Recommended Free Tools
PostgreSQL connection exhaustion and slow queries can happen at the same time, but they are different problems: one is about available server connection slots; the other is about how a statement is planned and executed. Start by recording the exact error, time window, PostgreSQL version, and a slow statement or query plan. Then inspect sessions and system pressure before changing settings. Raising max_connections without that evidence can increase resource use without making a slow query faster.
Why am I getting too many connections in PostgreSQL?
PostgreSQL accepts a limited number of concurrent server connections. The max_connections setting controls that ceiling. PostgreSQL 18 documentation says the default is typically 100, but the usable value can be lower if operating-system kernel limits do not support it. The setting takes effect at server start, and increasing it raises resource allocations, including shared memory. Check the documentation for your installed release and the controls exposed by your hosting provider rather than assuming the PostgreSQL 18 default applies to your server.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
A rejected connection is not the same as a slow SQL statement. First capture the exact client or server error, when it occurred, whether new connections are refused or timing out, and whether existing connections can still run queries. Also record the PostgreSQL version, hosting model, configured connection limits, and whether application traffic or deployment patterns changed around the incident.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Check the configured connection ceiling and reserved slots
From a session that can still connect, inspect the relevant settings:
#1 Best Overall
- [Ultra-Lightweight Ear Buds Designed for Small Ears] Each earbud weighs only 3.7g and features a compact, ergonomic in-ear design made especially for small ears. Secure, low-profile, and comfortable for workouts, all-day wear or overnight sleeping.The ultra-slim profile sits flush in your ear with no hard edges poking or rubbing, so you can even sleep on your side without discomfort.
- [Immersive Stereo Sound with TOZO OrigX Technology] TOZO OrigX tuning delivers clear vocals, balanced mids, and natural stereo sound for music, podcasts, and videos.
- [Long Battery Life for Daily Use] Get up to 7 hours of playtime on a single charge, with up to 32 hours total using the charging case—ideal for workdays, commuting, and extended listening sessions.
- [Bluetooth 5.3 & Stable Connection] Bluetooth 5.3 provides fast pairing, stable wireless performance, and reduced dropouts as you move around home or office.
- [Deep Bass with Clear Vocals] High-performance drivers produce punchy bass while keeping vocals clean and detailed for everyday listening.
SHOW max_connections;
SHOW superuser_reserved_connections;
SHOW reserved_connections;reserved_connections is available in PostgreSQL 18; a server running an earlier version may not recognize it, so check that release’s documentation and available settings. Reserved slots affect who can connect as the server approaches its limit. In PostgreSQL 18, slots can be reserved for superusers and, where configured, for roles with the pg_use_reserved_connections privilege. That can explain why one role still connects while another is refused near the ceiling. Do not treat an ordinary application login’s failure as proof that every slot is occupied in the same way.
If no ordinary connection is available, use an existing administrative path, a hosting-provider console, or another access method your operations team has configured. Avoid restarting a production database simply to inspect settings: the immediate priority is to preserve service and gather evidence through an available route.
Distinguish exhaustion from connection churn or a timeout
A connection-limit error points toward server slots, but an application may also report a timeout because it is waiting in its own pool, waiting on a network path, or unable to establish a session promptly. Compare the application’s error text and timestamps with server logs and the database’s observed session count. A burst of short-lived connections can look different from sessions accumulating and remaining open. Check whether the issue began after a traffic increase, an application rollout, a retry storm, a pool configuration change, or a change in the number of application instances.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Do not infer the cause from a single connection count. A session may be running a query, waiting on a lock, idle, or idle inside a transaction; those states have different operational implications. The next step is to inspect activity at the time of the problem and compare it with CPU, memory, storage, and application-side pool evidence.
How do I see which PostgreSQL connections are active?
PostgreSQL’s pg_stat_activity view shows current sessions and their activity. “A database administrator frequently wonders, ‘What is the system doing right now?’” as the PostgreSQL 18 monitoring documentation puts it. Inspect the database’s current state rather than treating the raw number of sessions as a diagnosis.
Rank #2
- 【IP68 Waterproof Multifunctinal Smart Watch】Torjalph fitness activity tracker smart watch is IP68 waterproof technology ,you can wear it when swimming,handwashing,it's rain-proof which means that you perform multiple exercise modes outside without worrying about sweat or rain corroding your fitness smart watch,and this watch equipped with a 230 mAh large capacity battery magnetic charging ,and this sports activity tracker watch can be used 5-7 days If fully charged.
