Database administrators are increasingly examining and adopting Postgres as a cost-effective alternative that maintains the performance, security and stability of traditional database vendors. A recent survey from EnterpriseDB revealed 37% of Postgres users have migrated existing applications from Oracle or Microsoft database systems to Postgres and an equal percentage expect to gradually replace their legacy systems with Postgres. But migrating to Postgres from a proprietary database isn’t simply install, copy and go. To help keep adoption and migration effort low, EnterpriseDB (EDB) has developed a number of tools that simplify a migration and keep your databases running smoothly once adopted.
It’s worth a closer examination of a few tools and features for migrating and managing Postgres databases in order to guide new converts on how they can get the most from value with the least effort when making the switch.
Migration Flexibility
The first consideration will be your applications and stored procedures. EnterpriseDB offers a compatibility mode for PostgreSQL that supports Oracle's PL/SQL, PL/SQL extensions, OCI and Pro*C. This greatly simplifies a migration from Oracle, allowing you to use existing, trusted code rather than having to redesign and rewrite.
Once your application is ported, the EDB Migration Toolkit is a utility that enables the fast and customized migration of schema and data. It offers online and offline migration so you can quickly copy your data and metadata from another database into Postgres. The calling card of the EDB Migration Toolkit is its array of options for the migration process. The solution enables automated schema/data migration, online and offline migration and creates DDL scripts that can be edited and run at a later scheduled time. Perhaps most notably the toolkit allows DBAs to customize migrations, specifying whether or not to include table constraints/triggers/indices, manage bulk inserts, apply row filters, change data types inline or specify subsets of schema objects to migrate.
If the goal is to run Postgres side-by-side with another databas, EDB offers support for a number of ‘Foreign Data Wrappers,’ features that turn Postgres into a data hub and allow a user to query other databases with SQL, join across disparate data sets, or join data across different data models. Using Postgres with Foreign Data Wrappers offers simplified development and better performance in some cases.
Monitor, Manage and Perfect Performance
Once the migration has been completed, EDB Postgres Enterprise Manager assists in administering, monitoring and tuning Postgres servers.
EDB Postgres Enterprise Manager features a graphical interface that manages all Postgres instances on-premise, in VMs or in the cloud. Local or remote monitoring agents report back data from each host to a global at-a-glance dashboard displaying metrics. Performance dashboards present statistics and diagnostics on the databases, I/O, storage, objects, memory, user/session activity, database wait statistics and the operating system. The graphical interface also provides a fast and consistent method of working with data probes, alerts and the various task managers across all your databases at once.
Joining a Community
Finally, there’s a huge open source community and EDB plays a large role in that. Working with EDB means teaming with an enterprise partner, but it also means you’re joining a vibrant community of professionals and enthusiasts that DBAs can tap for broader expertise. Leveraging the inherent advantages of Postgres and its developer community, as well as the product solutions from EDB layered on top, can ensure easy integration and success.
For more information on how EDB Postgres Plus can help your organization, contact us or visit our website.
Alan Santos is a Product Manager in charge of tools at EnterpriseDB.