Provided by: pgbouncer_1.7-1_amd64 
NAME
pgbouncer.ini - configuration file for pgbouncer
DESCRIPTION
Config file is in "ini" format. Section names are between "[" and "]". Lines starting with ";" or "#"
are taken as comments and ignored. The characters ";" and "#" are not recognized when they appear later
in the line.
GENERIC SETTINGS
logfile
Specifies log file. Log file is kept open so after rotation kill -HUP or on console RELOAD; should be
done. Note: On Windows machines, the service must be stopped and started.
Default: not set.
pidfile
Specifies the pid file. Without a pidfile, daemonization is not allowed.
Default: not set.
listen_addr
Specifies list of addresses, where to listen for TCP connections. You may also use * meaning "listen on
all addresses". When not set, only Unix socket connections are allowed.
Addresses can be specified numerically (IPv4/IPv6) or by name.
Default: not set
listen_port
Which port to listen on. Applies to both TCP and Unix sockets.
Default: 6432
unix_socket_dir
Specifies location for Unix sockets. Applies to both listening socket and server connections. If set to
an empty string, Unix sockets are disabled. Required for online reboot (-R) to work. Note: Not
supported on Windows machines.
Default: /tmp
unix_socket_mode
Filesystem mode for unix socket.
Default: 0777
unix_socket_group
Group name to use for unix socket.
Default: not set
user
If set, specifies the Unix user to change to after startup. Works only if PgBouncer is started as root or
if it's already running as given user.
Note: Not supported on Windows machines.
Default: not set
auth_file
The name of the file to load user names and passwords from. The file format is the same as the PostgreSQL
8.x pg_auth/pg_pwd file, so this setting can be pointed directly to one of those backend files. Since
version 9.0, PostgreSQL does not use such text file, so it must be generated manually. See section
Authentication file format below about details.
Default: not set.
auth_hba_file
HBA configuration file to use when auth_type is hba. Supported from version 1.7 onwards.
Default: not set
auth_type
How to authenticate users.
hba Actual auth type is loaded from auth_hba_file. This allows different authentication methods
different access paths. Example: connection over unix socket use peer auth method, connection
over TCP must use TLS. Supported from version 1.7 onwards.
cert Client must connect over TLS connection with valid client cert. Username is then taken from
CommonName field from certificate.
md5 Use MD5-based password check. auth_file may contain both MD5-encrypted or plain-text passwords.
This is the default authentication method.
plain Clear-text password is sent over wire. Deprecated.
trust No authentication is done. Username must still exist in auth_file.
any Like the trust method, but the username given is ignored. Requires that all databases are
configured to log in as specific user. Additionally, the console database allows any user to log
in as admin.
auth_query
Query to load user's password from db.
Default: SELECT usename, passwd FROM pg_shadow WHERE usename=$1
pool_mode
Specifies when a server connection can be reused by other clients.
session
Server is released back to pool after client disconnects. Default.
transaction
Server is released back to pool after transaction finishes.
statement
Server is released back to pool after query finishes. Long transactions spanning multiple
statements are disallowed in this mode.
max_client_conn
Maximum number of client connections allowed. When increased then the file descriptor limits should also
be increased. Note that actual number of file descriptors used is more than max_client_conn.
Theoretical maximum used is:
max_client_conn + (max_pool_size * total_databases * total_users)
if each user connects under its own username to server. If a database user is specified in connect
string (all users connect under same username), the theoretical maximum is:
max_client_conn + (max_pool_size * total_databases)
The theoretical maximum should be never reached, unless somebody deliberately crafts special load for it.
Still, it means you should set the number of file descriptors to a safely high number.
Search for ulimit in your favourite shell man page. Note: ulimit does not apply in a Windows
environment.
Default: 100
default_pool_size
How many server connections to allow per user/database pair. Can be overridden in the per-database
configuration.
Default: 20
min_pool_size
Add more server connections to pool if below this number. Improves behaviour when usual load comes
suddenly back after period of total inactivity.
Default: 0 (disabled)
reserve_pool_size
How many additional connections to allow to a pool. 0 disables.
