PGDay Lowlands 2024 LIVESTREAM

Get essential PostgreSQL admin tips on monitoring, performance, security and HA. Learn practical strategies for configuration, partitioning, logging and team collaboration.

Key takeaways
  • Proper configuration monitoring and validation is critical - check shared buffers, max connections, and other key parameters regularly

  • Be aware of sub-transactions in Postgres - they use a fixed-size cache that can overflow and cause performance issues if not managed properly

  • Consider partitioning strategies carefully - choose appropriate partition keys, validate partition creation/cleanup processes, and monitor partition management overhead

  • Standardize logging practices - use consistent log formats, separators and retention policies. Consider tools like PG Badger for log analysis

  • Implement proper backup and archiving strategies - test restores regularly and maintain point-in-time recovery capabilities

  • When troubleshooting performance issues:

    • Check for connection spikes/leaks
    • Look for long-running transactions
    • Monitor replication lag
    • Review index usage
    • Validate vacuum processes
  • Communication between teams is critical - DBAs, developers and ops need aligned processes and expectations

  • Consider database encryption needs carefully - evaluate options like TDE, column-level encryption, and key management requirements

  • For high availability:

    • Plan failover processes
    • Test recovery procedures
    • Monitor replication status
    • Document operational procedures
  • Keep up with Postgres versions and extensions - plan upgrades carefully and test thoroughly before production deployment