Why will vacuum not end? - Mailing list pgsql-performance

This vacuum is running  a marathon.  Why will it not end and show me free
space map INFO?  We have deleted a lot of data and I would like to be
confident that these deletions will be used as free space, rather than
creating more table files.



PWFPM_DEV=# select now();vacuum verbose  forecastelement;select now();
              now
-------------------------------
 2004-04-14 18:36:13.725285+00
(1 row)

INFO:  vacuuming "public.forecastelement"
INFO:  index "forecastelement_rwv_idx" now contains 473380072 row versions
in 4986653 pages
DETAIL:  5592106 index row versions were removed.
44688 index pages have been deleted, 1 are currently reusable.
CPU 4942.30s/336.27u sec elapsed 74710.07 sec.
INFO:  "forecastelement": removed 5592106 row versions in 126370 pages
DETAIL:  CPU 58.43s/16.99u sec elapsed 366.24 sec.
INFO:  index "forecastelement_rwv_idx" now contains 472296119 row versions
in 5027529 pages
DETAIL:  5592097 index row versions were removed.
89120 index pages have been deleted, 0 are currently reusable.
CPU 4260.08s/327.29u sec elapsed 59592.38 sec.
INFO:  "forecastelement": removed 5592097 row versions in 124726 pages
DETAIL:  CPU 33.38s/14.21u sec elapsed 210.36 sec.
INFO:  index "forecastelement_rwv_idx" now contains 467784889 row versions
in 5037914 pages
DETAIL:  5592089 index row versions were removed.
134286 index pages have been deleted, 0 are currently reusable.
CPU 4185.86s/318.19u sec elapsed 57048.65 sec.
INFO:  "forecastelement": removed 5592089 row versions in 121657 pages
DETAIL:  CPU 51.19s/14.19u sec elapsed 238.31 sec.
INFO:  index "forecastelement_rwv_idx" now contains 462960132 row versions
in 5039886 pages
DETAIL:  5592067 index row versions were removed.
179295 index pages have been deleted, 0 are currently reusable.
CPU 4002.76s/313.63u sec elapsed 54806.09 sec.
INFO:  "forecastelement": removed 5592067 row versions in 122510 pages
DETAIL:  CPU 25.32s/14.47u sec elapsed 187.73 sec.
INFO:  index "forecastelement_rwv_idx" now contains 457555142 row versions
in 5041631 pages
DETAIL:  5592085 index row versions were removed.
224480 index pages have been deleted, 0 are currently reusable.
CPU 4149.42s/310.94u sec elapsed 55880.65 sec.
INFO:  "forecastelement": removed 5592085 row versions in 122500 pages
DETAIL:  CPU 16.70s/14.47u sec elapsed 180.27 sec.
INFO:  index "forecastelement_rwv_idx" now contains 452191660 row versions
in 5044414 pages
DETAIL:  5592089 index row versions were removed.
269665 index pages have been deleted, 0 are currently reusable.
CPU 4213.10s/304.61u sec elapsed 55159.36 sec.
INFO:  "forecastelement": removed 5592089 row versions in 122663 pages
DETAIL:  CPU 37.28s/14.63u sec elapsed 206.96 sec.
INFO:  index "forecastelement_rwv_idx" now contains 446807778 row versions
in 5046541 pages
DETAIL:  5592077 index row versions were removed.
314747 index pages have been deleted, 0 are currently reusable.
CPU 4039.49s/297.15u sec elapsed 55086.56 sec.
INFO:  "forecastelement": removed 5592077 row versions in 122558 pages
DETAIL:  CPU 20.21s/14.74u sec elapsed 227.53 sec.