots, &snap->ph_node);
+		}
 
 		exportedSnapshots = NIL;
 	}
@@ -815,9 +859,8 @@ AtEOXact_Snapshot(bool isCommit)
 	{
 		ActiveSnapshotElt *active;
 
-		if (RegisteredSnapshots != 0)
-			elog(WARNING, "%d registered snapshots seem to remain after cleanup",
-				 RegisteredSnapshots);
+		if (!pairingheap_is_empty(&RegisteredSnapshots))
+			elog(WARNING, "registered snapshots seem to remain after cleanup");
 
 		/* complain about unpopped active snapshots */
 		for (active = ActiveSnapshot; active != NULL; active = active->as_next)
@@ -829,7 +872,7 @@ AtEOXact_Snapshot(bool isCommit)
 	 * it'll go away with TopTransactionContext.
 	 */
 	ActiveSnapshot = NULL;
-	RegisteredSnapshots = 0;
+	pairingheap_reset(&RegisteredSnapshots);
 
 	CurrentSnapshot = NULL;
 	SecondarySnapshot = NULL;
@@ -900,8 +943,7 @@ ExportSnapshot(Snapshot snapshot)
 	 * Copy the snapshot into TopTransactionContext, add it to the
 	 * exportedSnapshots list, and mark it pseudo-registered.  We do this to
 	 * ensure that the snapshot's xmin is honored for the rest of the
-	 * transaction.  (Right now, because SnapshotResetXmin is so stupid, this
-	 * is overkill; but later we might make that routine smarter.)
+	 * transaction.
 	 */
 	snapshot = CopySnapshot(snapshot);
 
@@ -910,7 +952,7 @@ ExportSnapshot(Snapshot snapshot)
 	MemoryContextSwitchTo(oldcxt);
 
 	snapshot->regd_count++;
-	RegisteredSnapshots++;
+	pairingheap_add(&RegisteredSnapshots, &snapshot->ph_node);
 
 	/*
 	 * Fill buf with a text serialization of the snapshot, plus identification
@@ -1303,7 +1345,8 @@ DeleteAllExportedSnapshotFiles(void)
 bool
 ThereAreNoPriorRegisteredSnapshots(void)
 {
-	if (RegisteredSnapshots <= 1)
+	if (pairingheap_is_empty(&RegisteredSnapshots) ||
+		pairingheap_is_singular(&RegisteredSnapshots))
 		return true;
 
 	return false;

src/include/lib/pairingheap.h

@@ -29,6 +29,25 @@ typedef struct pairingheap_node
 	struct pairingheap_node *prev_or_parent;
 } pairingheap_node;
 
+/*
+ * Return the containing struct of 'type' where 'membername' is the
+ * pairingheap_node pointed at by 'ptr'.
+ *
+ * This is used to convert a pairingheap_node * back to its containing struct.
+ */
+#define pairingheap_container(type, membername, ptr) \
+	(AssertVariableIsOfTypeMacro(ptr, pairingheap_node *), \
+	 AssertVariableIsOfTypeMacro(((type *) NULL)->membername, pairingheap_node),  \
+	 ((type *) ((char *) (ptr) - offsetof(type, membername))))
+
+/*
+ * Like pairingheap_container, but used when the pointer is 'const ptr'
+ */
+#define pairingheap_const_container(type, membername, ptr) \
+	(AssertVariableIsOfTypeMacro(ptr, const pairingheap_node *), \
+	 AssertVariableIsOfTypeMacro(((type *) NULL)->membername, pairingheap_node),  \
+	 ((const type *) ((const char *) (ptr) - offsetof(type, membername))))
+
 /*
  * For a max-heap, the comparator must return <0 iff a < b, 0 iff a == b,
  * and >0 iff a > b.  For a min-heap, the conditions are reversed.

src/include/utils/snapshot.h

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #define SNAPSHOT_H
 
 #include "access/htup.h"
+#include "lib/pairingheap.h"
 #include "storage/buf.h"
 
 
@@ -91,7 +92,9 @@ typedef struct SnapshotData
 	 */
 	CommandId	curcid;			/* in my xact, CID < curcid are visible */
 	uint32		active_count;	/* refcount on ActiveSnapshot stack */
-	uint32		regd_count;		/* refcount on RegisteredSnapshotList */
+	uint32		regd_count;		/* refcount on RegisteredSnapshots */
+
+	pairingheap_node ph_node;	/* link in the RegisteredSnapshots heap */
 } SnapshotData;
 
 /*