EnterpriseDB PostgreSQL-Essentials Exam - Topic 9 Question 4 Discussion

Actual exam question for EnterpriseDB's PostgreSQL-Essentials exam

Question #: 4
Topic #: 9

Which PostgreSQL configuration parameter controls the amount of memory used for sorting operations before writing to temporary disk files?

Ashared_buffers

Bwork_mem

Cmaintenance_work_mem

Dtemp_buffers

Show Suggested Answer

Suggested Answer: B

by Bettina at Nov 22, 2025, 05:24 AM

Limited Time Offer

25%

Off

Get Premium PostgreSQL-Essentials Questions as Interactive Web-Based Practice Test or PDF

Contribute your Thoughts:

Submit Cancel

Vivan

3 months ago

I hope they don't ask tricky questions like this!

upvoted 0 times

...

Curtis

3 months ago

Exactly! If it's too low, it spills to disk.

upvoted 0 times

...

Micaela

3 months ago

A lot of sorting happens in memory, right?

upvoted 0 times

...

Chan

4 months ago

Yeah, I agree. It controls sort memory.

upvoted 0 times

...

Caitlin

4 months ago

I think it's B) work_mem.

upvoted 0 times

...

Rhea

4 months ago

Yeah, B) work_mem makes the most sense.

upvoted 0 times

...

Elvera

5 months ago

Wait, are you all sure about that?

upvoted 0 times

...

Hollis

5 months ago

I bet the correct answer is "All of the above, and then some." PostgreSQL loves its obscure settings!

upvoted 0 times

...

Irene

5 months ago

Hmm, I'm torn between B and C. Gotta love those PostgreSQL configuration parameters!

upvoted 0 times

...

Lisbeth

5 months ago

I'd go with C) maintenance_work_mem. Sounds like it could be related to sorting.

upvoted 0 times

...

Gertude

5 months ago

Definitely B. I've seen this one before in the PostgreSQL docs.

upvoted 0 times

...

Owen

5 months ago

B) work_mem is the correct answer.

upvoted 0 times

...

Ronnie

6 months ago

I feel like maintenance_work_mem is more for maintenance tasks, so it must be work_mem that controls sorting memory.

upvoted 0 times

...

Onita

6 months ago

I’m a bit confused; I thought temp_buffers had something to do with temporary files too, but I guess that’s not right for sorting?

upvoted 0 times

...

Page

6 months ago

I remember practicing a question about memory settings, and work_mem definitely came up as a key parameter for sorting operations.

upvoted 0 times

...

Yuonne

6 months ago

I think the parameter we're looking for is work_mem, but I’m not entirely sure if it’s the only one that affects sorting.

upvoted 0 times

...

Francis

6 months ago

B) work_mem, for sure. That's the parameter you want to look at to control the memory used for sorting operations in PostgreSQL.

upvoted 0 times

...

Willodean

6 months ago

I'm a little confused on this one. Is it B) work_mem or C) maintenance_work_mem? I know one of those controls memory for sorting, but I can't remember which one for sure.

upvoted 0 times

...

Veronika

7 months ago

Okay, I'm pretty confident the answer is B) work_mem. That's the parameter that sets the amount of memory to use for in-memory sorting before falling back to temporary disk files.

upvoted 0 times

...

Maybelle

7 months ago

I thought it was A) shared_buffers!

upvoted 0 times

...

Portia

7 months ago

It's B) work_mem for sure.

upvoted 0 times

...

Deonna

7 months ago

I was unsure at first, but B makes sense.

upvoted 0 times

...

Altha

7 months ago

Definitely B) work_mem, that's the one.

upvoted 0 times

...

Lourdes

8 months ago

Hmm, I'm not totally sure about this one. I know it has something to do with memory usage for sorting, but I can't remember which specific parameter controls that. I'll have to think it through.

upvoted 0 times

...