Custom postgresql configuration setting

[Ivan Kurnosov]

Hi, 

how would one set an arbitrary postgresql configuration setting that is NOT supported by patrony dynamic reload (https://patroni.readthedocs.io/en/latest/dynamic_configuration.html)

Eg: `lock_timeout`.

If set in spec.patroni.dynamicConfiguration then the container just responds with:

```

No PostgreSQL configuration items changed, nothing to reload.

```

And looking at the config generation code: https://github.com/CrunchyData/postgres-operator/blob/94ebcf2df74d38aa938f9c2e8b38604fae8c776e/internal/patroni/config.go

it looks like there is really no way to set up a parameter manually.

The only real possibility I see is to overwrite the entire `postgresql.base.conf` but it looks dodgy.

Am I wrong and there is a simple way?

Thank you!

[Ben Blattberg]

Hello Ivan, 

Hmmm, let me try this with our most recent images.

OK, I tried this with `lock_timeout` specifically, and was able to see the setting get updated both in the logs and through psql:

```

➜  ~ kubectl exec -it hippo-instance1-rwz8-0  -c database -- psql -c "show lock_timeout"
 lock_timeout
--------------
 0
(1 row)

➜  ~ kubectl edit postgrescluster hippo # <-- where I edit the spec
postgrescluster.postgres-operator.crunchydata.com/hippo edited
➜  ~ kubectl logs hippo-instance1-rwz8-0
...
2023-07-05 22:00:18,613 INFO: no action. I am (hippo-instance1-rwz8-0), the leader with the lock
2023-07-05 22:00:18,617 INFO: Changed lock_timeout from 0 to 5
2023-07-05 22:00:18,619 INFO: Reloading PostgreSQL configuration.
server signaled
➜  ~ kubectl exec -it hippo-instance1-rwz8-0 -c database -- psql -c "show lock_timeout"
 lock_timeout
--------------
 5ms
(1 row)
```

When I updated the spec, I added the following:

```

spec:

  patroni:
    dynamicConfiguration:
      postgresql:
        parameters:
          lock_timeout: 5

```

(I did have to check the docs to make sure I was updating the spec correctly.)

So why isn't it working for you? Can you share your Kubernetes and PGO version information, and also the spec you used?

yours,

Ben

[Ivan Kurnosov]

Ben,

oh thanks a lot for that! I now see where I overlooked the docs: I configured the parameters in `spec.patroni.dynamicConfiguration`, but the correct path is `spec.patroni.dynamicConfiguration.postgresql.parameters`.

And yep, I confirm that the correct path works for me too, thanks again!

--

With best regards, Ivan Kurnosov