PgConf.Russia 2017

Real-word data often need cryptographycal protection. The presentation describes typical problems that can be solved using cryptographycal methods and the right ways to use cryptography with RDBMS. The newest solutions suggested for usage with PostgreSQL are described.

VIDEO

Do you test your PostgreSQL releases prior to Production in a dedicated test environment? Are you sure that your test environment (shortly Test) is equal to Production and in an appropriate state?

In Skype we were facing multiple challenges associated with database testing:
- Simplifying complex Production architecture of thousands of PostgreSQL instances, interconnected with RPCs and replications, infrastructure servers and external DB scripts, into their Test counterparts.
- Constantly growing hardware requirements, insufficient cleanup of data generated in Test.
- Differences between Test and Production were appearing and accumulating. Recognizing and fixing them required lots of effort.

Input-output (IO) performance issues have been on DBAs’ agenda since the beginning of databases. The volume of data grows rapidly and time is of an essence when one needs to get necessary data fast from the disk and, more importantly, to the disk.

For most databases it is relatively easy to find checklist of recommended Linux settings to maximize IO throughput and, in most cases, this checklist is indeed good enough. It is however essential always to understand how the optimisation of those settings actually works, especially, if you run into corner cases.