- 【Larger 1.83'' Full Screen Watch & Multi-dial Selection】1.83 inch full HD color touch screen smart watch for men / women provides excellent 240*284 resolution image quality ,This Bluetooth smart watch offers a better touch experience and remarkable immersion and ,more than 200 watch faces for you to choose from App"Da Fit ", you can change the dial style according to your mood to wear keeping the world on your wrist
- 【Accurate Activity Tracker Smart Watch 】sports watch activity tracker uses sweat and dust resistant breathable silicone strap, our Fitness Tracker Smart Watch for Android iOS Phones supports 12 sports modes,walking,running,bicycle,swimming,badminton,basketball,football,rope skipping. This bluetooth calls smart watch for men women is lightweight and stylish, bringing more convenient and relaxing sports experience while also providing more protection.
- 【Your 24 Hour Personal Daily Health Monitor】Fitness watch for women men full touch screen IP67 waterproof bluetooth smartwatch for Android iOS Phones with heart rate blood pressure monitor multifunction Andriod smart watch with steps counter sleep monitor sports fitness watch, monitoring blood oxygen saturation allows you to understand your physical condition in real time to track fitness progress ,to know your health status in time.
- 【More Functions Bluetooth Call Smart Watch】This fitness activity smart watch full screen for iPhone and Android phones includes a bunch of new features including:The bluetooth smart watch can hang up the phone, receive and display WhatsAPP /Text /Facebook /Twitter /Messenger reminder.Support sedentary reminder, alarm clock, stopwatch, timer,weather information,music control, remote camera control compatible with Android 5.0 and above or iOS 9.0 and above smartphones.
Count sessions by state and database
This query gives a compact snapshot of session state by database. It distinguishes active sessions from idle ones without assuming that all sessions are doing useful work:
SELECT datname, state, count(*) AS sessions
FROM pg_stat_activity
GROUP BY datname, state
ORDER BY datname, state;For a more detailed view, inspect session identity, state, wait information, transaction age, and the start time of the current query. The query text can contain sensitive data, so restrict access to its output and avoid copying it into broadly visible tickets or logs:
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
SELECT pid,
usename,
application_name,
client_addr,
state,
wait_event_type,
wait_event,
xact_start,
query_start,
query
FROM pg_stat_activity
ORDER BY xact_start NULLS LAST, query_start NULLS LAST;Availability and visibility of session details can depend on role privileges and PostgreSQL version. A null query start or transaction start is not itself proof of a fault. Interpret the rows alongside the incident time, application behavior, and whether a session is active, waiting, or idle.
Look for sessions that remain in transactions
An old transaction can be operationally important even if it is not currently executing a statement. Use xact_start to locate sessions whose transactions began long ago, then identify their owner and application before deciding what to do:
SELECT pid, usename, application_name, state,
now() - xact_start AS transaction_age,
wait_event_type, wait_event, query
FROM pg_stat_activity
WHERE xact_start IS NOT NULL
ORDER BY xact_start;This is an investigative query, not permission to terminate sessions indiscriminately. Confirm what the session belongs to and whether it is blocking work or holding resources. Cancelling a query or ending a session may interrupt an application operation or roll back its transaction; coordinate that action with the service owner and use the controls appropriate to your environment.
Rank #3
- [Low Noise High Fidelity] New bee guitar cord with 22AWG oxygen-free-copper center conductors provides enhanced signal transfer, the PVC insulation material and the high-density stranded copper double shield provide noise rejection for quiet operation
- [Ideal for Choice] New bee 1/4 straight and right angle metal connectors, ensures a secure connection in any instrument, pedal, or amp jack. L shape great fro on stage guitar stands
- [Wide Compatible] Suitable for mixer, power amplifier, microphone, effector, decoder, equalizer, electoronic organ, electric guitar, electric bass and other electronic equipments. Widely used in the installation of smart home, karaoke speaker, professional stage audio, etc
- [Easy Disassemble] Making incidental repairs quick and easy! Very nice, flexible cable
- [Dont Hesite to Order] 24 hours customer services and professional technology team are standing by
Correlate PostgreSQL activity with operating-system evidence
PostgreSQL’s cumulative statistics and activity views describe database work, while operating-system tools add context about server processes and resource pressure. During the same time window, use tools such as ps and top to inspect processes and CPU use, and iostat and vmstat to examine I/O and broader system behavior. The exact availability and output of these tools depends on the operating system and whether the database is self-managed or hosted.
