Here is a real world example where a scheduler in PostgreSQL would be helpful. We collect usage statistics from our network throughout the day (raw stats.) After midnight, we roll up those raw stats into daily statistics. We have a very large amount of data, about 2 million rows a day a growing, so I want this whole operation done on the database server. It's all database work, just summing up data from one table and putting the result in another table. We have all that logic in a stored procedure. So why do I need to set up a cron job and a shell script whose only task is to connect to the database and start up the stored procedure? Wouldn't it be much simpler just to have a schedule in PostgreSQL that says "at 12:01, run this stored procedure"?
Another advantage to having a scheduler in the database is to ease your DBA's job in maintenance, and to coordinate work by multiple systems. -- Guy Rouillier ---------------------------(end of broadcast)--------------------------- TIP 5: Have you checked our extensive FAQ? http://www.postgresql.org/docs/faqs/FAQ.html