Default: 0 (disabled)
reserve_pool_timeout
If a client has not been serviced in this many seconds, pgbouncer enables use of additional connections
from reserve pool. 0 disables.
Default: 5.0
max_db_connections
Do not allow more than this many connections per-database (regardless of pool - i.e. user). It should be
noted that when you hit the limit, closing a client connection to one pool will not immediately allow a
server connection to be established for another pool, because the server connection for the first pool is
still open. Once the server connection closes (due to idle timeout), a new server connection will
immediately be opened for the waiting pool.
Default: unlimited
max_user_connections
Do not allow more than this many connections per-user (regardless of pool - i.e. user). It should be
noted that when you hit the limit, closing a client connection to one pool will not immediately allow a
server connection to be established for another pool, because the server connection for the first pool is
still open. Once the server connection closes (due to idle timeout), a new server connection will
immediately be opened for the waiting pool.
server_round_robin
By default, pgbouncer reuses server connections in LIFO (last-in, first-out) manner, so that few
connections get the most load. This gives best performance if you have a single server serving a
database. But if there is TCP round-robin behind a database IP, then it is better if pgbouncer also uses
connections in that manner, thus achieving uniform load.
Default: 0
ignore_startup_parameters
By default, PgBouncer allows only parameters it can keep track of in startup packets - client_encoding,
datestyle, timezone and standard_conforming_strings.
All others parameters will raise an error. To allow others parameters, they can be specified here, so
that pgbouncer knows that they are handled by admin and it can ignore them.
Default: empty
disable_pqexec
Disable Simple Query protocol (PQexec). Unlike Extended Query protocol, Simple Query allows multiple
queries in one packet, which allows some classes of SQL-injection attacks. Disabling it can improve
security. Obviously this means only clients that exclusively use Extended Query protocol will stay
working.
Default: 0
application_name_add_host
Add the client host address and port to the application name setting set on connection start. This helps
in identifying the source of bad queries etc. This logic applies only on start of connection, if
application_name is later changed with SET, pgbouncer does not change it again.
Default: 0
conffile
Show location of current config file. Changing it will make PgBouncer use another config file for next
RELOAD / SIGHUP.
Default: file from command line.
service_name
Used on win32 service registration.
Default: pgbouncer
job_name
Alias for service_name.
LOG SETTINGS
syslog
Toggles syslog on/off As for windows environment, eventlog is used instead.
Default: 0
syslog_ident
Under what name to send logs to syslog.
Default: pgbouncer (program name)
syslog_facility
Under what facility to send logs to syslog. Possibilities: auth, authpriv, daemon, user, local0-7.
Default: daemon
log_connections
Log successful logins.
Default: 1
log_disconnections
Log disconnections with reasons.
Default: 1
log_pooler_errors
Log error messages pooler sends to clients.
Default: 1
stats_period
Period for writing aggregated stats into log.
Default: 60
verbose
Increase verbosity. Mirrors "-v" switch on command line. Using "-v -v" on command line is same as
verbose=2 in config.
Default: 0
CONSOLE ACCESS CONTROL
admin_users
Comma-separated list of database users that are allowed to connect and run all commands on console.
Ignored when auth_type is any, in which case any username is allowed in as admin.
Default: empty
stats_users
Comma-separated list of database users that are allowed to connect and run read-only queries on console.
Thats means all SHOW commands except SHOW FDS.
Default: empty.
CONNECTION SANITY CHECKS, TIMEOUTS
server_reset_query
Query sent to server on connection release, before making it available to other clients. At that moment
no transaction is in progress so it should not include ABORT or ROLLBACK.
A good choice for Postgres 8.2 and below is:
server_reset_query = RESET ALL; SET SESSION AUTHORIZATION DEFAULT;
for 8.3 and above its enough to do:
server_reset_query = DISCARD ALL;
When transaction pooling is used, the server_reset_query should be empty, as clients should not use any
session features. If client does use session features, then they will be broken as transaction pooling
will not guarantee that next query will be run on same connection.
