Users of PostgreSQL 12 are facing a critical deadline, as the database version approaches its end of life (EOL) status in less than a month. According to data from Percona, a company specializing in open-source database support, approximately 11 percent of PostgreSQL databases currently in operation are still running on version 12, which was first released in 2019.
PostgreSQL’s Evolution and Support Policy
PostgreSQL, a robust database system originally developed in the 1980s, has been an open-source project since the mid-1990s, under the stewardship of the PostgreSQL Global Development Group. The established policy dictates that after a major release reaches its five-year anniversary, it will receive one final minor release for any necessary fixes before being designated as EOL and ceasing to receive support.
Recent telemetry data from Percona’s database management tool, PMM, reveals that around 7 percent of newly created PostgreSQL instances in a recent 90-day window are still based on some variant of the 12 iteration. In light of this, SAP has issued warnings regarding the impending EOL on its website, while AWS, which offers PostgreSQL services through RDS and Aurora, has advised users to prepare for updates to their instances.
Implications for AWS Users
AWS has also announced that the Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL-compatible edition, major version 12.x, will reach the end of standard support in February of next year. The company recommends that users proactively upgrade their databases running on this version to Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL 13 or higher before February 28, 2025.
Alastair Turner, Technical Evangelist at Percona, attributes the continued use of PostgreSQL 12 to the rising popularity of cloud database services. He notes that developers may feel compelled to retest their entire applications due to internal processes, which can complicate the upgrade process.
Another factor contributing to the persistence of older database versions is that upgrades are often scheduled as part of larger modernization initiatives, which can be susceptible to delays. “There is a belief that it’s going to be over quite quickly, and you know that they’ll be able to replace this app’s functionality, and in any big enough estate that just goes wrong every now and then,” Turner remarked.
Transitioning to Newer Versions
The PostgreSQL community recently announced the release of version 17 in September, which introduces features such as incremental backup in pg_basebackup and new maintenance options. However, it is unlikely that this version will become the primary destination for users migrating from PostgreSQL 12. Instead, Turner suggests that PostgreSQL 16 is the more probable choice for many users.
Turner cautions that there have been adjustments in standards compliance between versions 12 and 16 that users should consider before migrating. Additionally, changes in how the database creates objects in the default schema may pose challenges. “By default, everyone had it, and in 15 that default was moved to create a more secure default position,” he explained. “If you’re upgrading an application in place, you probably won’t see any problems, but if users are trying to create their database structures for the first time, they may encounter some issues.”
