In our PostgreSQL RDS instance, rdsadmin user make connections to rdsadmin database every 3 minutes, is it normal? what does it do?

Question

In the database log, user rdsadmin connects to rdsadmin every 3 minutes, we are wondering if this is normal? what is the purpose of doing this?

```
2024-02-16 19:05:44 UTC:[local]:rdsadmin@rdsadmin:[22036]:LOG:  00000: connection authorized: user=rdsadmin database=rdsadmin
2024-02-16 19:08:44 UTC:[local]:rdsadmin@rdsadmin:[22150]:LOG:  00000: connection authorized: user=rdsadmin database=rdsadmin
2024-02-16 19:11:44 UTC:[local]:rdsadmin@rdsadmin:[22267]:LOG:  00000: connection authorized: user=rdsadmin database=rdsadmin
2024-02-16 19:14:44 UTC:[local]:rdsadmin@rdsadmin:[22381]:LOG:  00000: connection authorized: user=rdsadmin database=rdsadmin
2024-02-16 19:17:44 UTC:[local]:rdsadmin@rdsadmin:[22495]:LOG:  00000: connection authorized: user=rdsadmin database=rdsadmin
```

Answer

Hi, Annie Bai

This looks like an RDS keepalive setting.  Please check the RDS PostgreSQL Parameter Group to see if a [tcp_keepalives_idle](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonRDS/latest/UserGuide/Appendix.PostgreSQL.CommonDBATasks.Parameters.html#:~:text=TCP%20keepalive%20retransmits.-,tcp_keepalives_idle,-Dynamic) parameter is set to 180 seconds.  Also check to see if there's a tcp_keepalives_interval parameter set similarly.

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In our PostgreSQL RDS instance, rdsadmin user make connections to rdsadmin database every 3 minutes, is it normal? what does it do?

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