disaster recovery Archives

Tech Optimizer

April 8, 2026

True enterprise sovereignty is more approachable than ever, thanks to K8s-powered cloud-neutral PostgreSQL

Discussions on digital sovereignty are shifting from infrastructure to databases, driven by geopolitical pressures in Europe. Hyperscalers like Amazon and Microsoft are investing heavily to comply with new regulations, prompting organizations to reconsider their reliance on managed cloud services. Many enterprises are now viewing PostgreSQL as a portable, cloud-neutral foundation to ensure consistent behavior across various environments, leading to interest in Sovereign DBaaS. Gabriele Bartolini, VP and Chief Architect of Kubernetes at EDB, emphasizes that true sovereignty starts with the database and that portability enhances negotiating leverage and compliance. Bartolini warns that while managed cloud services offer convenience, they often sacrifice control. He notes that transitioning away from these services can provide long-term leverage, as evidenced by Microsoft's encouragement for customers to run self-managed PostgreSQL. The Operator Pattern in Kubernetes enables better database management and lifecycle control, with CloudNativePG exemplifying this approach. Bartolini asserts that owning hardware allows organizations to better manage costs, especially for resource-intensive AI workloads, and that moving to bare metal can significantly enhance performance. A cultural shift is necessary for success, with DBAs needing to adapt to cloud-native environments. Bartolini encourages DBAs to develop a broader understanding of Kubernetes to enhance collaboration across teams. He warns that the database team cannot drive change alone and must align with the entire infrastructure direction to avoid dependency on proprietary tools that limit independence and innovation.

Tech Optimizer

April 8, 2026

PostgreSQL logical replication: How to replicate only the data that you need

Many organizations using PostgreSQL face challenges in replicating data across different logical databases while controlling shared information. PostgreSQL 15 introduces native logical replication with column-level and row-level filtering within publications, allowing precise control over data transfer between PostgreSQL databases. Logical replication operates on a publish-subscribe model, where the source database logs changes to the Write-Ahead Log (WAL) and applies publication filters to transmit only the relevant data to the target database. Two filtering modes are available: column-level filtering allows users to specify which columns to replicate, while row-level filtering uses WHERE clauses to determine which rows to include. Both filtering modes can be combined in a single publication. The SQL syntax for creating publications and subscriptions is consistent across various PostgreSQL environments, with specific configurations required for enabling logical replication. Use cases for logical replication include multi-tenant SaaS data isolation, regional data distribution for ecommerce, PCI DSS compliance in financial services, development and testing environments, and retail inventory management. Prerequisites for implementing logical replication include using PostgreSQL 15 or later, ensuring network connectivity, having a user with replication privileges, enabling logical replication on the source instance, and monitoring WAL retention. Logical replication has limitations, such as the need for a replica identity for UPDATE and DELETE operations, the non-replication of DDL changes and sequences, and potential performance overhead during initial synchronization and ongoing replication. After testing, it is advisable to clean up by removing replication resources to prevent unnecessary costs.

Tech Optimizer

March 26, 2026

EDB Highlights CloudNativePG 1.29, Previews Kubernetes-Native Data Protection at KubeCon Europe

EnterpriseDB (EDB) has released CloudNativePG 1.29, an open-source PostgreSQL operator for Kubernetes, featuring modular extensions and enhanced supply chain security. This version allows users to install only necessary PostgreSQL extensions, including options for AI-driven vector search, while ensuring the use of verified components. EDB is also previewing a new enterprise data protection solution for its EDB Postgres AI for CloudNativePG operator, which includes zero data loss through write-ahead log streaming, centralized management, disaster recovery support, and end-to-end encryption. EDB emphasizes its commitment to data and AI sovereignty and security compliance in Europe, adhering to regulations like the EU Cyber Resilience Act, and aims to support PostgreSQL operations across on-premises and cloud environments to avoid vendor lock-in.

Tech Optimizer

March 26, 2026

EDB Highlights Community Release of CloudNativePG 1.29 and Previews Exclusive Kubernetes Data Protection at KubeCon Europe

EnterpriseDB (EDB) has released CloudNativePG 1.29, an open-source Postgres operator for Kubernetes, and introduced an enterprise-grade data protection solution for its commercial CNPG operator. Open-source strategies are crucial for 80% of major enterprises in the EMEA region, with only 13% achieving success in AI and data initiatives through sovereign data platforms. The EU Cyber Resilience Act mandates secure software supply chain practices. CloudNativePG has gained over 8,000 stars on GitHub and now features modular extensions and built-in supply chain security. EDB is developing a Kubernetes-native data protection solution offering Zero Data Loss and centralized management. This solution supports compliance with the EU Cyber Resilience Act and ensures operational control while reducing cloud infrastructure costs. EDB Postgres® AI is positioned as a secure, compliant, and scalable sovereign data and AI platform.

