Re: PostgreSQL Upgrade recommendations

"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