Thread: Postgres in government
Hello, Sorry for the cross post. I am working on a requirements and recommendation document for a division of the State of Hawaii Attorney General's office. We are proposing that Postgres be used for the application database. Not too surprisingly we are being asked for additional information because Postgres is open source. We all know that Postgres is good and given the requirements and scale of this project (fairly small) it is a very good fit. I have looked at the case studies listed on postgresql.org and searched the mailing list archives. I have also scrounged the Internet looking for examples of Postgres being used in government, preferably in 24x7 capacities. Overall, not a lot of examples out there, which seems strange because I know it is being used by various government agencies. Its the communities of users and developers that make open source software so powerful, I decided that the best course of action was to leverage the community. So, if you have used Postgres (or know that it has been used) for a government project, especially in a 24x7 environment, I would greatly appreciate hearing about it. Ideally, I need more than just the project name. Specifically, A brief description of the project, number of users/transactions as day/week/month, etc, whatever details you have and can share. Please CC me as I'm not subscribed to the list. And since I'm leaving on vacation in 3 days, please CC my coworkers at postgres-info@eworldes.com Thanks in advance Mark
On Wed, 2005-05-18 at 21:24, Mark Steckel wrote: > Hello, > > Sorry for the cross post. > > I am working on a requirements and recommendation document for a division > of the State of Hawaii Attorney General's office. We are proposing that > Postgres be used for the application database. Not too surprisingly we are > being asked for additional information because Postgres is open source. > > We all know that Postgres is good and given the requirements and scale of > this project (fairly small) it is a very good fit. I have looked at the > case studies listed on postgresql.org and searched the mailing list > archives. I have also scrounged the Internet looking for examples of > Postgres being used in government, preferably in 24x7 capacities. Overall, > not a lot of examples out there, which seems strange because I know it is > being used by various government agencies. > > Its the communities of users and developers that make open source software > so powerful, I decided that the best course of action was to leverage the > community. > > So, if you have used Postgres (or know that it has been used) for a > government project, especially in a 24x7 environment, I would greatly > appreciate hearing about it. Ideally, I need more than just the project > name. Specifically, A brief description of the project, number of > users/transactions as day/week/month, etc, whatever details you have and > can share. There are probably thousands of 24/7 operations running postgresql. None of them have to tell anyone, so it's no surprise you haven't heard about them. One of the more interesting projects running on postgresql is the .org domain. Do a search for postgresql and afilias and .org or whatnot.
Mr, Steckel, > I am working on a requirements and recommendation document for a division > of the State of Hawaii Attorney General's office. We are proposing that > Postgres be used for the application database. Not too surprisingly we are > being asked for additional information because Postgres is open source. Amusing, isn't it, that open source software requires additional information? > So, if you have used Postgres (or know that it has been used) for a > government project, especially in a 24x7 environment, I would greatly > appreciate hearing about it. Ideally, I need more than just the project > name. Specifically, A brief description of the project, number of > users/transactions as day/week/month, etc, whatever details you have and > can share. Some web resources using PostgreSQL 24/7: Afilias Inc, running the .ORG and .INFO domains TravelPost.com Rambler.ru .... seven popular web sites I've worked on for all of which I'm under NDA .... Government Agencies using PostgreSQL: City of Garden Grove, CA National Gallery Media Library project of the Library of Congress Several highway departments (using ShareChive) Three large Federal agencies I'm not allowed to mention :-( The last touches on a key difficulty in giving references. I personally know of one Federal agency who is using PostgreSQL in a national security capacity ... and if I named it, at the very least the staff involved would be fired. For that matter, there is another national agency-like body using PostgreSQL extensively whom you can find by googling our mailing lists ... but they can't be mentioned "officially" either. -- Josh Berkus Aglio Database Solutions San Francisco
> > So, if you have used Postgres (or know that it has been used) for a > > government project, especially in a 24x7 environment, I > would greatly > > appreciate hearing about it. Ideally, I need more than just > the project > > name. Specifically, A brief description of the project, number of > > users/transactions as day/week/month, etc, whatever details > you have and > > can share. Wasn't the previous "Featured User" quote on the postgresql.org website from a representative of the City of Garden Grove in CA? There doesn't seem to be a way to view the past featured user comments, but I'm pretty sure this was the case. He/she may be willing to provide more info if you can find out who it was. -b
> > Government Agencies using PostgreSQL: > City of Garden Grove, CA > National Gallery > Media Library project of the Library of Congress > Several highway departments (using ShareChive) > Three large Federal agencies I'm not allowed to mention :-( Sandia Labs US Army Dept of Forestry State of California NCSA NOAA Sincerely, Joshua D. Drake > > The last touches on a key difficulty in giving references. I personally know > of one Federal agency who is using PostgreSQL in a national security > capacity ... and if I named it, at the very least the staff involved would be > fired. For that matter, there is another national agency-like body using > PostgreSQL extensively whom you can find by googling our mailing lists ... > but they can't be mentioned "officially" either. > -- Your PostgreSQL solutions company - Command Prompt, Inc. 1.800.492.2240 PostgreSQL Replication, Consulting, Custom Programming, 24x7 support Managed Services, Shared and Dedicated Hosting Co-Authors: plPHP, plPerlNG - http://www.commandprompt.com/
