Re: PostgreSQL Upgrade recommendations

Hi,

I've just joined this morning and I wonder if anyone could help? I'd like
some opinions / war stories / suggestions/ recommendations whatever on
PostgreSQL upgrades.

We have a PostgreSQL 7.2.1 server on Linux RHL 9 Enterprise / Intel port.

I am quite new to Postgres (my day job is an Oracle DBA) but I am
experienced in handling critical upgrades etc. on other platforms.

Feedback from the Forum, please, on:

* I want an up-to-date upgrade version, not too new and unstable.
Which one? 7.4.x? Wait for 7.5? I don't want to do this too often so I would
like to space major upgrade intervals by at least 12 months if possible.
* Any really pressing reasons to move off 7.2.x ? Nasty bugs not
patches until later versions?
* 3rd party software Incompatibility issues?
* Reasons of performance / functionality?

I would be most grateful to receive feedback from anyone out there. Very
much looking forward to your replies

Andrew Parkyns

Microgen plc.,

Welwyn Garden City

UK

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moving to pgsql-admin which is much more appropriate for this type of post

On Monday 09 August 2004 07:03, Andrew Parkyns wrote:
> Hi,
> I've just joined this morning and I wonder if anyone could help? I'd like
> some opinions / war stories / suggestions/ recommendations whatever on
> PostgreSQL upgrades.
>
> We have a PostgreSQL 7.2.1 server on Linux RHL 9 Enterprise / Intel port.
>
> I am quite new to Postgres (my day job is an Oracle DBA) but I am
> experienced in handling critical upgrades etc. on other platforms.
>
> Feedback from the Forum, please, on:
>
> * I want an up-to-date upgrade version, not too new and unstable.
> Which one? 7.4.x? Wait for 7.5? I don't want to do this too often so I
> would like to space major upgrade intervals by at least 12 months if
> possible.

Well, 7.5 is really 8.0, and probably wont be out for 2-3 more months, so if
you can't wait that long the decision is made for you. PostgreSQL has been
doing major releases about every 12 months for the last couple years, so
factor that into your decision as well. You might also want to check out the
developer copy of the 8.0 release notes (in the docs at
developer.postgresql.org) to see if there are any features you might want to
make immediate use of.

> * Any really pressing reasons to move off 7.2.x ? Nasty bugs not
> patches until later versions?

I am sure there are some, but nothing that will cause total data loss. Other
reasons might include new features, better performance, and smaller bug
fixes.

> * 3rd party software Incompatibility issues?

You might find some, though given that 7.2 is like 2 years old most software
should have had time to do some type of update by now. For instance, a
client I did an upgrade for found that 7.4 broke thier version of double
choco latte (time management software) but there were updates to that
software that had never been applied either so in the end it all worked out.

> * Reasons of performance / functionality?
>

7.3 performed better than 7.2, and 7.4 performed better than 7.3, and it
looks like 8.0 will out perform 7.4. And every new versions adds new
functionality, so yes.

--
Robert Treat
Build A Better Lamp :: Linux Apache {middleware} PostgreSQL

"Andrew Parkyns" <andrew(dot)parkyns(at)microgen(dot)co(dot)uk> writes:
> We have a PostgreSQL 7.2.1 server on Linux RHL 9 Enterprise / Intel port.

> * I want an up-to-date upgrade version, not too new and unstable.
> Which one? 7.4.x? Wait for 7.5? I don't want to do this too often so I would
> like to space major upgrade intervals by at least 12 months if possible.

7.4.latest would be your best bet. Given the degree of conservatism you
are expressing, you will not want to move onto the 8.0.* (nee 7.5)
series for about a year anyway.

> * Any really pressing reasons to move off 7.2.x ? Nasty bugs not
> patches until later versions?

There are *really* good reasons not to be running 7.2.1 --- see the
release notes for the later 7.2.* releases. You should most certainly
update to 7.2.4 (or whatever the last of that series was) ASAP. Moving
to 7.3.* or 7.4.* would entail a dump/reload as well as posing some
possible compatibility risks, so that's a bigger jump and you need to
think harder about if it's worth it to you.

