Learn PostgreSQL

A comprehensive guide to building, managing, and securing scalable and reliable database and data warehousing applications using Postgres 12 and 13

Key Features

• Set up your database cluster and monitor, secure, and fine-tune it for optimal performance
• Learn the fundamentals of database management and implement client- and server-side programming using SQL and PL/pgSQL
• Explore useful tips to develop efficient PostgreSQL database solutions from scratch

Book Description

PostgreSQL is one of the fastest-growing open source object-relational database management systems (DBMS) in the world. As well as being easy to use, it's scalable and highly efficient. In this book, you'll explore PostgreSQL 12 and 13 and learn how to build database solutions using it. Complete with hands-on tutorials, this guide will teach you how to achieve the right database design required for a reliable environment.

You'll learn how to install and configure a PostgreSQL server and even manage users and connections. The book then progresses to key concepts of relational databases, before taking you through the Data Definition Language (DDL) and commonly used DDL commands. To build on your skills, you'll understand how to interact with the live cluster, create database objects, and use tools to connect to the live cluster. You'll then get to grips with creating tables, building indexes, and designing your database schema. Later, you'll explore the Data Manipulation Language (DML) and server-side programming capabilities of PostgreSQL using PL/pgSQL, before learning how to monitor, test, and troubleshoot your database application to ensure high-performance and reliability.

By the end of this book, you'll be well-versed with the Postgres database and be able to set up your own PostgreSQL instance and use it to build robust solutions.

What you will learn

• Understand how users and connections are managed by running a PostgreSQL instance
• Interact with transaction boundaries using server-side programming
• Identify bottlenecks to maintain your database efficiently
• Create and manage extensions to add new functionalities to your cluster
• Choose the best index type for each situation
• Use online tools to set up a memory configuration that will suit most databases
• Explore how Postgres can be used in multi-instance environments to provide high-availability, redundancy, and scalability

Who this book is for

This Postgres book is for anyone interested in learning about the PostgreSQL database from scratch. Anyone looking to build robust data warehousing applications and scale the database for high-availability and performance using the latest features of PostgreSQL will also find this book useful. Although prior knowledge of PostgreSQL is not required, familiarity with databases is expected.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction to PostgreSQL 12
2. Getting to know your cluster
3. Managing users and connections
4. Basic Statements
5. Advanced Statements
6. Window Functions
7. Server Side Programming
8. Triggers and Rules
9. Partitioning
10. Users, Roles, and Database Security
11. Transactions, MVCC; WALs and Checkpoints
12. Extending the database: the Extension ecosystem
13. Indexes and Performance Optimization
14. Logging and Auditing
15. Backup and Restore
16. Configuring and Monitoring
17. Physical replication
18. Logical Replication
19. Useful Tools and Useful Extensions
20. Towards PostgreSQL 13

Luca Ferrari has been passionate about computer science since the Commodore 64 era, and today holds a master's degree (with honors) and a Ph.D. from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. He has written several research papers, technical articles, and book chapters. In 2011, he was named an Adjunct Professor by Nipissing University. An avid Unix user, he is a strong advocate of open source, and in his free time, he collaborates with a few projects. He met PostgreSQL back in release 7.3; he was a founder and former president of the Italian PostgreSQL Community (ITPUG). He also talks regularly at technical conferences and events and delivers professional training.

Enrico Pirozzi has been passionate about computer science since he was a 13-year-old, his first computer was a Commodore 64, and today he holds a master's degree from the University of Bologna. He has participated as a speaker at national and international conferences on PostgreSQL. He met PostgreSQL back in release 7.2, he was a co-founder of the first PostgreSQL Italian mailing list and the first Italian PostgreSQL website, and he talks regularly at technical conferences and events and delivers professional training. Right now, he is employed as a PostgreSQL database administrator at Nexteam (Zucchetti Group S.p.a.).