Re: PostgreSQL support

On Wed, 2005-03-23 at 05:25, Walker, Jed S wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I am an experienced Oracle DBA and I am now working on building a PostgreSQL
> database for a project. Part of the lure for this was the no-cost licensing
> as we'll possibly be putting instances of this new system into many local
> sites. At this time we are planning to build little logic into the database.
> I will initially do hot backups on it, and will likely want to create a
> standby cluster (using WAL logs) for high availability

Look at Slony for non-WAL shipping replication and PITR for wal
shipping. Both are quite useful, in different ways. I like Slony
because I always have a live failover ready to go and it's nice to point
long running report queries there so you're not loading your primary
server down too much. PITR is nice in case things go horrible wrong and
someone does something like delete from some table without a where
clause.

> I'd like to know your opinions on support for PostgreSQL.
> 1. Do you think I should purchase commercial support (at least for the
> initial development and release)?

Not for initial development. Your Oracle experience will be both your
blessing and your curse. I.e. your general database knowledge should be
fine to get you up and running. Using Oracleisms (i.e. giving all the
memory on the computer to postgres instead of letting the kernel do the
caching etc...) might get in the way.

Read up on tuning a pgsql server here:

http://www.varlena.com/varlena/GeneralBits/Tidbits/perf.html

> 2. Do you have recommendations on what companies are good and a good value?

Not really, I've never used them. But the ones that have folks here on
the lists are the ones I'd go to first.

> 4. Any other tips you can give me on having support for this project?

The postgresql mailing lists are the best starting point. Search the
archives.