configuring Archives

Tech Optimizer

August 26, 2025

How we loaded a petabyte into PostgreSQL before New Year — and what happened next

A team decided to test PostgreSQL's capabilities with a one-petabyte database, setting a challenge for December 10, with a report due by January 20. They initially sought cloud storage but found no provider could meet their requirement for a single chunk of storage, leading them to rent physical servers. They used Shardman, a distributed database engine, to manage the database across seven servers. They employed the YCSB benchmark for performance testing and faced various challenges, including data loading issues and hardware problems. By January 15, they reached 863 terabytes of data generation, falling short of their petabyte goal, and documented their findings for future reference.

Tech Optimizer

August 23, 2025

How to load test PostgreSQL database and not miss anything

Practitioners face challenges during load testing of Tantor Postgres databases using pgbench, primarily due to insufficient documentation of the testing environment, leading to non-representative results and the need for repeated tests. The pg_perfbench tool has been developed to address these issues by ensuring repeatability, safeguarding data, and simplifying result comparisons through a cohesive template. It automates pgbench execution, collects metadata about the testing environment, and generates structured reports. pgbench operates on a TPC-B model, providing performance metrics such as transactions per second (tps), average latency, and the number of processed and failed transactions. A Bash script can be used to automate pgbench tests with varying client numbers, logging results into separate files. The pg_perfbench tool captures extensive data regarding the database environment and generates reports that include system properties, common database information, benchmark details, and test results. It facilitates the comparison of multiple load test results and ensures that environments being compared are consistent in terms of PostgreSQL versions and system parameters. The tool also allows for the evaluation of performance impacts from changes to PostgreSQL settings by generating separate reports for different configurations. It verifies compliance of specified parameters before joining reports, ensuring accurate comparisons. The final reports are structured in JSON and HTML formats, enhancing analysis and collaboration efforts.

TrendTechie

August 18, 2025

Медиа-сервер на основе Telegram-бота / Питонист пробует Go

The project involved creating a Telegram bot to streamline the process of downloading and viewing movies in a home theater setup. The bot integrates with DLNA technology, allowing films to be played on various devices within a home network. Key functionalities include downloading films from torrents and streaming sites, automatic re-encoding for compatibility with older televisions, download monitoring, file management, and a role-based access system. The bot supports multiple languages and can issue temporary access for guests. Initially developed in Python, the bot was later rewritten in Go for better performance and compatibility across hardware platforms. It requires at least 1 GB of RAM and a Linux operating system to function effectively. The source code is available on GitHub.

Winsage

August 18, 2025

Microsoft: WUSA may fail to install recent Windows updates

Microsoft is addressing an issue with the Windows Update Standalone Installer (WUSA) that affects the installation of Windows updates from network shares, primarily impacting Windows 11 24H2 and Windows Server 2025 systems in enterprise networks. The problem leads to updates failing with the error ERRORBADPATHNAME when multiple .msu files are present on a network share. This issue does not occur with single .msu files or local installations. A Known Issue Rollback (KIR) is available to mitigate the problem for home and non-managed business devices, while IT administrators can implement a Group Policy fix for affected systems. Users can also avoid the issue by saving .msu files locally for installation.

Winsage

August 14, 2025

Microsoft fixes Windows 11 24H2 updates failing with 0x80240069 error

Microsoft resolved an issue affecting the delivery of the August 2025 Windows 11 24H2 cumulative update (KB5063878) via Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), which resulted in error code 0x80240069 during installation. This problem was acknowledged by Microsoft after reports from Windows administrators about the update service terminating unexpectedly. The company indicated that the issue primarily impacts enterprise environments using WSUS, while home users are unlikely to experience it. An automatic solution through Known Issue Rollback (KIR) has been initiated for affected enterprise-managed devices, requiring administrators to install the KIR Group Policy and restart the devices. Users can also manually install the update through Windows Update or the Microsoft Update Catalog. Similar issues had been reported previously, with a comparable problem addressed in May for Windows 11 22H2/23H2 systems.

Tech Optimizer

August 9, 2025

PostgreSQL Revolutionizes Durable Execution with Database Workflow Storage

Developers and enterprises are increasingly turning to PostgreSQL for durable execution, which allows workflows to withstand failures without losing state. PostgreSQL's strong transactional guarantees, adherence to ACID principles, and extensibility make it suitable for this purpose. By using Write-Ahead Logging (WAL), PostgreSQL can reliably record every step of a process, facilitating smooth resumption after disruptions. This approach eliminates the need for separate state management layers, simplifying cloud-native environments. PostgreSQL can manage both data persistence and execution logic, allowing for seamless recovery from failures. Recent advancements, such as integrations from Neon and Inngest, enable real-time workflows based on database changes without requiring complex orchestration services. Updates in PostgreSQL 16 and beyond, including improved logical replication and the anticipated asynchronous I/O in PostgreSQL 18, enhance performance for durable tasks. Adoption of PostgreSQL for durable execution is rising among tech giants and startups, with examples like Figma's scalable Postgres database and AWS’s Aurora DSQL service. This trend reflects a movement towards disaggregated architectures, where databases become active participants in application logic. However, challenges remain in balancing speed and durability configurations. Overall, PostgreSQL is evolving as a resilient solution for durable execution in modern applications.

