In applications, especially for businesses that use PostgreSQL multi-value columns (arrays, full-text search, and JSON), a single-value column also needs to be queried in addition to multi-value columns.
Therefore, in cases, when both types of queries coexist, the database selects a single column or multiple columns to compose the index based on the cost. However, it cannot reach the best performance but only simplifies the user's index design. Let's consider the following example to understand this better.
create table tbl(gid int, c1 int[]);
insert into tbl select random()*99, gen_randarr(999, 10) from generate_series(1,10000000);
Since gid has 100 values and c1 has 10 values (the value range is less than 1,000), the user may query by gid or c1, or by combining both. When user queries by combining both fields, the current method is not efficient. This includes btree_gin.
This leads to a critical question, how to accelerate the query?
Let's have a quick look at the following demo to understand different acceleration methods:
Step 1. Create a function to generate a random number.
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION public.gen_randarr(integer, integer)
RETURNS integer[]
LANGUAGE sql
STRICT
AS $function$
select array(select (random()*$1)::int from generate_series(1,$2));
$function$;
Step 2. Now, create a test table that contains a single-value column and a multi-value column.
create table tbl(gid int, c1 int[]);
Step 3. Write 10 millions pieces of data.
insert into tbl select random()*99, gen_randarr(999, 10) from generate_series(1,10000000);
Now, implementing the traditional acceleration method, create a compound index of single-value columns and multi-value columns.
create extension btree_gin;
set maintenance_work_mem ='8GB';
create index idx_tbl_1 on tbl using gin (gid, c1);
Determine the performance of this compound query as shown below.
postgres=# explain (analyze,verbose,timing,costs,buffers) select * from tbl where gid=1 and c1 @> array[1,2,3];
QUERY PLAN
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bitmap Heap Scan on public.tbl (cost=96.00..97.02 rows=1 width=65) (actual time=12.810..12.810 rows=0 loops=1)
Output: gid, c1
Recheck Cond: ((tbl.gid = 1) AND (tbl.c1 @> '{1,2,3}'::integer[]))
Buffers: shared hit=184
-> Bitmap Index Scan on idx_tbl_1 (cost=0.00..96.00 rows=1 width=0) (actual time=12.807..12.807 rows=0 loops=1)
Index Cond: ((tbl.gid = 1) AND (tbl.c1 @> '{1,2,3}'::integer[]))
Buffers: shared hit=184
Planning time: 0.154 ms
Execution time: 12.838 ms
(9 rows)
postgres=# explain (analyze,verbose,timing,costs,buffers) select * from tbl where gid=1 and c1 && array[1,2,3];
QUERY PLAN
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bitmap Heap Scan on public.tbl (cost=129.80..3433.25 rows=3297 width=65) (actual time=17.453..22.486 rows=2932 loops=1)
Output: gid, c1
Recheck Cond: ((tbl.gid = 1) AND (tbl.c1 && '{1,2,3}'::integer[]))
Heap Blocks: exact=2906
Buffers: shared hit=3089
-> Bitmap Index Scan on idx_tbl_1 (cost=0.00..128.97 rows=3297 width=0) (actual time=17.121..17.121 rows=2932 loops=1)
Index Cond: ((tbl.gid = 1) AND (tbl.c1 && '{1,2,3}'::integer[]))
Buffers: shared hit=183
Planning time: 0.223 ms
Execution time: 22.761 ms
(10 rows)
In case, you do not seem to have the motivation to optimize further, you will observe that this performance appears to be quite OK.
Multiple index conditions are also used. In fact, this index is a bitmap scan performed after the two indexes are combined internally.
The second method lets you create a single-value column index and a multi-value column index, separately.
postgres=# drop index idx_tbl_1;
DROP INDEX
postgres=# create index idx_tbl_1 on tbl (gid);
CREATE INDEX
postgres=# create index idx_tbl_2 on tbl using gin (c1);
The actual effect is worse than that of GIN compound indexes.