Tech Optimizer

November 19, 2025

pgEdge Announces pgEdge Control Plane for Simplified Management and Orchestration of PostgreSQL Databases

pgEdge has launched the pgEdge Control Plane, a distributed application designed to manage and orchestrate PostgreSQL databases for single-region and globally distributed deployments. Key features include consistent database management through a declarative approach, high availability with read replicas and automated failover, seamless migration from single-region to distributed architectures, immutable infrastructure support, automated backup and restore capabilities, zero downtime maintenance, and multi-database host support. The Control Plane is compatible with pgEdge Enterprise Postgres and pgEdge Distributed Postgres, is fully open source, and supports deployment across major cloud providers and on-premises environments. It is included with paid pgEdge subscriptions, which offer 24/7 enterprise support.

Tech Optimizer

November 13, 2025

Using delayed read replicas for Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL disaster recovery

Human errors can significantly threaten business continuity, with a single incorrect DELETE statement or mismanaged application deployment potentially corrupting critical business data. Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS) provides automated backups and transaction log backups to mitigate these risks. Traditional recovery methods often involve creating new database instances and executing point-in-time recovery, which can take hours for large databases. AWS has introduced delayed read replicas for Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL, which maintain a standby replica that intentionally lags behind the primary database by a configurable time interval. This allows users to identify data corruption on the production instance and promote the replica before problematic operations are executed. Promoting the delayed replica to become the new primary cluster can be done within minutes. The feature can be enabled using the recovery_min_apply_delay parameter in specific PostgreSQL versions. Delayed replicas address three main use cases: preventing accidental data modifications, protecting against logical errors in applications, and enabling auditing and forensic analysis of data changes. They act as an "undo buffer," complementing disaster recovery strategies by providing a real-time point-in-time recovery mechanism. To set up delayed replication, the recovery_min_apply_delay parameter must be configured. The process involves creating a custom database parameter group, modifying it to set the desired delay, and applying it to the read replica instance. The parameter is static, requiring a reboot to take effect. The delayed replication feature also includes two recovery functions: pg_wal_replay_pause() to pause the recovery process and pg_wal_replay_resume() to resume it. If WAL replay is paused, it must be resumed to prevent excessive storage consumption. In a recovery scenario, if a user accidentally drops a logical database, the delayed replica provides a crucial opportunity to implement a recovery plan before the DROP statement propagates. The recovery process involves pausing WAL replay, capturing replica metrics, setting recovery target parameters, and promoting the read replica to become the new primary. Best practices for implementing delayed replication include comprehensive monitoring of storage space, enabling storage auto-scaling, managing WAL log accumulation, and regularly reviewing the delayed replica’s replication status.

Tech Optimizer

October 1, 2025

Postgres Professional releases DBA course in English

Postgres Professional has released the English version of the course "DBA1: Basic PostgreSQL 16 Administration," aimed at individuals with foundational knowledge of databases, SQL, and Unix-like operating systems. The course is designed for junior database administrators, application developers, system administrators, and students studying database technologies. It covers essential topics over three days, including server installation, PostgreSQL architecture, data organization, essential administration tasks, security and access control, and backup and replication. All course materials, including a student guide for setting up a virtual machine, are available for free on the Postgres Professional website.

Tech Optimizer

September 20, 2025

Tested: Backup and Restore (Windows 7) has just two jobs, but manages only one

The Backup and Restore (Windows 7) feature is located in the Control Panel under System and Security and can be accessed more conveniently through a desktop shortcut. It uses Microsoft’s VHDX files for imaging, allowing users to mount and browse images in Windows Explorer. The backup configuration defaults to user folders and full system images of internal drives, with options to customize selections. Backups can be saved to an internal hard drive or a network location, but not to directly attached external media like USB drives. Users can include non-user folders by transforming them into user libraries. The tool creates VHDX images, but the restoration process requires a physical disc (CD or DVD) and lacks an option to create an ISO file. Users have reported mixed results with Windows Recovery Drive, with some experiencing failures. Backup and Restore (Windows 7) does not support incremental or differential backups and is limited to a single job configuration. It cannot restore to a smaller capacity drive than the original, and the Recovery Drive is tied to the specific PC it was created on. Due to these limitations, it is recommended to consider alternatives like EaseUS Todo Backup 2025 or Macrium Reflect 8 Free for disaster recovery. However, Backup and Restore (Windows 7) remains suitable for creating VHDX images for browsing and manual recovery within the Windows ecosystem.

Tech Optimizer

July 22, 2025

PostgreSQL services from hyperscalers raise downtime conerns

Recent research shows that 82 percent of PostgreSQL users are concerned about cloud region failures, with 21 percent experiencing such failures in the past year. In the first half of 2025, PostgreSQL gained over 13 points in database popularity rankings, becoming the fourth most popular database. A survey found that 91 percent of organizations using PostgreSQL expect no more than four minutes of downtime per month, with 24 percent aiming for less than 30 seconds. Microsoft Azure, AWS, and Google offer various PostgreSQL services, while alternatives like CockroachDB and YugabyteDB focus on reliability. PlanetScale recently launched a PostgreSQL service that is 100 percent compatible with open-source PostgreSQL. Convex is transitioning from AWS Aurora to PlanetScale for better performance. pgEdge offers a multi-master distributed database for high availability. AWS claims its Amazon Aurora DSQL is designed for up to 99.999 percent availability, while its Aurora for PostgreSQL guarantees 99.99 percent uptime.