The "vacuum" command must be run periodically to reclaim space +in versions of PostgreSQL before 7.4. The "vacuum analyze" form +additionally collects statistics on the disbursion of columns in +the database, which the optimizer uses when it calculates just how +to execute queries. The availability of this data can make a +tremendous difference in the execution speed of queries. This +command can also be run from cron, but it probably makes more sense +to run this command as part of your nightly backup procedure - if +"vacuum" is going to screw up the database, you'd prefer it to +happen immediately after (not before!) you've made a backup! The +"vacuum" command is very reliable, but conservatism is the key to +good system management. So, if you're using the export procedure +described above, you don't need to do this extra step.
Edit your crontab:
+[joeuser ~]$ crontab -e
+
We'll set vacuum up to run nightly at 1 AM. Add the following +line:
+0 1 * * * /usr/local/pgsql/bin/vacuumdb $OPENACS_SERVICE_NAME
+