explain (analyze,verbose,timing,costs,buffers) select * from tbl where gid=1 and c1 @> array[1,2,3];
explain (analyze,verbose,timing,costs,buffers) select * from tbl where gid=1 and c1 && array[1,2,3];
postgres=# explain (analyze,verbose,timing,costs,buffers) select * from tbl where gid=1 and c1 @> array[1,2,3];
QUERY PLAN
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bitmap Heap Scan on public.tbl (cost=72.09..83.25 rows=1 width=65) (actual time=12.848..12.848 rows=0 loops=1)
Output: gid, c1
Recheck Cond: (tbl.c1 @> '{1,2,3}'::integer[])
Filter: (tbl.gid = 1)
Rows Removed by Filter: 13
Heap Blocks: exact=13
Buffers: shared hit=131
-> Bitmap Index Scan on idx_tbl_2 (cost=0.00..72.09 rows=11 width=0) (actual time=12.810..12.810 rows=13 loops=1)
Index Cond: (tbl.c1 @> '{1,2,3}'::integer[])
Buffers: shared hit=118
Planning time: 0.254 ms
Execution time: 12.874 ms
(12 rows)
postgres=# explain (analyze,verbose,timing,costs,buffers) select * from tbl where gid=1 and c1 && array[1,2,3];
QUERY PLAN
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bitmap Heap Scan on public.tbl (cost=3534.41..6837.86 rows=3297 width=65) (actual time=69.636..74.613 rows=2932 loops=1)
Output: gid, c1
Recheck Cond: ((tbl.gid = 1) AND (tbl.c1 && '{1,2,3}'::integer[]))
Heap Blocks: exact=2906
Buffers: shared hit=2982 read=279
-> BitmapAnd (cost=3534.41..3534.41 rows=3297 width=0) (actual time=69.002..69.002 rows=0 loops=1)
Buffers: shared hit=76 read=279
-> Bitmap Index Scan on idx_tbl_1 (cost=0.00..1089.93 rows=106333 width=0) (actual time=13.538..13.538 rows=100704 loops=1)
Index Cond: (tbl.gid = 1)
Buffers: shared read=279
-> Bitmap Index Scan on idx_tbl_2 (cost=0.00..2442.58 rows=310077 width=0) (actual time=50.878..50.878 rows=296887 loops=1)
Index Cond: (tbl.c1 && '{1,2,3}'::integer[])
Buffers: shared hit=76
Planning time: 0.147 ms
Execution time: 74.886 ms
(15 rows)
This article focuses on the method that is applicable for scenarios where the compound queries of single-value columns and multi-value columns are used. In fact, we use the UDF and indexing expressions functions of PostgreSQL.
UDF combines a single-value column and a multi-value column into a new multi-value column. Indexes on expressions are created for this UDF with the purpose to remove the internal BITMAP combination and use only one inverted tree. This inverted tree contains the values of the single-value and multi-value columns. Follow the steps listed below to implement this acceleration method:
Step 1. Create a UDF and combine the gid and c1 values as shown in the following example.
create or replace function gen_newarr(int, anyarray) returns text[] as $$
declare
res text[] := '{}';
x int;
begin
foreach x in array $2 loop
res := array_append(res, $1||'_'||x);
end loop;
return res;
end;
$$ language plpgsql strict immutable;
postgres=# select gen_newarr(123,array[1,2,3,4]);
-[ RECORD 1 ]-------------------------
gen_newarr | {123_1,123_2,123_3,123_4}
Step 2. Create indexes on expressions.
set maintenance_work_mem ='8GB';
create index idx_tbl_2 on tbl using gin (gen_newarr(gid, c1));
Step 3. An expression query is used during the query. Therefore, you need to change the SQL statement as shown below.
postgres=# explain (analyze,verbose,timing,costs,buffers) select * from tbl where gen_newarr(gid, c1) @> array['1_1','1_2','1_3'];
QUERY PLAN
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bitmap Heap Scan on public.tbl (cost=12.01..13.27 rows=1 width=65) (actual time=0.146..0.146 rows=0 loops=1)
Output: gid, c1
Recheck Cond: (gen_newarr(tbl.gid, tbl.c1) @> '{1_1,1_2,1_3}'::text[])
Buffers: shared hit=14
-> Bitmap Index Scan on idx_tbl_2 (cost=0.00..12.01 rows=1 width=0) (actual time=0.144..0.144 rows=0 loops=1)
Index Cond: (gen_newarr(tbl.gid, tbl.c1) @> '{1_1,1_2,1_3}'::text[])
Buffers: shared hit=14
Planning time: 0.092 ms
Execution time: 0.174 ms
(9 rows)
postgres=# explain (analyze,verbose,timing,costs,buffers) select * from tbl where gen_newarr(gid, c1) && array['1_1','1_2','1_3'];
QUERY PLAN
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bitmap Heap Scan on public.tbl (cost=1220.70..133422.08 rows=149251 width=65) (actual time=1.020..6.034 rows=2932 loops=1)
Output: gid, c1
Recheck Cond: (gen_newarr(tbl.gid, tbl.c1) && '{1_1,1_2,1_3}'::text[])
Heap Blocks: exact=2906
Buffers: shared hit=2919
-> Bitmap Index Scan on idx_tbl_2 (cost=0.00..1183.38 rows=149251 width=0) (actual time=0.640..0.640 rows=2932 loops=1)
Index Cond: (gen_newarr(tbl.gid, tbl.c1) && '{1_1,1_2,1_3}'::text[])
Buffers: shared hit=13
Planning time: 0.102 ms
Execution time: 6.348 ms
(10 rows)
The query is as follows.
select * from tbl where gen_newarr(gid, c1) && array['1_1','1_2','1_3'];
gid | c1
-----+-----------------------------------------
1 | {62,904,204,618,917,227,388,352,167,1}
1 | {825,126,174,409,340,285,231,942,3,136}
1 | {222,418,799,881,728,582,558,2,368,196}
1 | {847,197,690,1,288,468,179,521,799,196}
1 | {867,316,447,747,953,998,370,360,558,3}
1 | {249,963,669,929,534,945,388,816,1,601}
1 | {925,609,108,981,712,681,906,832,3,275}
1 | {3,354,253,947,588,598,401,89,246,968}
1 | {323,121,22,3,7,714,80,619,178,439}
1 | {866,1,185,704,932,882,496,324,264,882}
......
