Technology is evolving fast. Just like hybrid cars are becoming the new standard in the automobile industry, cloud technology is revolutionizing the IT space. Needless to say, PostgreSQL, commonly known as Postgres, is also being seen more and more in this configuration due to the wide range of benefits involved. Let’s dive into it.
PostgreSQL in a Nutshell
PostgreSQL is a free and open-source Relational Database Management System (RDBMS), written in C language and launched by volunteering developers and companies in the 90s. It’s ACID-compliant and transactional. PostgreSQL also features automatically updatable views, materialized views, triggers, foreign keys, and stored procedures.
It can run on all major platforms such as UNIX, MacOS, Windows, and Linux, while supporting programming interfaces for leading languages such as C/C++, Java, Python, Perl, and more. The professional community support, relatively low cost of implementation (no licensing fees) and ease-of-use are driving more and more users towards PostgreSQL.
PostgreSQL manages concurrency via the Multi-Version Concurrency Control (MVCC) protocol, which gives each transaction a ” database snapshot”, allowing changes to be made without affecting other transactions (no read locks required). PostgreSQL also supports full serializability via the serializable snapshot isolation (SSI) method.
Did You Know?
As per the latest DBMS of the Year report, PostgreSQL was the fastest growing
database in the world in 2018, just like in 2017.
Top 5 Advantages of Hosting PostgreSQL in the Cloud
As mentioned earlier in the article, PostgreSQL is migrating to the cloud in more and more organizations around the world to accommodate the growing requirements and needs of the modern ecosystem. As a matter of fact, nearly 40% of PostgreSQL users are now hosting their operations in public or hybrid (public and private) clouds.
1 – Save Time and Resources
On-premises deployment involves a lot of manual work, including maintenance, monitoring and troubleshooting efforts. This requires organizations to hire dedicated staff, train them and keep them on the payroll for extended periods of time. By deploying PostgreSQL on the cloud, you can simply eliminate a lot of these expensive and time-consuming procedures.
PostgreSQL is completely capable of accommodating any volume of data. However, complex infrastructure can cause potential hiccups while scaling up your operations. On-premise solutions can lead to problems (i.e – stability issues) while multiplying your data volumes or even lead to risks of crashing while deploying updates to your database.
3 – Improved Flexibility
PostgreSQL has the edge when it comes to responsiveness. Its multi-row approach to data storage provides a flexible framework for high-demand deployments. Also, storing JSON data in PostgreSQL has become quite easy to accomplish in recent years, making it great for big-data operations on the cloud. Simply put, it’s a match made in heaven.
Today’s dynamic environment has created a wide range of technical and financial challenges for organizations. However, the versatility of PostgreSQL along with the inherited advantages of the cloud has made it significantly easier for you to “pay as you go” based on your usage, something that can help you divert resources to other avenues (e.g. – R&D).
Administrative tasks such as database creation, backup and restore management, and monitoring can easily be automated using built-in tools or custom database scripts. Automation and monitoring tools can also be used with Internet as a Service (IaaS) deployments. More about these capabilities in the next section.
Did you Know?
As per the latest DBMS of the Year report, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has the lead at 55% of use for all PostgreSQL public cloud hosting activities.
Automation: The Key to Smooth PostgreSQL Cloud Ops
The traditional way to set up, operate and scale PostgreSQL can become time consuming and requires expertise in database systems and PostgreSQL. However, all of today’s leading cloud solutions come with facilities to make it easy to set up, operate and scale PostgreSQL deployments in the cloud. Add in automation and you are “on cloud nine”.
PostgreSQL also works great on the cloud today largely due to its seamless syncing with modern automation solutions. Basic processes such as creation of DB instances, managing security groups, and defining backup retention policies have never been more easier. You can now customize and automatically configure and PostgreSQL DB instances.
Deploying PostgreSQL on the cloud can work wonders for your DevOps setup, but you need to take the extra step towards optimization by automating your operations. Baking automation into your ecosystem with a PostgreSQL-compatible solution can help you make multiple deliveries across various platforms with negligible amounts of errors, if at all.
Using automated PostgreSQL and cloud technology in tandem also allows you to:
- Establish and track performance and business KPIs
- Save time, money and resources
- See improvements in speed, accuracy and consistency
- Control when updates and patches are applied to your databases
- Manage all your databases from a single centralized dashboard
Proper PostgreSQL cloud implementation with a solid automation solution also speeds up developer onboarding and keeps them fully engaged, with the latter enabling you to detect issues in real-time with actionable insights. This enhanced ability to detect and mitigate issues eventually will help you boost your brand reputation and customer satisfaction.
Automation is no longer an option if you wish to create a solid development environment with smooth database releases. Get on the cloud and don’t forget to automate!
