PgConf.Russia 2020

We will discuss stored procedures and functions, as well as the code within the database in general. We'll take a look at stored procedures from different angles: as a DBA, a database developer, and a backend developer. We will try to understand the specifics of stored procedures that often go against the common coding guidelines, and discuss best practices for working with stored procedures.
This is mainly a motivational talk for database and backend developers, not an advanced tech talk.

In the report, we want to talk about the experience of migrating one large system from Oracle to PostgreSQL. The system itself was built on the PHP + Oracle stack; its distinguishing feature was that all business logic was implemented in PL / SQL code. In a DBMS, there are more than 3000 packages with 4-10 functions (procedures) in each. In PHP - more than 10,000 forms with inserts of anonymous blocks used to receive data, process and save results in Oracle.

To solve this extremely voluminous work, we took ANTLR4 (a powerful parser generator for reading, processing, executing, or translating structured text), PL/SQL grammar, and created an automatic converter that allows you to convert all objects in the schema and our system from Oracle to working code for PostgreSQL.

In May 2019 «Postgres Professional» launched the PostgreSQL Certification Program. Now you can not only get training in our courses, but also confirm your knowledge by passing an appropriate set of tests.

In this presentation, I will share the results of the first months of the program and answer the most frequently asked questions:

Where can I get information about the certification program?
PostgreSQL or Postgres Pro certification?
Certificates for PostgreSQL version 10. When will you upgrade to the current version?
Do I have to attend training centers?
Can I pass the test remotely? Not in Moscow?
Is it possible to take several tests at once in one day?
How to prepare for the test? Are there any examples of training questions?
During the test I got an incorrect question, what should I do?
How to find out exactly which questions the answers were not correct?
When can I retake after an unsuccessful attempt?
How to appeal the test results? 

If you care about Postgres performance, there are a number of hardware acceleration options to help with different use cases. Intel Optane DC persistent memory creates new tier in data hierarchy allowing developers to utilize performance of traditional memory combining with volume and persistency of block storage devices. Unlike traditional DRAM-only in-memory systems, where memory is small, expensive, and volatile, Intel Optane DC persistent memory makes it possible to run larger Postgres databases (terabytes) in memory for higher performance. FPGAs are integrated circuits that can be reprogrammed dynamically to accelerate a specific workload such as SQL execution and data compression. FPGA accelerators extend Postgres with hundreds of SQL reader and writer processes that work in parallel on the FPGA. It’s similar to adding hundreds new cores to boost parallel processing on your server.