Re: Guarenteeing ordering constraints

Even this can be violated.
Just create another table and change the first select statement of the
transactions to get data from that table.

Is there any way to actually enforce such ordering constraints under
postgresql?

- Joris

>-----Original Message-----
>From: pgsql-general-owner@postgresql.org
>[mailto:pgsql-general-owner@postgresql.org] On Behalf Of Joris
>Dobbelsteen
>Sent: donderdag 22 februari 2007 14:27
>To: pgsql-general@postgresql.org
>Subject: [GENERAL] Guarenteeing ordering constraints
>
>I have some trouble guarenteeing that an ordering constraint
>is enforced on the database. On the table ordering (see below)
>I want to enforce that for every tuple t, all tuples u where
>u.position < t.position this implies u.cumvalue <= t.cumvalue.
>
>Unfortunally postgresql gives me a choice between concurrency
>or consistency. Given the trigger procedure below (written for
>simplicity, not speed) it will fail to guarentee consistency
>when using serializable isolation.
>Just load the initial dataset (the failing operations are only
>to test the constraints).
>The next step is to execute transactions 1 and 2 in parallel
>(step by step). This will cause the constraint to be violated.
>
>It does work in the default isolation level (read committed).
>Alternatively one can use the second LOCK statement in the
>trigger, which does an ACCESS EXCLUSIVE. Obviously this
>completely defeats concurrency (causes one of the transactions
>to be retried).
>
>Is there any way that will both guarentee consistency and
>provide some better concurrency?
>
>- Joris
>
>===
>
>CREATE PROCEDURAL LANGUAGE plpgsql;
>
>CREATE TABLE ordering (
>    "position" integer NOT NULL,
>    cumvalue integer NOT NULL
>);
>
>CREATE FUNCTION tr_ordering_cumvalue_simple() RETURNS "trigger"
>    AS $$BEGIN
>    -- position is unique (index enforced)
>    -- cumvalue constraint
>    --
>    -- Let p,q be an element of ordering,
>    -- where p.position < q.position implies p.cumvalue <=
>q.cumvalue
>
>    -- Thus for every new tuple t
>    -- we need to ensure
>    -- For all p (of ordering) p.position < t.position
>implies p.cumvalue <= t.cumvalue
>    --        and        p.position > t.position implies
>p.cumvalue >= t.cumvalue
>    --
>    -- note (p implies q) <=> (!p or q)
>
>    -- lock full table, no others updating it...
>    LOCK TABLE ordering IN EXCLUSIVE MODE;
>    --LOCK TABLE ordering IN ACCESS EXCLUSIVE MODE;
>
>    IF EXISTS (SELECT *
>           FROM ordering o
>           WHERE    -- violates constraints
>            (o.position < NEW.position and o.cumvalue >
>NEW.cumvalue)
>           OR
>            (o.position > NEW.position and o.cumvalue <
>NEW.cumvalue)
>          )
>    THEN
>        RAISE EXCEPTION 'Constraint violation detected
>by %', TG_name;
>    END IF;
>
>    RETURN NEW;
>END$$
>    LANGUAGE plpgsql;
>
>CREATE TRIGGER tr_ordering_cumvalue
>    BEFORE INSERT OR UPDATE ON ordering
>    FOR EACH ROW
>    EXECUTE PROCEDURE tr_ordering_cumvalue_simple();
>
>
>-- initial dataset
>BEGIN;
>DELETE FROM ordering;
>INSERT INTO ordering VALUES (0,0);
>INSERT INTO ordering VALUES (10,100);
>INSERT INTO ordering VALUES (20,200);
>COMMIT;
>
>-- failing operation
>BEGIN;
>INSERT INTO ordering VALUES (-1,1);
>INSERT INTO ordering VALUES (15,1);
>INSERT INTO ordering VALUES (16,201);
>INSERT INTO ordering VALUES (21,-1);
>ROLLBACK;
>
>-- transaction 1
>BEGIN ISOLATION LEVEL SERIALIZABLE;;
>SELECT * FROM ordering;
>INSERT INTO ordering VALUES (19,101);
>SELECT * FROM ordering;
>COMMIT;
>
>-- transaction 2
>BEGIN ISOLATION LEVEL SERIALIZABLE;
>SELECT * FROM ordering;
>INSERT INTO ordering VALUES (11,199);
>SELECT * FROM ordering;
>COMMIT;
>
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