When logging to syslog is enabled, this parameter determines the program name used to identify PostgreSQL messages in syslog logs.
At a glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Parameter | syslog_ident |
| Category | Error Reporting and Logging |
| Default | postgres |
| Value type | string |
| Change scope | Reload (postgresql.conf, SIGHUP) |
| Available in | PostgreSQL 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 (added in 12) |
What it does
When logging to syslog is enabled, this parameter determines the program name used to identify PostgreSQL messages in syslog logs. The default is postgres. This parameter can only be set in the postgresql.conf file or on the server command line.
(Description quoted from the official PostgreSQL documentation.)
How to apply a change
Set it in postgresql.conf (or with ALTER SYSTEM) and reload with SELECT pg_reload_conf(); or pg_ctl reload — no restart needed.
Inspect the current value and source with SHOW syslog_ident; or SELECT name, setting, unit, context, source FROM pg_settings WHERE name = 'syslog_ident';.
Tuning guidance
Tune this for observability versus log volume, not for raw performance. More verbose logging helps diagnose problems but costs disk and I/O; quieter logging saves space but hides detail. Pick a level your log pipeline can store and search, and raise verbosity temporarily when investigating an incident.