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Description

Error 57P05 indicates that your PostgreSQL database session was terminated due to inactivity. This occurs when a client connection remains idle for a duration exceeding the server's configured `idle_session_timeout` parameter, leading PostgreSQL to close the connection to conserve resources.

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Error Message

idle session timeout

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Known Causes

4 known causes

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Client Application Inactivity

The client application or script connected to PostgreSQL became unresponsive or stopped performing database operations for an extended period, leading to perceived idleness.

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Unattended Development Session

A database session was left open and unattended during development, debugging, or analysis, exceeding the server's inactivity limit.

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Inefficient Connection Pooling

Connection pooling mechanisms in client applications might not be configured to refresh or close idle connections within the server's timeout period.

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Aggressive Server Timeout

The `idle_session_timeout` parameter on the PostgreSQL server is set to a very low value, causing legitimate but infrequent operations to be interrupted.

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Solutions

4 solutions available

1. Increase `idle_in_transaction_session_timeout` easy

Temporarily increase the timeout for idle transactions to prevent premature disconnection.

1

Connect to your PostgreSQL database as a superuser or a user with privileges to alter session parameters.

2

Execute the following SQL command to set a higher timeout value. The value is in milliseconds. For example, to set it to 30 minutes (1800000 ms):

SET session idle_in_transaction_session_timeout = '1800000';
-- Or to disable it entirely (not recommended for production without careful consideration):
-- SET session idle_in_transaction_session_timeout = '0';

3

This setting applies only to the current session. If you need to apply this globally or for specific users/databases, consider modifying `postgresql.conf` (see next solution).

2. Configure `idle_in_transaction_session_timeout` in `postgresql.conf` medium

Permanently adjust the idle session timeout for all connections by modifying the PostgreSQL configuration file.

1

Locate your `postgresql.conf` file. The location varies depending on your PostgreSQL installation and operating system. Common locations include `/etc/postgresql/<version>/main/postgresql.conf` on Debian/Ubuntu, or within the `data` directory of your PostgreSQL installation.

2

Open `postgresql.conf` in a text editor with administrative privileges.

3

Find the `idle_in_transaction_session_timeout` parameter. If it's commented out (starts with `#`), uncomment it. If it doesn't exist, add it.

#idle_in_transaction_session_timeout = '5min' # Example: 5 minutes
-- Change to:
idle_in_transaction_session_timeout = '30min' # Or your desired timeout (e.g., 30 minutes)
-- To disable it (use with caution):
-- idle_in_transaction_session_timeout = '0'

4

Save the `postgresql.conf` file.

5

Reload the PostgreSQL configuration for the changes to take effect. You can do this by sending a SIGHUP signal to the PostgreSQL master process or by restarting the PostgreSQL service.

# Using pg_ctl (replace with your actual data directory and PostgreSQL binary path):
pg_ctl reload -D /path/to/your/data/directory

# Or using systemd (common on modern Linux):
sudo systemctl reload postgresql

6

Alternatively, restart the PostgreSQL service:

sudo systemctl restart postgresql

3. Adjust `statement_timeout` for long-running queries easy

If the error occurs during active query execution, it might be due to a long-running query exceeding the `statement_timeout`.

1

Connect to your PostgreSQL database.

2

Check the current `statement_timeout` value:

SHOW statement_timeout;

3

If the `statement_timeout` is set to a low value (e.g., a few seconds or minutes) and you have queries that legitimately take longer, increase it for the current session:

SET session statement_timeout = '5min'; -- Set to 5 minutes (or your desired duration)

4

If you need to change this globally, modify the `statement_timeout` parameter in `postgresql.conf` and reload the configuration as described in Solution 2.

4. Review client application connection handling medium

Ensure your application is not leaving idle connections open longer than intended.

1

Examine the code of your client application that connects to PostgreSQL. Look for connection pooling mechanisms or manual connection management.

2

If using connection pooling, configure the pool's idle timeout settings to be less than or equal to PostgreSQL's `idle_in_transaction_session_timeout` to prevent conflicts.

3

If managing connections manually, ensure that connections are properly closed or returned to the pool when they are no longer needed, especially after transactions are committed or rolled back.

4

Consider implementing a client-side keep-alive mechanism if your application needs to maintain connections for extended periods without active queries, though this is less common for addressing `idle_in_transaction_session_timeout` directly.

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Related Errors

5 related errors

PostgreSQL Error 57P05: Idle Session Timeout