Postgres Pro Shardman 17

A distributed relational database for high-load, rapidly growing systems with large data volumes

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Up to 1 PB

data volume in a single distributed cluster

Up to 100 nodes

a scalable architecture with no single point of failure

Up to 10,000

connections per cluster node

5 seconds

automatic failover in case of a node failure (version 17)

Benefits for Fast-Growing Systems

Zero-Downtime Scaling

Add resources as load increases — no system shutdowns and no code rewrites required.

High Availability by Default

Nodes switch over automatically in case of failures, with no loss of access and a consistent data view.

Broad Ecosystem Compatibility

Easily integrates with more than 250 hardware platforms, operating systems, and enterprise applications, ensuring smooth adoption in heterogeneous IT environments.

Fast Adoption

Built on PostgreSQL. Developers adapt quickly and keep using familiar tools.

Reduced Growth Risks

Maintains transactional consistency even in a distributed architecture comparable to a monolithic DBMS.

Reduced Total Cost of Ownership

Shardman removes data access and usability bottlenecks once your system grows beyond the limits of a single-node RDBMS.

Key Capabilities

Horizontal Scaling

  • Segment-Based Distribution Table rows are automatically distributed across nodes based on data volume and load.
  • Zero-Downtime Scaling New nodes can be added without system shutdowns or data migrations.
  • Large-Volume Support The architecture has been tested on workloads up to 1 PB and hundreds of nodes.
  • Support for Multiple Table Types Global, colocated, and distributed tables — plus the ability to work with standard (non-distributed) PostgreSQL objects for different workloads and data models.

Reliability and High Availability

  • Automatic Failover Shardman detects failures and redirects traffic to standby nodes without manual intervention.
  • Graceful Degradation Even if a node fails, the system remains accessible.
  • No Single Point of Failure A truly fault-tolerant architecture — any node can serve as an entry point.
  • ACID Compliance ACID properties and transactional consistency are preserved even in a distributed environment.

Performance Under Load

  • Data Rebalancing The system redistributes data automatically when new nodes are added.
  • Built for High-Load Environments Optimized for OLTP and real-time workloads.
  • Parallel Execution Support Queries are processed in parallel across multiple nodes.
  • Efficient Routing Requests are directed to the nodes containing the needed data, avoiding overloads.

Flexibility and Compatibility

  • Full SQL Compatibility Supports the SQL standard, ORMs, PostgreSQL extensions, and tooling.
  • Extensions and Triggers All familiar PostgreSQL features work as expected: triggers, views, functions.
  • Standard Integration and Development Tools Compatible with common data access methods, PostgreSQL client libraries, and SQL functions.

Process Automation

  • Failure Recovery The system continuously tracks node health, reports failures, and restores nodes automatically once they become available.
  • Intelligent Data Distribution Data is automatically placed according to a distribution key, which can be defined by the user.
  • Cluster Health Reports An integrated toolkit provides administrators with detailed cluster status reporting.

Technical Support from PostgreSQL Core Developers

24/7 technical support

and consulting services

Experienced PostgreSQL developers

Major Contributors with deep expertise

Support portal

personal account and knowledge base

Resolution of complex issues

including cases that require core-level intervention

FAQ

How do I choose the right sharding key?
There are several approaches to selecting a sharding key, and the main ones are described in our documentation. If you need guidance during design, our engineers can assist you.

Are there any limitations on query types?
All standard SQL queries are supported; however, keep in mind that the execution model differs significantly from a single-instance database and will likely require additional optimization.
Documentation: Shardman: Working with Tables

Which Shardman versions are available?
Shardman is available in versions 14 and 17. Support for newer versions is synchronized with Postgres Pro Enterprise releases.

Can Shardman be adopted without changing business logic?
Yes. Shardman works with standard SQL, though some additional query and schema optimization may be required.

Where can I find the technical documentation?
The full documentation is available at the link.

Can Shardman be used with cloud infrastructure?
Yes. Shardman can be deployed in both private and public clouds. The highest performance is achieved on bare metal, but deployment in virtual machines and containers is fully supported.

Is a pilot deployment available?
Yes. The Postgres Professional team offers architecture assessment, design recommendations, and a full pilot project before moving to production.

How is technical support organized?
Basic and extended support options are available, each with guaranteed response times (SLA). Support includes updates, consultations, and assistance during incidents.

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