Seeking Guidance on Upgrading from PostgreSQL 12 to 1

Dear PostgreSQL Admins,

I hope this message finds you well. We are currently running PostgreSQL 12
in dev as well as prod environment . However, with the end of support for
this version scheduled for November 2024, we are considering upgrading to a
higher version, particularly PostgreSQL 16.

I would greatly appreciate your insights on the following points:

1. **Upgrading to PostgreSQL 16**: Would upgrading to version 16 be a
prudent decision, given the advancements and changes since PostgreSQL 12?
Are there any significant concerns or benefits that we should be aware of
before making this decision?

2. **Pre-Upgrade and Post-Upgrade Checks**: Could you please suggest the
critical checks we need to perform prior to the upgrade to ensure it is
successful? Additionally, what post-upgrade checks should be conducted to
confirm everything is functioning as expected?

3. **Upgrade Resources**: Are there any recommended links, videos, or other
resources that can guide us through the upgrade process, especially from
version 12 to 16?

4. **Application Impact**: If we proceed with the upgrade on the same host,
could there be any potential changes or impacts on the application side
that we should be prepared for?

5. **pg_upgrade Functionality**: When using `pg_upgrade`, does it
effectively copy all user-defined functions, extensions, sequences, along
with other database objects like tables, indexes, and schemas? Are there
any specific objects or elements that `pg_upgrade` does not handle, which
we should manually address?

Your advice and guidance will be invaluable as we prepare for this critical
upgrade.

Thank you in advance for your support.

Best regards,
Raman