As a result, performance improves significantly.
Similarly, combine a single-value column with a full-text search column to accelerate performance.
create table tbl123(gid int, ts tsvector);
insert into tbl123 select random()*99, array_to_tsvector(gen_randarr(999, 10)::text[]) from generate_series(1,10000000);
create index idx_tbl123_1 on tbl123 using gin ( array_to_tsvector(gen_newarr(gid, tsvector_to_array(ts))) );
explain (analyze,verbose,timing,costs,buffers) select * from tbl123 where array_to_tsvector(gen_newarr(gid, tsvector_to_array(ts))) @@ tsquery '1_1 & 1_2 & 1_3';
explain (analyze,verbose,timing,costs,buffers) select * from tbl123 where array_to_tsvector(gen_newarr(gid, tsvector_to_array(ts))) @@ tsquery '1_1 | 1_2 | 1_3';
postgres=# explain (analyze,verbose,timing,costs,buffers) select * from tbl123 where array_to_tsvector(gen_newarr(gid, tsvector_to_array(ts))) @@ tsquery '1_1 & 1_2 & 1_3';
QUERY PLAN
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bitmap Heap Scan on public.tbl123 (cost=12.01..13.28 rows=1 width=77) (actual time=0.207..0.207 rows=0 loops=1)
Output: gid, ts
Recheck Cond: (array_to_tsvector(gen_newarr(tbl123.gid, tsvector_to_array(tbl123.ts))) @@ '''1_1'' & ''1_2'' & ''1_3'''::tsquery)
Buffers: shared hit=14
-> Bitmap Index Scan on idx_tbl123_1 (cost=0.00..12.01 rows=1 width=0) (actual time=0.204..0.204 rows=0 loops=1)
Index Cond: (array_to_tsvector(gen_newarr(tbl123.gid, tsvector_to_array(tbl123.ts))) @@ '''1_1'' & ''1_2'' & ''1_3'''::tsquery)
Buffers: shared hit=14
Planning time: 0.080 ms
Execution time: 0.238 ms
(9 rows)
postgres=# explain (analyze,verbose,timing,costs,buffers) select * from tbl123 where array_to_tsvector(gen_newarr(gid, tsvector_to_array(ts))) @@ tsquery '1_1 | 1_2 | 1_3';
QUERY PLAN
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bitmap Heap Scan on public.tbl123 (cost=1220.70..136709.34 rows=149251 width=77) (actual time=0.971..5.988 rows=2970 loops=1)
Output: gid, ts
Recheck Cond: (array_to_tsvector(gen_newarr(tbl123.gid, tsvector_to_array(tbl123.ts))) @@ '''1_1'' | ''1_2'' | ''1_3'''::tsquery)
Heap Blocks: exact=2937
Buffers: shared hit=2950
-> Bitmap Index Scan on idx_tbl123_1 (cost=0.00..1183.38 rows=149251 width=0) (actual time=0.612..0.612 rows=2970 loops=1)
Index Cond: (array_to_tsvector(gen_newarr(tbl123.gid, tsvector_to_array(tbl123.ts))) @@ '''1_1'' | ''1_2'' | ''1_3'''::tsquery)
Buffers: shared hit=13
Planning time: 0.029 ms
Execution time: 6.284 ms
(10 rows)
postgres=# select * from tbl123 where array_to_tsvector(gen_newarr(gid, tsvector_to_array(ts))) @@ tsquery '1_1 | 1_2 | 1_3';
gid | ts
-----+-----------------------------------------------------------
1 | '180' '219' '253' '262' '282' '3' '633' '657' '807' '809'
1 | '1' '166' '261' '670' '807' '860' '897' '922' '93' '964'
1 | '1' '174' '211' '319' '322' '532' '84' '849' '869' '993'
......
The preceding example shows how performance significantly improves in this scenario as well.
Following points sum up the highlights of this article:
When a multi-value column itself contains the attributes of a single-value column, you do not need to create a compound index for a single-value column and a multi-value column. Instead, you only need to create a multi-value column index.
On the other hand, when a multi-value column does not contain the attributes of a single-value column, you can use UDF if you have a compound query of single-value columns and multi-value columns. This combines a single-value column and a multi-value column into a new multi-value column and creates a GIN inverted index for this new multi-value column. This significantly improves performance. In this use case, the speed is increased by over 100 times.
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