Default: DISCARD ALL
server_reset_query_always
Whether server_reset_query should be run in all pooling modes. When this setting is off (default), the
server_reset_query will be run only in pools that are in sessions-pooling mode. Connections in
transaction-pooling mode should not have any need for reset query.
Default: 0
server_check_delay
How long to keep released connections available for immediate re-use, without running sanity-check
queries on it. If 0 then the query is ran always.
Default: 30.0
server_check_query
Simple do-nothing query to check if the server connection is alive.
If an empty string, then sanity checking is disabled.
Default: SELECT 1;
server_lifetime
The pooler will try to close server connections that have been connected longer than this. Setting it to
0 means the connection is to be used only once, then closed. [seconds]
Default: 3600.0
server_idle_timeout
If a server connection has been idle more than this many seconds it will be dropped. If 0 then timeout
is disabled. [seconds]
Default: 600.0
server_connect_timeout
If connection and login won't finish in this amount of time, the connection will be closed. [seconds]
Default: 15.0
server_login_retry
If login failed, because of failure from connect() or authentication that pooler waits this much before
retrying to connect. [seconds]
Default: 15.0
client_login_timeout
If a client connects but does not manage to login in this amount of time, it will be disconnected. Mainly
needed to avoid dead connections stalling SUSPEND and thus online restart. [seconds]
Default: 60.0
autodb_idle_timeout
If the automatically created (via "*") database pools have been unused this many seconds, they are freed.
The negative aspect of that is that their statistics are also forgotten. [seconds]
Default: 3600.0
dns_max_ttl
How long the DNS lookups can be cached. If a DNS lookup returns several answers, pgbouncer will
robin-between them in the meantime. Actual DNS TTL is ignored. [seconds]
Default: 15.0
dns_nxdomain_ttl
How long error and NXDOMAIN DNS lookups can be cached. [seconds]
Default: 15.0
dns_zone_check_period
Period to check if zone serial has changed.
PgBouncer can collect dns zones from hostnames (everything after first dot) and then periodically check
if zone serial changes. If it notices changes, all hostnames under that zone are looked up again. If
any host ip changes, it's connections are invalidated.
Works only with UDNS backend (--with-udns to configure).
Default: 0.0 (disabled)
TLS SETTINGS
client_tls_sslmode
TLS mode to use for connections from clients. TLS connections are disabled by default. When enabled,
client_tls_key_file and client_tls_cert_file must be also configured to set up key and cert PgBouncer
uses to accept client connections.
disabled
Plain TCP. If client requests TLS, it's ignored. Default.
allow If client requests TLS, it is used. If not, plain TCP is used. If client uses
client-certificate, it is not validated.
prefer Same as allow.
require
Client must use TLS. If not, client connection is rejected. If client uses client-certificate,
it is not validated.
verify-ca
Client must use TLS with valid client certificate.
verify-full
Same as verify-ca.
client_tls_key_file
Private key for PgBouncer to accept client connections.
Default: not set.
client_tls_cert_file
Certificate for private key. Clients can validate it.
Default: not set.
client_tls_ca_file
Root certificate file to validate client certificates.
Default: unset.
client_tls_protocols
Which TLS protocol versions are allowed. Allowed values: tlsv1.0, tlsv1.1, tlsv1.2. Shortcuts: all
(tlsv1.0,tlsv1.1,tlsv1.2), secure (tlsv1.2), legacy (all).
Default: all
client_tls_ciphers
Default: fast
client_tls_ecdhcurve
Elliptic Curve name to use for ECDH key exchanges.
Allowed values: none (DH is disabled), auto (256-bit ECDH), curve name.
Default: auto
client_tls_dheparams
DHE key exchange type.
Allowed values: none (DH is disabled), auto (2048-bit DH), legacy (1024-bit DH).
Default: auto
server_tls_sslmode
TLS mode to use for connections to PostgreSQL servers. TLS connections are disabled by default.
disabled
Plain TCP. TCP is not event requested from server. Default.
allow FIXME: if server rejects plain, try TLS?
prefer TLS connection is always requested first from PostgreSQL, when refused connection will be
establised over plain TCP. Server certificate is not validated.
require
Connection must go over TLS. If server rejects it, plain TCP is not attempted. Server
certificate is not validated.
verify-ca
Connection must go over TLS and server certificate must be valid according to server_tls_ca_file.
