Error
Error Code:
57P01
PostgreSQL Error 57P01: Administrator Shutdown Initiated
Description
Error 57P01, 'admin shutdown', indicates that the PostgreSQL database server you are attempting to connect to has been intentionally shut down by an administrator or an automated system process. This typically happens during maintenance, upgrades, or system reconfigurations, preventing any new connections until the server is restarted.
Error Message
admin shutdown
Known Causes
4 known causesManual Administrator Shutdown
An authorized database administrator explicitly issued a shutdown command (e.g., pg_ctl stop, systemctl stop postgresql) to take the server offline.
Automated Maintenance or Updates
A scheduled script or automation tool initiated a database shutdown as part of a planned maintenance window, backup process, or system update.
Operating System Reboot/Shutdown
The underlying operating system hosting the PostgreSQL instance was rebooted or shut down, causing the database service to terminate.
Resource Orchestration Action
In a containerized or clustered environment, an orchestrator (e.g., Kubernetes, Docker Swarm) might have stopped or moved the PostgreSQL instance.
Solutions
3 solutions available1. Graceful PostgreSQL Restart easy
Initiate a controlled restart of the PostgreSQL service to resolve the admin shutdown error.
1
Identify the PostgreSQL service name. This can vary depending on your operating system and installation method. Common names include `postgresql`, `postgresql-<version>`, or `pg_ctl`.
2
Use your system's service manager to restart PostgreSQL. This command sends a signal to the PostgreSQL server to shut down gracefully and then start again.
sudo systemctl restart postgresql3
If `systemctl` is not available (e.g., older systems), use `service`.
sudo service postgresql restart4
If you are managing PostgreSQL directly with `pg_ctl`, you can use it to stop and then start the server.
# Stop the server
pg_ctl stop -m fast
# Start the server
pg_ctl start5
Verify that PostgreSQL is running by checking its status.
sudo systemctl status postgresql2. Check PostgreSQL Server Logs for Shutdown Trigger medium
Examine PostgreSQL logs to determine who or what initiated the shutdown.
1
Locate your PostgreSQL log files. The location varies by operating system and configuration, but common paths include `/var/log/postgresql/postgresql-<version>-main.log` on Debian/Ubuntu, or within the `data` directory of your PostgreSQL installation.
2
Open the log file using a text editor or command-line tools.
sudo tail -f /var/log/postgresql/postgresql-<version>-main.log3
Search for log entries related to shutdown. Look for messages containing 'shutting down', 'shutdown initiated', 'received SIGTERM', or similar phrases, along with timestamps. Pay attention to any user or process information preceding these messages.
4
The logs might indicate if the shutdown was initiated by a specific user (e.g., an administrator running `pg_ctl stop`), a system process, or an automated script. This information can help you understand the cause and prevent recurrence.
3. Forceful PostgreSQL Shutdown and Restart (Use with Caution) medium
Perform a forceful shutdown if a graceful restart fails, but be aware of potential data integrity risks.
1
This method should only be used if the graceful restart (Solution 1) does not resolve the issue, as it can lead to data corruption if transactions are not cleanly committed.
2
Attempt to stop PostgreSQL forcefully. The `-m fast` option attempts a fast shutdown, which might still be too slow if the server is unresponsive. If that fails, `-m immediate` is a more aggressive option.
sudo pg_ctl stop -m immediate3
Alternatively, if you can't use `pg_ctl`, you might need to send a signal directly to the PostgreSQL process. First, find the process ID (PID).
ps aux | grep postgres4
Once you have the PID of the main PostgreSQL process, send a SIGKILL signal (which cannot be caught or ignored).
sudo kill -9 <PID>5
After the forceful shutdown, restart PostgreSQL using the appropriate method for your system (e.g., `systemctl start postgresql` or `pg_ctl start`).
sudo systemctl start postgresql6
Immediately after restarting, check your PostgreSQL logs for any recovery or corruption-related messages. It's advisable to run `VACUUM FULL` or perform a full database dump and restore if any inconsistencies are suspected.