Josh, > Sandia Labs > US Army > Dept of Forestry > State of California > NCSA > NOAA Wow, amazingly enough, the above doesn't include any of the three. Is there a Federal agency *not* using PostgreSQL? -- Josh Berkus Aglio Database Solutions San Francisco
On Thu, 2005-05-19 at 10:07 -0700, Joshua D. Drake wrote: > > > > Government Agencies using PostgreSQL: > > City of Garden Grove, CA > > National Gallery > > Media Library project of the Library of Congress > > Several highway departments (using ShareChive) > > Three large Federal agencies I'm not allowed to mention :-( > > Sandia Labs > US Army > Dept of Forestry > State of California > NCSA > NOAA > I know of at least one main office in the State of Utah that uses PostgreSQL as well. -Robby -- /****************************************************** * Robby Russell, Owner.Developer.Geek * PLANET ARGON, Open Source Solutions & Web Hosting * Portland, Oregon | p: 503.351.4730 | f: 815.642.4068 * www.planetargon.com | www.robbyonrails.com *******************************************************/
On Thu, 2005-05-19 at 13:01, Bryan Encina wrote: > > > So, if you have used Postgres (or know that it has been used) for a > > > government project, especially in a 24x7 environment, I > > would greatly > > > appreciate hearing about it. Ideally, I need more than just > > the project > > > name. Specifically, A brief description of the project, number of > > > users/transactions as day/week/month, etc, whatever details > > you have and > > > can share. > > Wasn't the previous "Featured User" quote on the postgresql.org website from > a representative of the City of Garden Grove in CA? Noel Proffitt, http://www.ci.garden-grove.ca.us/ There doesn't seem to > be a way to view the past featured user comments, but I'm pretty sure this > was the case. On my personal todo list, but not high at the moment. (Let me add it to the web todo list though in case anyone wants to jump on it) He/she may be willing to provide more info if you can find > out who it was. Just to hear Josh groan i'll mention that you can look up the past quotes via cvs if you really need them. Also, for the OP, you could check out devis, which is a postgresql friendly consulting company that specializes in government work. (http://www.devis.com/Clients/) Robert Treat -- Build A Brighter Lamp :: Linux Apache {middleware} PostgreSQL
Josh Berkus wrote: > Josh, > > >>Sandia Labs >>US Army >>Dept of Forestry >>State of California >>NCSA >>NOAA > > > Wow, amazingly enough, the above doesn't include any of the three. Is there > a Federal agency *not* using PostgreSQL? Well NSA maybe ;). I know that the Navy uses it as well. Sincerely, Joshua D. Drake -- Your PostgreSQL solutions company - Command Prompt, Inc. 1.800.492.2240 PostgreSQL Replication, Consulting, Custom Programming, 24x7 support Managed Services, Shared and Dedicated Hosting Co-Authors: plPHP, plPerlNG - http://www.commandprompt.com/
Josh Berkus wrote: > Three large Federal agencies I'm not allowed to mention :-( I'm curious why they can't be mentioned? A NDA regarding the technologies used? Classified projects? It seems in many cases even relatively security conscious agencies don't mind vendors announcing their use of open source projects. IBM's Linux/DB2 wins in DHS information sharing networks, and Oracle's Linux/Oracle win on the Department of Homeland Security's own web site come to mind. I'm not doubting you. I know one similar case of a government agency using postgresql, but in this case the reason I can't mentioned it is a matter of one vendor's partnership agreement with another large proprietary database vendor. I'm just curious if the matter was a legal issue with the government or if it was a contractual issue with a vendor.
Ron Mayer wrote: > Josh Berkus wrote: > >> Three large Federal agencies I'm not allowed to mention :-( > > > I'm curious why they can't be mentioned? A NDA regarding the > technologies used? Classified projects? I would guess because the people above them don't know their using PostgreSQL ;) Sincerely, Joshua D. Drake -- Your PostgreSQL solutions company - Command Prompt, Inc. 1.800.492.2240 PostgreSQL Replication, Consulting, Custom Programming, 24x7 support Managed Services, Shared and Dedicated Hosting Co-Authors: plPHP, plPerlNG - http://www.commandprompt.com/
On Thu, May 19, 2005 at 10:19:16AM -0700, Josh Berkus wrote: > Josh, > > > Sandia Labs > > US Army > > Dept of Forestry > > State of California > > NCSA > > NOAA > > Wow, amazingly enough, the above doesn't include any of the three. > Is there a Federal agency *not* using PostgreSQL? I doubt it. As I see it, PostgreSQL is in approximately the position that Linux, Apache, Perl, &c. were in the late 1990s, which is to say that it's already been sneaked, er, I mean "informally deployed" into just about every IT organization worth the name, and is just starting to get some official recognition. Cheers, D -- David Fetter david@fetter.org http://fetter.org/ phone: +1 510 893 6100 mobile: +1 415 235 3778 Remember to vote!
On Thu, 2005-05-19 at 15:59, Joshua D. Drake wrote:
> Ron Mayer wrote:
> > Josh Berkus wrote:
> >
> >> Three large Federal agencies I'm not allowed to mention :-(
> >
> >
> > I'm curious why they can't be mentioned? A NDA regarding the
> > technologies used? Classified projects?
>
> I would guess because the people above them don't know their using
> PostgreSQL ;)
>
Thats one reason. Some of them actually are classified, so thats
another reason. Another I've heard is some agencies trying to stay
vendor neutral (ie. they see being open about their technologies as an
endorsement).
The other bit about some agencies putting up "powered by oracle" and
what not, in a lot of those cases, the agency receives a deep "discount"
on the software in turn for allowing their name to be used in
promotional materials... we don't exactly have that kind of leverage.
(Of course determining if a discounted oracle install is really a
discount if you could do the same thing with postgresql for free is an
exercise I will leave to the taxpayer)
Robert Treat
--
Build A Brighter Lamp :: Linux Apache {middleware} PostgreSQL
> Some web resources using PostgreSQL 24/7: > Afilias Inc, running the .ORG and .INFO domains > TravelPost.com > Rambler.ru > .... seven popular web sites I've worked on for all of which I'm under > NDA .... A site I work on, CalorieKing.com, does a huge amount of traffic, with a PostgreSQL backend. Chris