Server hostname is not checked against certificate.
verify-full
Connection must go over TLS and server certificate must be valid according to server_tls_ca_file.
Server hostname must match certificate info.
server_tls_ca_file
Root certificate file to validate PostgreSQL server certificates.
Default: unset.
server_tls_key_file
Private key for PgBouncer to authenticate against PostgreSQL server.
Default: not set.
server_tls_cert_file
Certificate for private key. PostgreSQL server can validate it.
Default: not set.
server_tls_protocols
Which TLS protocol versions are allowed. Allowed values: tlsv1.0, tlsv1.1, tlsv1.2. Shortcuts: all
(tlsv1.0,tlsv1.1,tlsv1.2), secure (tlsv1.2), legacy (all).
Default: all
server_tls_ciphers
Default: fast
DANGEROUS TIMEOUTS
Setting following timeouts cause unexpected errors.
query_timeout
Queries running longer than that are canceled. This should be used only with slightly smaller server-side
statement_timeout, to apply only for network problems. [seconds]
Default: 0.0 (disabled)
query_wait_timeout
Maximum time queries are allowed to spend waiting for execution. If the query is not assigned to a server
during that time, the client is disconnected. This is used to prevent unresponsive servers from grabbing
up connections. [seconds]
It also helps when server is down or database rejects connections for any reason. If this is disabled,
clients will be queued infinitely.
Default: 120
client_idle_timeout
Client connections idling longer than this many seconds are closed. This should be larger than the
client-side connection lifetime settings, and only used for network problems. [seconds]
Default: 0.0 (disabled)
idle_transaction_timeout
If client has been in "idle in transaction" state longer, it will be disconnected. [seconds]
Default: 0.0 (disabled)
LOW-LEVEL NETWORK SETTINGS
pkt_buf
Internal buffer size for packets. Affects size of TCP packets sent and general memory usage. Actual libpq
packets can be larger than this so, no need to set it large.
Default: 4096
max_packet_size
Maximum size for Postgres packets that PgBouncer allows through. One packet is either one query or one
resultset row. Full resultset can be larger.
Default: 2147483647
listen_backlog
Backlog argument for listen(2). Determines how many new unanswered connection attempts are kept in
queue. When queue is full, further new connections are dropped.
Default: 128
sbuf_loopcnt
How many times to process data on one connection, before proceeding. Without this limit, one connection
with a big resultset can stall PgBouncer for a long time. One loop processes one pkt_buf amount of data.
0 means no limit.
Default: 5
suspend_timeout
How many seconds to wait for buffer flush during SUSPEND or reboot (-R). Connection is dropped if flush
does not succeed.
Default: 10
tcp_defer_accept
For details on this and other tcp options, please see man 7 tcp.
Default: 45 on Linux, otherwise 0
tcp_socket_buffer
Default: not set
tcp_keepalive
Turns on basic keepalive with OS defaults.
On Linux, the system defaults are tcp_keepidle=7200, tcp_keepintvl=75, tcp_keepcnt=9. They are probably
similar on other OS-es.
Default: 1
tcp_keepcnt
Default: not set
tcp_keepidle
Default: not set
tcp_keepintvl
Default: not set
SECTION [DATABASES]
This contains key=value pairs where key will be taken as a database name and value as a libpq
connect-string style list of key=value pairs. As actual libpq is not used, so not all features from libpq
can be used (service=, .pgpass).
Database name can contain characters _0-9A-Za-z without quoting. Names that contain other chars need to
be quoted with standard SQL ident quoting: double quotes where "" is taken as single quote.
"*" acts as fallback database: if the exact name does not exist, its value is taken as connect string for
requested database. Such automatically created database entries are cleaned up if they stay idle longer
then the time specified in autodb_idle_timeout parameter.
dbname
Destination database name.
