COMMAND NAME: gpstart

Starts a Greenplum Database system.


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SYNOPSIS
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gpstart [-d <master_data_directory>] [-B <parallel_processes>] 
        [-R] [-m] [-y] [-a] [-t <timeout_seconds>] 
        [-l logfile_directory] [--skip-heap-checksum-validation]
        [-v | -q]

gpstart -? | -h | --help

gpstart --version


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DESCRIPTION
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The gpstart utility is used to start the Greenplum Database server 
processes. When you start a Greenplum Database system, you are 
actually starting several postgres database server listener processes 
at once (the master and all of the segment instances). The gpstart utility 
handles the startup of the individual instances. Each instance is started 
in parallel.

The first time an administrator runs gpstart, the utility creates a hosts 
cache file named .gphostcache in the user's home directory. Subsequently, 
the utility uses this list of hosts to start the system more efficiently. 
If new hosts are added to the system, you must manually remove this file 
from the gpadmin user's home directory. The utility will create a new hosts 
cache file at the next startup.

Before you can start a Greenplum Database system, you must have initialized
the system using gpinitsystem first.


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OPTIONS
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-a

  Do not prompt the user for confirmation.


-B <parallel_processes>

  The number of segments to start in parallel. If not specified, 
  the utility will start up to 64 parallel processes depending on 
  how many segment instances it needs to start.


-d <master_data_directory>

  Optional. The master host data directory. If not specified, 
  the value set for $MASTER_DATA_DIRECTORY will be used.


-l <logfile_directory>

  The directory to write the log file. Defaults to ~/gpAdminLogs.


-m

  Optional. Starts the master instance only, which may be necessary 
  for maintenance tasks. This mode only allows connections to the master 
  in utility mode. For example:

  PGOPTIONS='-c gp_session_role=utility' psql

  Note that starting the system in master-only mode is only advisable
  under supervision of Greenplum support.  Improper use of this option
  may lead to a split-brain condition and possible data loss.


-q

  Run in quiet mode. Command output is not displayed on the screen, 
  but is still written to the log file.


-R

  Starts Greenplum Database in restricted mode (only database superusers 
  are allowed to connect).

--skip-heap-checksum-validation

  During startup, the utility does not validate the consistency of the heap checksum setting
  among the Greenplum Database master and segment instances. The default is to ensure
  that the heap checksum setting is the same on all instances, either enabled or disabled.
  Warning: Starting Greenplum Database without this validation could lead
  to data loss. Use this option to start Greenplum Database only when it is
  necessary to ignore the heap checksum verification errors to recover data or
  to troubleshoot the errors.

-t | --timeout <number_of_seconds>

  Specifies a timeout in seconds to wait for a segment instance to 
  start up. If a segment instance was shutdown abnormally (due to 
  power failure or killing its postgres database listener process, 
  for example), it may take longer to start up due to the database 
  recovery and validation process. If not specified, the default timeout 
  is 60 seconds.


-v

  Displays detailed status, progress and error messages output by the utility.


-y

  Optional. Do not start the standby master host. The default is to start 
  the standby master host and synchronization process.


-? | -h | --help

  Displays the online help.


--version

  Displays the version of this utility.


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EXAMPLES
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Start a Greenplum Database system:

gpstart


Start a Greenplum Database system in restricted mode 
(only allow superuser connections):

gpstart -R


Start the Greenplum master instance only and connect in utility mode:

gpstart -m

PGOPTIONS='-c gp_session_role=utility' psql


Display the online help for the gpstart utility:

gpstart -?


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SEE ALSO
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gpinitsystem, gpstop