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minutePC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Use the combined evidence to ask whether the server is CPU-bound, waiting on storage, constrained by memory, stalled behind locks, or receiving more application connections than it can productively serve. A high session count by itself does not establish which of those conditions applies, nor does it show whether application-side connection handling is responsible.
Should I increase max_connections or use a connection pool?
Do not raise the connection ceiling as a reflex. PostgreSQL documents that increasing max_connections increases resource allocation, and the setting requires a server start to take effect. If sessions are accumulating because clients are opening more connections than the server can use effectively, increasing the limit may shift or worsen resource pressure rather than improve throughput. First establish whether connections are genuinely needed concurrently and what the server is doing with them.
When a pool is worth evaluating
Pooling is worth considering when application clients create more server sessions than the database can use productively. A pool reuses a bounded set of database sessions for application work, but the useful active concurrency depends on the workload, hardware, and the application’s transaction behavior. PostgreSQL community guidance emphasizes incremental tuning on the actual production system; any example size or formula should be treated as a test hypothesis, not a universal default.
There is no pool size prescribed for every application. Test a candidate limit against representative traffic and observe both service throughput and latency, as well as database CPU, I/O, waits, and connection behavior. The community wiki illustrates transaction batches of 10,000 in groups of 5, 10, or 20 versus 500 at a time, but this is an illustration of differing concurrency choices, not a measured promise for your workload.
Rank #4
- Digital Family Calendar: BSIMB digital calendar wall touch screen puts an end to your chaotic life. Designed for busy families, the digital calendar keeps you organised and in step with your family. Assign different colours and tasks to each family member to make family scheduling easier and more intuitive.
- Easy Setup and Auto-Sync: Plug in, connect to WLAN and auto-syn your electric calendar in minutes. Digital wall calendar compatible with Google calendar, iCloud calendar, Outlook calendar, Cozi calendar and Yahoo calendar. Add events directly on the device or through the ecalendar app. Electronic calendar stays current whether you're at work or traveling—no manual updates needed.
- All-In-One Home Assistant: Smart calendar builds habits and encourage independence with personalised chores. Display daily meal plan to reduce the daily ‘What's for dinner?’ stress. To-do lists keep track of everything you want. Turning chores into valuable achievements with stars and rewards, making life easier and more enjoyable.
- Manage Anytime Anywhere: BSIMB electronic calendar for family stay connected with the powerful ecalendar app. Access and manage your digital wall calendar anytime, anywhere with free features like stars & rewards, photo screensaver, chore charts, meals plans, to-do lists etc. Electronic planner paid features like Magic Import tailor advanced tools for users with special needs.
- Stay in Touch with Loved Ones: Share photos or videos from your phone to electronic wall calendar with app, instantly update your life moment, and keep in touch with your family, especially those who are far away; you can also surprise your smart calendar digital wall by sending him a wish card; it's also great for keeping tech-illiterate elders in touch with the youngsters.
Choose where pooling belongs
| Approach | What to evaluate | Trade-off to resolve |
|---|---|---|
| Client- or application-side pool | How it fits the framework’s existing pool, application instance count, and transaction lifecycle. | Each application or process may have its own pool; account for the combined possible sessions across all instances. |
| External pool | Operational ownership, deployment and failure behavior, and how the pool fits existing application connections. | Adds a component to operate and monitor; ensure its limits and behavior match the workload rather than creating another bottleneck. |
These options are not interchangeable in every architecture. Before introducing or resizing a pool, map how many application processes can connect, what each pool’s maximum means, and whether one layer already pools connections. Keep administrative and monitoring access available when setting application pool limits; a pool that consumes all useful access can make incident response harder.
When increasing the ceiling may be justified
A higher ceiling may be appropriate only after measuring the workload and resource headroom, understanding how connection slots are used, and testing the operational consequences. Account for shared-memory and other resource allocation, startup requirements, kernel limits, and reserved slots. On managed PostgreSQL, confirm whether a setting change is supported and what restart or maintenance behavior the provider applies. Do not assume a larger ceiling is harmless just because the configuration accepts it.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How do I find the slowest PostgreSQL queries?
Slow SQL needs its own evidence. Identify the statement and inspect its execution plan with EXPLAIN, then review relevant planner statistics. More connections do not explain why a statement has a slow plan; in a resource-constrained system they can add pressure. Similarly, adding an index or changing a memory setting is not a reliable fix without evidence from the plan and workload.