Default: same as client-side database name.
host
Hostname or IP address to connect to. Hostnames are resolved on connect time, the result is cached per
dns_max_ttl parameter. If DNS returns several results, they are used in round-robin manner.
Default: not set, meaning to use a Unix socket.
port
Default: 5432
user, password
If user= is set, all connections to the destination database will be done with the specified user,
meaning that there will be only one pool for this database.
Otherwise PgBouncer tries to log into the destination database with client username, meaning that there
will be one pool per user.
auth_user
If auth_user is set, any user not specified in auth_file will be queried from pg_shadow in the database
using auth_user. Auth_user's password will be taken from auth_file.
pool_size
Set maximum size of pools for this database. If not set, the default_pool_size is used.
connect_query
Query to be executed after a connection is established, but before allowing the connection to be used by
any clients. If the query raises errors, they are logged but ignored otherwise.
pool_mode
Set the pool mode specific to this database. If not set, the default pool_mode is used.
max_db_connections
Configure a database-wide maximum (i.e. all pools within the database will not have more than this many
server connections).
client_encoding
Ask specific client_encoding from server.
datestyle
Ask specific datestyle from server.
timezone
Ask specific timezone from server.
SECTION [USERS]
This contains key=value pairs where key will be taken as a user name and value as a libpq connect-string
style list of key=value pairs. As actual libpq is not used, so not all features from libpq can be used.
pool_mode
Set the pool mode to be used for all connections from this user. If not set, the database or default
pool_mode is used.
INCLUDE DIRECTIVE
The PgBouncer config file can contain include directives, which specify another config file to read and
process. This allows for splitting the configuration file into physically separate parts. The include
directives look like this:
%include filename
If the file name is not absolute path it is taken as relative to current working directory.
AUTHENTICATION FILE FORMAT
PgBouncer needs its own user database. The users are loaded from a text file in following format:
"username1" "password" ...
"username2" "md5abcdef012342345" ...
There should be at least 2 fields, surrounded by double quotes. The first field is the username and the
second is either a plain-text or a MD5-hidden password. PgBouncer ignores the rest of the line.
This file format is equivalent to text files used by PostgreSQL 8.x for authentication info, thus
allowing PgBouncer to work directly on PostgreSQL authentication files in data directory.
Since PostgreSQL 9.0, the text files are not used anymore. Thus the auth file needs to be generated.
See ./etc/mkauth.py for sample script to generate auth file from pg_shadow table.
PostgreSQL MD5-hidden password format:
"md5" + md5(password + username)
So user admin with password 1234 will have MD5-hidden password md545f2603610af569b6155c45067268c6b.
HBA FILE FORMAT
It follows the format of PostgreSQL pg_hba.conf file -
http://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.4/static/auth-pg-hba-conf.html
There are following differences:
• Supported record types: local, host, hostssl, hostnossl.
• Database field: Supports all, sameuser, @file, multiple names. Not supported: replication, samerole,
samegroup.
• Username field: Supports all, @file, multiple names. Not supported: +groupname.
• Address field: Supported IPv4, IPv6. Not supported: DNS names, domain prefixes.
• Auth-method field: Supported methods: trust, reject, md5, password, peer, cert. Not supported: gss,
sspi, ident, ldap, radius, pam. Also username map (map=) parameter is not supported.
EXAMPLE
Minimal config:
[databases]
template1 = host=127.0.0.1 dbname=template1 auth_user=someuser
[pgbouncer]
pool_mode = session
listen_port = 6543
listen_addr = 127.0.0.1
auth_type = md5
auth_file = users.txt
logfile = pgbouncer.log
pidfile = pgbouncer.pid
admin_users = someuser
stats_users = stat_collector
Database defaults:
[databases]
; foodb over unix socket
foodb =
; redirect bardb to bazdb on localhost
bardb = host=127.0.0.1 dbname=bazdb
; access to destination database will go with single user
forcedb = host=127.0.0.1 port=300 user=baz password=foo client_encoding=UNICODE datestyle=ISO
SEE ALSO
https://pgbouncer.github.io/
https://wiki.postgresql.org/wiki/PgBouncer
pgbouncer(1) - manpage for general usage, console commands.