In general, whatever release series you're using, you should be at the
latest release in the series. We only do bug fixes in minor releases,
and usually only bother for fairly serious bugs.

> * Reasons of performance / functionality?

Generally the performance and functionality both get better with every
release. But it's impossible to say at this level of detail whether
7.3 or 7.4 will have anything especially attractive for your particular
situation.

regards, tom lane

Thanks also to Tom and Robert - excellent advice thanks very much.

I will now do as suggested & check out the version release notes - for 7.4
latest patch, and plan for upgrade to this version for the immediate future.

We will probably be most interested in looking at 8.1 + as the next port so
will be looking forward to information on that in the future.

One last question [greedy, I know]. Does the Postgres release information
contain OS compatibility matrices? [e.g. OS patch requirements etc.]

Very many thanks I certainly have enough to head onwards and upwards.

Andrew.

-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Treat [mailto:xzilla(at)users(dot)sourceforge(dot)net]
Sent: 09 August 2004 15:38
To: Andrew Parkyns
Cc: pgsql-ports(at)postgresql(dot)org; pgsql-admin(at)postgresql(dot)org
Subject: Re: [PORTS] PostgreSQL Upgrade recommendations

moving to pgsql-admin which is much more appropriate for this type of post

On Monday 09 August 2004 07:03, Andrew Parkyns wrote:
> Hi,
> I've just joined this morning and I wonder if anyone could help? I'd like
> some opinions / war stories / suggestions/ recommendations whatever on
> PostgreSQL upgrades.
>
> We have a PostgreSQL 7.2.1 server on Linux RHL 9 Enterprise / Intel port.
>
> I am quite new to Postgres (my day job is an Oracle DBA) but I am
> experienced in handling critical upgrades etc. on other platforms.
>
> Feedback from the Forum, please, on:
>
> * I want an up-to-date upgrade version, not too new and unstable.
> Which one? 7.4.x? Wait for 7.5? I don't want to do this too often so I
> would like to space major upgrade intervals by at least 12 months if
> possible.

Well, 7.5 is really 8.0, and probably wont be out for 2-3 more months, so if

you can't wait that long the decision is made for you. PostgreSQL has been
doing major releases about every 12 months for the last couple years, so
factor that into your decision as well. You might also want to check out
the
developer copy of the 8.0 release notes (in the docs at
developer.postgresql.org) to see if there are any features you might want to

make immediate use of.

> * Any really pressing reasons to move off 7.2.x ? Nasty bugs not
> patches until later versions?

I am sure there are some, but nothing that will cause total data loss.
Other
reasons might include new features, better performance, and smaller bug
fixes.

> * 3rd party software Incompatibility issues?

You might find some, though given that 7.2 is like 2 years old most software

should have had time to do some type of update by now. For instance, a
client I did an upgrade for found that 7.4 broke thier version of double
choco latte (time management software) but there were updates to that
software that had never been applied either so in the end it all worked out.

> * Reasons of performance / functionality?
>

7.3 performed better than 7.2, and 7.4 performed better than 7.3, and it
looks like 8.0 will out perform 7.4. And every new versions adds new
functionality, so yes.

--
Robert Treat
Build A Better Lamp :: Linux Apache {middleware} PostgreSQL

________________________________________________________________________
This email was checked by MessageLabs SkyScan before entering Microgen.

________________________________________________________________________
This email was checked on leaving Microgen for viruses, similar
malicious code and inappropriate content by MessageLabs SkyScan.

DISCLAIMER

This email and any attachments are confidential and may also be
privileged.

If you are not the named recipient, please notify the sender
immediately and do not disclose the contents to any other
person, use it for any purpose, or store or copy the information.

In the event of any technical difficulty with this email, please
contact the sender or it(dot)support(at)microgen(dot)co(dot)uk

Microgen Information Management Solutions
http://www.microgen.co.uk