Capture and inspect a statement plan
Run EXPLAIN for the exact statement with representative parameters and conditions. It shows the planner’s proposed plan without running the statement:
EXPLAIN
SELECT ...;Replace the ellipsis with the actual statement; it is not executable SQL as written. Compare the plan with what the query is intended to do and inspect the relevant planner statistics. Check whether the plan’s choices make sense for the data and filters involved before changing indexes or settings.
EXPLAIN ANALYZE executes the statement to collect actual timing and row information. Use it only when executing that statement is safe and its side effects are understood; for a modifying statement, execution can modify data. Test carefully in an appropriate environment when production execution could be disruptive. A plan from an unrepresentative parameter set or workload may not explain the incident you are trying to diagnose.
Use aggregate statistics to rank statements
The pg_stat_statements extension can report aggregate planning and execution statistics across statements, including calls, total and mean execution time, rows, and block activity. These aggregates help find statements worth investigating, but they are not a substitute for an individual plan: a statement with many calls may consume substantial total time even when each call is quick, while a low-call statement may have a high mean duration.
Where the extension is already available, a query such as the following can surface statements with high accumulated execution time:
SELECT queryid, calls, total_exec_time, mean_exec_time,
rows, shared_blks_hit, shared_blks_read, query
FROM pg_stat_statements
ORDER BY total_exec_time DESC
LIMIT 20;The view’s available columns and access requirements depend on the installed PostgreSQL and extension version. Query text may contain sensitive information. Restrict access to results, and compare statistics over a known observation interval; cumulative totals are not a per-second ranking unless you calculate the interval correctly.
Understand setup and overhead before enabling it
pg_stat_statements must be configured in shared_preload_libraries. Adding or removing it requires a server restart, which can be a significant constraint on a production or managed service. Check the exact PostgreSQL version and provider controls before changing the configuration; extension availability and permitted settings are not identical on every host.
Planning-time tracking is optional and off by default. PostgreSQL documentation warns that enabling it may impose a noticeable performance penalty in some high-concurrency workloads. Weigh the diagnostic value of planning metrics against restart constraints and possible overhead; enabling every metric is not automatically the best troubleshooting choice.
How to work through an incident without making it worse
- Record the failure. Save the exact error, affected clients, time window, PostgreSQL version, and whether connections are rejected, delayed, or established successfully while queries run slowly.
- Check the connection configuration. Inspect
max_connectionsand the reserved-slot settings supported by the installed release. Note whether a setting change would require a restart and whether the hosting provider controls it. - Snapshot session activity. Query
pg_stat_activityfor counts by state and database, then inspect relevant sessions and transaction ages. Protect query text because it can contain sensitive data. - Correlate resource evidence. Compare database activity with available operating-system process, CPU, I/O, and memory information, plus the application’s own connection-pool metrics and recent deployment history.
- Separate the remedies. If the issue is excessive session concurrency, assess pool behavior and available resources. If a statement is slow, capture its plan and inspect planner statistics. Treat simultaneous symptoms as separate diagnoses unless evidence shows a shared cause.
- Change one thing at a time. Test a pool or configuration adjustment under representative load, observe the resulting database and application behavior, and retain an administrative access path. Avoid combining several speculative changes, which makes the result difficult to interpret.
Common diagnostic mistakes
- Raising
max_connectionsfirst: this can increase resource use and requires a server start; it does not identify why sessions accumulated or why SQL is slow. - Equating idle sessions with active work: inspect session state, transaction age, and waits rather than treating every connection as an executing query.
- Assuming the database is the only place a timeout can occur: application pools, retries, network paths, and database limits can all affect connection establishment.
- Copying a pool-size rule: active concurrency depends on the hardware and workload. Tune incrementally on the target system and preserve operational access.
- Changing indexes or memory settings without a plan: investigate the statement’s plan and relevant statistics first; generic tuning changes are not a diagnosis.
- Enabling planning tracking without weighing cost: it is off by default and can have noticeable overhead in some concurrent workloads.
- Assuming every hosting setup exposes the same controls: provider configuration, restart procedures, extension availability, and monitoring access vary.
What to document after the incident
Keep a concise incident record with the PostgreSQL release, hosting model, error text, timestamps, relevant connection settings, session-state snapshot, resource observations, and any query plan or aggregate statistics used. Record which change was tested and what happened to application latency, database resource use, and connection behavior. This makes later diagnosis more reliable and helps distinguish recurring application connection patterns from a one-off resource event.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsQuick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
