Postgres Pro Enterprise DBMS 17.5.1: New Features

Postgres Professional, a developer of data management products, has released version 17.5.1 of its Postgres Pro Enterprise DBMS. The system now supports embedded analytics, offers automated database tuning, introduces a new backup technology, and much more

Embedded Analytics

In Postgres Pro Enterprise 17.5.1, the DuckDB engine is integrated for the first time, enabling OLAP-style analytics:

• Consistent replication of OLTP tables into Parquet format without a separate ETL infrastructure;
  
  
• Use of S3 for both data storage and analysis;
  
  
• Acceleration of analytical queries through columnar storage and vectorized execution;
  
  
• Querying multiple data sources within a single SQL statement;
  
  
• Transparent integration for existing users.

New Backup Technology

pg_probackup3 is a completely redesigned backup and restore solution offering:

• Version independence — a single pg_probackup3 release works with multiple Postgres Pro and PostgreSQL versions;
  
  
• API integration — centralized backup management;
  
  
• Data transfer without SSH — simplifies infrastructure and enhances security;
  
  
• FUSE integration — mount and access the database directly from a backup without a full restore;
  
  
• Incremental copying (DELTA, PTRACK) — saves time and storage space;
  
  
• Improved backup management — the new backup format generates a fixed set of archive files for easier storage instead of mirroring PGDATA contents as-is;
  
  
• Support for cloud and tape storage, NFS, S3, and MinIO.

Automated Database Configuration

The pgpro_tune utility automatically generates optimal PostgreSQL configuration settings based on your hardware characteristics. It is now integrated into the cluster initialization process (initdb). This tool is especially useful for rapid database deployments, helping to minimize human errors and typos in configuration.

Real-time SQL Plan Management Analogue

In Enterprise 17.5.1, we introduced our own analogue of Real-time SQL Plan Management. The pgpro_multiplan extension can now automatically add plans to the approved list when Adaptive Query Execution (AQE) triggers. After AQE fires for the first time and completes its re-optimization cycle to find the optimal plan, that plan is added to the baseline as approved and is applied immediately on subsequent executions—an effective way to correct optimizer mis-estimates.

To enable this feature:

To use the feature, enable AQE by setting aqe_enable=on and, for example, aqe_rows_underestimation_rate_trigger=2. 

You must also load and enable pgpro_multiplan 

• pgpro_multiplan.enable=on

and configure its parameters:

• pgpro_multiplan.aqe_collect_stats=on 
• pgpro_multiplan.aqe_plans_auto_approve=on.

Inclusive Upper Bound for Time Ranges

The PostgreSQL daterange type excludes its upper bound by default, which can be inconvenient for tasks like calculating vacation days or planning time periods. The new daterange_inclusive extension lets you explicitly include the upper bound of a date range, making calendar-interval handling more intuitive and eliminating the need for manual adjustments.

New Features

• pgpro_result_cache — caches query results via SQL hints, which is especially useful for speeding up pagination and repeated queries.
• pgpro_bindump — a system utility that enables backup operations without direct access to PGDATA.

For detailed information about these and other features, see the release notes.