New database service at KIT - PostgreSQL

The SCC has decided to add PostgreSQL to its portfolio of database systems, in addition to the database systems already offered, such as Microsoft SQL, MySQL und Oracle. Since March 1, 2021, PostgreSQL has been available to all KIT employees as an additional database management system.

A description of what is behind the open source product PostgreSQL and how it has evolved is explained in the excerpt from the book PostgreSQL 10 by Lutz Fröhlich

The PostgreSQL system operated at the SCC is used in version 13 and runs on a virtual machine. This means that, if necessary, it can be adapted to the requirements that arise at short notice in terms of memory or CPU load. Furthermore, a hardware failure is almost unlikely, so that a master-slave concept is currently not used.

Regular backups of the system as well as the prompt elimination of security gaps by applying current patches contribute to a secure and stable operation. However, short downtimes are required on a regular basis, which will be announced in advance and will usually be outside KIT's core working hours.

For further information please refer to the service description of PostgreSQL databases.
If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact the database team of the SCC - DB-Team∂scc.kit.edu.

German Source: Lutz Fröhlich, PostgreSQL 10, Hanser-Verlag; Translation: deepL.com

The open-source product PostgreSQL has grown considerably in popularity in recent years. The permanent expansion with new features and the adaptation to the needs of the users have contributed to this to a considerable extent. PostgreSQL is proof that open source software can not only keep up with commercial products, but is even superior in many areas. The commercial pressure is not in the foreground and lets the developer community work freely and implement innovations.

In addition to a robust transaction core and high reliability, PostgreSQL offers many features of a modern database system and can be easily integrated into an existing IT infrastructure. Due to the high degree of compatibility with Oracle, the migration effort is manageable and mixed operation is easy to implement.

PostgreSQL can be used on all popular platforms such as Linux, MacOS, Solaris or Windows. Although it is an open source product, there are now many commercial applications that use and support the product.

PostgreSQL traces its origins to the POSTGRES project, based at the University of California at Berkley in the 1980s. The first presentable version appeared in 1987 as Postgres version 1. In response to the first criticisms, the rule system still present in PostgreSQL was developed. Version 3 appeared in 1991 with a further development of the query unit. In 1993, the University of California ended the project with version 4.2 to avoid having to carry the rapidly growing support requirements.

After adding an SQL query interpreter in 1995, the software was put on the Web under the name Postgres95, with the source code of the original Berkley Postgres. At the time, the product was written entirely in ANSI C. By improving in the areas of maintainability and performance, it eventually ran 50% faster than the original.

The decision to remove the year from the product name was made in 1996, making Postgres95 PostgreSQL, and beginning the steady evolution of PostgreSQL as an open source product. Although the latter led a shadowy existence for many years in the light of the large commercial databases, but also the rapidly spreading open source database MySQL due to the Internet boom, its consistent further development was carried out by the community.