TimescaleDB Error in data compression policy

Incorrect policy settings or unsupported data types.

Understanding TimescaleDB

TimescaleDB is an open-source time-series database optimized for fast ingest and complex queries. Built on PostgreSQL, it provides the reliability and robustness of a traditional relational database while offering the scalability and performance required for time-series data. One of its key features is data compression, which helps in reducing storage costs and improving query performance.

Identifying the Symptom

When working with TimescaleDB, you might encounter the error code TSDB-040, which indicates an issue with the data compression policy. This error typically manifests when attempting to apply or modify a compression policy on a hypertable, and it prevents the policy from being executed successfully.

Exploring the Issue

What is TSDB-040?

The TSDB-040 error code is associated with problems in the data compression policy settings. This can occur due to incorrect configuration parameters or when attempting to compress data types that are not supported by TimescaleDB's compression algorithms.

Common Causes

Some common causes of this error include:

  • Incorrectly defined compression policies.
  • Attempting to compress unsupported data types.
  • Misconfiguration of the hypertable or its columns.

Steps to Fix the Issue

Review Compression Policy Settings

First, ensure that your compression policy is correctly defined. You can review the existing policies by executing the following SQL query:

SELECT * FROM timescaledb_information.compression_settings WHERE hypertable_name = 'your_hypertable_name';

Check for any anomalies or incorrect settings that might be causing the error.

Verify Supported Data Types

Ensure that the data types in your hypertable are supported by TimescaleDB's compression. Refer to the TimescaleDB Compression Documentation for a list of supported data types.

Correct the Policy

If you identify issues in the policy settings, you can modify or recreate the policy using the following command:

ALTER TABLE your_hypertable_name SET (timescaledb.compress, timescaledb.compress_segmentby = 'column_name');

Replace your_hypertable_name and column_name with the appropriate table and column names.

Reapply the Compression Policy

After correcting the settings, reapply the compression policy using:

SELECT add_compression_policy('your_hypertable_name', INTERVAL '7 days');

This command sets a policy to compress chunks older than 7 days. Adjust the interval as needed.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the TSDB-040 error and successfully apply data compression policies in TimescaleDB. For further assistance, consider visiting the official TimescaleDB documentation or reaching out to the TimescaleDB community.

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