Winsage

August 6, 2025

OpenAI open weight models now available on AWS

AWS has introduced two new OpenAI models with open weights, the gpt-oss-120b and gpt-oss-20b, available through Amazon Bedrock and Amazon SageMaker JumpStart. These models are designed for text generation and reasoning tasks, excelling in coding, scientific analysis, and mathematical reasoning, with performance comparable to leading alternatives. They support a context window of 128K and adjustable reasoning levels (low, medium, high). Users can access these models via an OpenAI-compatible endpoint in Bedrock, utilizing the OpenAI SDK or Bedrock APIs for integration. To access the models in Amazon Bedrock, users must request access through the console and can evaluate them using the Chat/Test playground. The process for using the OpenAI SDK involves configuring the API endpoint and authentication with an Amazon Bedrock API key. Users can build AI agents using frameworks that support the Amazon Bedrock API or OpenAI API, with deployment facilitated by Amazon Bedrock AgentCore. The OpenAI models are available in the US West (Oregon) region through Amazon Bedrock and in the US East (Ohio, N. Virginia) and Asia Pacific (Mumbai, Tokyo) regions via SageMaker JumpStart. Each model provides full chain-of-thought output capabilities for enhanced interpretability. They can be modified and customized to meet specific needs, and security measures are in place to ensure robust evaluation processes. Compatibility with the standard GPT-4 tokenizer is also included. For cost details, users can refer to the Amazon Bedrock and SageMaker AI pricing pages.

Winsage

August 6, 2025

How to set up Windows 11 with a local account

Redmond prefers users to log into Windows 11 using a Microsoft account, particularly during installation. This can be problematic for those valuing privacy. A local account, which is stored solely on the device, offers benefits such as keeping preferences off the cloud and avoiding OneDrive. There are methods to set up Windows 11 with a local account: 1. Method 1: During installation, boot from a USB drive with the Windows 11 installer. After reaching the country selection screen, press Shift + F10 to open a command prompt and type PLACEHOLDER5199f62cf80342e3. After rebooting, disconnect from the internet using PLACEHOLDERf8cfa33cc93b6e53 in the command prompt. You can then create a local username and password. 2. Method 2: Use Rufus to prepare a USB installation drive. Select the option to "Remove requirement for an online Microsoft account" during setup. After booting from the USB, repeat the process of disconnecting from the internet and creating a local account. To add a local account to an existing Windows 11 setup, go to Settings > Accounts > Other Users, then select "Add account" and choose "Add a user without a Microsoft account." Enter the required information to create the local account.

Winsage

August 4, 2025

Switching to Windows 11: Really more security?

The transition to Windows 11 often requires new hardware, but purchasing a new PC does not guarantee improved security. Users should verify that the latest version of Windows 11 is installed and configure data protection settings, including diagnostic data options. Activating Windows Security, which includes Microsoft Defender Antivirus and a firewall, is advisable, and users should ensure compatibility with third-party antivirus solutions. Creating a system restore point and establishing automatic backups is crucial. Most devices support Secure Boot and TPM 2.0, which should be verified in BIOS or UEFI settings. Users should also remove unnecessary pre-installed software that may pose risks. Ongoing maintenance and updates are essential for maintaining security on a Windows 11 PC.

Winsage

August 3, 2025

5 Windows PowerShell commands every power user should know

Microsoft has transitioned from the traditional command prompt to Windows PowerShell, a command-line interface tool designed for scripting and task automation. Key commands in PowerShell include: 1. Get-Process: Retrieves information about processes running on a local computer or a remote server, including process names, IDs, CPU usage, and memory consumption. Example usage includes filtering processes by memory usage or specific applications. 2. Get-Command: Lists all available commands within PowerShell, including cmdlets, functions, aliases, and scripts. It helps users discover commands for specific tasks. 3. Set-ExecutionPolicy: Configures the PowerShell script execution policy, determining whether scripts can run and under what conditions. It allows power users to adjust policies for executing custom scripts. 4. Get-EventLog: Accesses detailed system logs for troubleshooting errors or auditing system activity, including warnings and security breaches. It can filter logs based on criteria like log name and entry type. 5. Where-Object: Filters objects in a pipeline based on specified conditions, allowing users to narrow down results for analysis, reporting, and automation. It can be combined with other commands for enhanced functionality.