December 2016 Summaries

PostgreSQL read-only replicas increase read throughput and take some load off of your master node. These replicas, also known as standby nodes, maintain an up-to-date copy of the same database files that exist on the master. They are useful for multiple reasons such as having another physical copy of the data in case of failures, reducing the data loss window during disasters, and restoring the database back to operation quickly after a failure. Aiven offers PostgreSQL plans with different number of standby server nodes, which can be used for read-only queries to reduce the load on the master server. The replica nodes can be accessed by using the separate "Read-only replica URL" visible in the Aiven web console.

Aiven for PostgreSQL now supports connection pools, which allow users to maintain a large number of connections to a database while keeping server resource usage low. Connection pooling is achieved through PGBouncer, which manages the database connection and can handle up to 5000 client connections per pool. This reduces the need for separate backend processes on the server, leading to lower resource usage and better overall performance. Aiven PostgreSQL supports three different operational pool modes: "session", "transaction", and "statement". Connection pooling is particularly useful when dealing with a high number of backend connections, as it helps manage resources more efficiently.