eBPF Tracing of PostgreSQL Spinlocks

240 · Jan Nidzwetzki · Feb. 8, 2026, 8:02 p.m.
Summary
This blog post explains PostgreSQL's use of spinlocks for managing shared data structures in its process-based architecture. It introduces the pg_spinlock_tracer tool, which utilizes eBPF for monitoring spinlock performance, detailing the implementation and significance of spinlocks in PostgreSQL's operation.