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The PostgreSQL Global Development Group has unveiled PostgreSQL 17, the latest iteration of what is widely-regarded as the world’s most advanced open-source database. This release marks a significant milestone in the database’s evolution, bringing substantial performance enhancements and new features that cater to both emerging and established data management needs.

PostgreSQL 17 builds upon its robust foundation, offering improved performance and scalability whilst adapting to contemporary data access and storage patterns. The update introduces a revamped memory management system for vacuum operations, optimisations for storage access, and enhancements for high concurrency workloads. Users can expect speedier bulk loading and exports, alongside query execution improvements for indexes.

“PostgreSQL 17 highlights how the global open-source community, which drives the development of PostgreSQL, builds enhancements that help users at all stages of their database journey,” said Jonathan Katz, a member of the PostgreSQL core team.

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“Whether it’s enhancements for managing databases at scale or innovative features that enhance a delightful developer experience, PostgreSQL 17 promises to improve your data management journey.”

A key highlight of this update is the drastic decrease in memory usage during vacuum processes. The revamped internal memory architecture requires up to 20 times less memory, resulting in quicker vacuum tasks and liberating resources for additional operations.

<p High concurrency environments can expect up to double the write throughput, thanks to advancements in write-ahead log (WAL) processing. The launch of a streaming I/O interface boosts sequential scans and ANALYZE tasks, enhancing overall performance.

Query execution has received significant improvements, especially for queries containing IN clauses that use B-tree indexes. This version also adds parallel building for BRIN indexes and includes SIMD (Single Instruction/Multiple Data) support to expedite certain calculations.

PostgreSQL 17 has taken a significant step forward for developers by enhancing its JSON functionalities with the introduction of JSON_TABLE. This feature makes it possible to transform JSON data into conventional PostgreSQL tables. Furthermore, the release adds SQL/JSON constructors and query functions, granting developers greater flexibility in managing JSON data.

In terms of performance, bulk loading and data exporting have received noteworthy enhancements, particularly with the COPY command, which is now capable of executing large row exports at speeds up to twice as fast. Additionally, a new ON_ERROR option has been introduced, allowing import processes to proceed even in the event of insert errors, which greatly improves data migration efforts.

Logical replication has also undergone significant upgrades, which are vital for real-time data streaming. One notable improvement is that users are now able to upgrade to major versions without the need to drop logical replication slots, thereby simplifying the overall upgrade experience. The introduction of failover control for logical replication further bolsters resilience within high-availability environments.

Moreover, this release places a strong emphasis on security and operational management. A new TLS option, sslnegotiation, facilitates direct TLS handshakes through ALPN. Additionally, the new pg_maintain predefined role empowers users to conduct maintenance tasks without requiring full superuser privileges.

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The capabilities for creating backups have been improved as pg_basebackup now also handles incremental backups. This is further enhanced by the introduction of the pg_combinebackup utility, which aids in reconstructing full backups.

The features for monitoring and analysis have been upgraded as well; the EXPLAIN command now provides insight into the time dedicated to local I/O operations, along with new options to assess data conversion times and memory utilization. Additionally, the ability to track the progress of index vacuuming and a new system view for session wait events allow for greater understanding of database operations.

PostgreSQL’s ongoing development underscores its role as a favored open-source relational database for organizations across various sizes. With a robust 25-year history of open-source contributions and a committed global community, PostgreSQL 17 marks another significant advancement in data management technology.

(Photo by Joshua Earle)

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See also: Safe Coding: Google’s strategy reduces memory safety vulnerabilities

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