PostgreSQL for Solaris

PostgreSQL for Solaris is a distribution of the popular, mature open source database system PostgreSQL. It has been compiled and optimized for the Solaris platform and is distributed with Solaris 10, OpenSolaris and Solaris Developer Express.

PostgreSQL is an open source, scalable, mature, SQL-relational database management system. It is used around the world by companies, governments and individuals as an alternative to other top SQL-Relational database management systems like Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, IBM DB2 and MySQL. PostgreSQL supports most SQL standard functionality and a large number of extensions and special features, and offers performance directly competitive with the fastest database systems.

PostgreSQL for Solaris is the right choice for proprietary database users who want to lower their TCO but keep their advanced capabilities, or for open source database users who want lower costs but also need enterprise-class features and reliability. PostgreSQL for Solaris is an excellent fit for any application that requires a scalable, heavy-duty SQL database server, such as financial applications, high-traffic websites, and data warehousing.

PostgreSQL for Solaris is included in the Solaris 10 and Solaris Express Developer Edition releases which can be downloaded from the following here: http://www.sun.com/software/solaris/get.jsp
http://developers.sun.com/sxde/download.jsp

Since PostgreSQL is now part of Solaris, it will get installed when you install Solaris. Additional details on how to configure and run PostgreSQL for Solaris are available from the How-To Guide at : http://www.sun.com/software/solaris/howtoguides/postgresqlhowto.jsp

Sun ships the latest version of PostgreSQL as soon possible with Solaris for both SPARC and x86 platforms. In addition to providing the latest version, Sun also provides patches for the older version so customers do not have to upgrade Solaris to get the latest version of PostgreSQL. Here is what's in the various Solaris 10 updates and Solaris Express, Developer Edition (SXDE).

Solaris 10 6/06 (Update 2) - PostgreSQL 8.1.2
Solaris 10 11/06 (Update 3) - PostgreSQL 8.1.4
Note: Patches are available to update the versions, above, to 8.1.9. Users are strongly encouraged to update.
SXDE 5/07 - PostgreSQL 8.2.4

Solaris 10 6/06 includes the PostgreSQL "core distribution" with the database management system, and the JDBC driver, and most of the add-ins which ship with the core distribution, known as the "contrib modules". These include tools like full text search and geometric datatypes.

Our packages also include several of PostgreSQL's optional procedural languages, including PL/pgSQL, PL/perl, PL/Python, and PL/Tcl. In addition, we support multiple authentication methods, such as OpenSSL and Kerberos.

PostgreSQL for Solaris patches are available for download from http://sunsolve.sun.com. Users are encouraged to patch as soon as possible.

All of these use the same source code.

However, the binary from Sun was compiled using Sun Studio compiler and flags for best performance and rigorously tested to make sure it works well with Solaris, whereas those binaries available on Blastwave and Sunfreeware may not use the same compiler/flags, and the same level of testing. The file paths and permissions may also be different.

Packages on PostgreSQL.org are created to be as close to the packages distributed with Solaris as possible. However, due to differences in build environments, these packages may not be 100% compatible with all SunSolve patches. Users who wish to switch between the packages on PostgreSQL.org and the ones distributed with Solaris should do so with caution.

Solaris packages on PgFoundry are only patches used to upgrade previous version of PostgreSQL to the latest version, and occasionally experimental builds.

Sun is working on providing a 64 bit PostgreSQL binary with Solaris. If you have urgent need for 64 bit binary, please let us know.

Both 8.1.x and 8.2.x are shipped with Solaris and their locations are as follows:
PostgreSQL 8.1.x in /usr/bin
PostgreSQL 8.2.x in /usr/postgres/8.2

PostgreSQL is available under the business friendly BSD license. This authorizes any use, including embedding within commercial applications. See http://www.postgresql.org/about/licence.

Please note that some optional PostgreSQL tools bundled with PostgreSQL may be under different open-source licenses such as the Artistic License or the Gnu Public License. These licenses only affect your use of PostgreSQL if you use these additional tools.

Nothing. The database and all drivers and tools are provided free of any licensing fees with your chosen Solaris distribution. You need to pay only for support, which is available from Sun when you need it: http://www.sun.com/software/products/postgresql/support.jsp

PostgreSQL for Solaris comes with flexible and comprehensive Service Plan offering, including 24x7 enterprise-class support. Note that this is an add-on to your Solaris Service Plan.

Sun only builds binaries, and only offers support for Solaris version 10 or later.

Sun does not offer support for developers but the PostgreSQL community is very active, and your questions will most likely get answered if you post it to the appropriate mailing lists at http://www.postgresql.org/community/lists/

Sun only supports the binaries shipped with Solaris. If the binary doesn't meet your needs for some reason, please let us know.

The same PostgreSQL documentation, available at http://www.postgresql.org/docs, applies to PostgreSQL for Solaris since Sun contributes all changes to the core back to the community.

For certain Solaris specific packaging or enhancements, documentation is provided in the man pages. For example, the postgres_82 man page describes how to manage PostgreSQL using the Solaris Service Management Facility.

The PostgreSQL Community is also a good source of information.

Contact us through postgresql feedback, the databases community on OpenSolaris, or through the PostgreSQL community. You'll find Sun engineers everywhere.

The core functionalities of PostgreSQL are the same on Solaris as on any other operating systems. However, Solaris offers some unique features that can be used with PostgreSQL, and here are some of them:

DTrace — DTrace is a very powerful diagnostic tool that can be used to observe PostgreSQL even in production. By running some simple scripts, you can quickly pinpoint performance bottlenecks in your PostgreSQL deployment. There is a set of DTrace probes already in the PostgreSQL core code, which allows fine grained analysis. More info at http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.2/static/dynamic-trace.html

Containers — Containers allow the system to be "sliced" into multiple virtualized environments with system resources constraints. For PostgreSQL users, this feature can be used to limit resource usage, improve security and system utilization, among others.

System Management Facility (SMF) — SMF creates a standardized control mechanism for application services. PostgreSQL has been integrated into SMF, and the PostgreSQL service can be automatically restarted if it's terminated abnormally, aborted by software programming errors, or interrupted by an underlying hardware problem.

It is not different. PostgreSQL for Solaris is a distribution of PostgreSQL, just as Red Hat is a distribution of Linux. The Sun team adds compiler optimizations, and selects specific additional open source components to bundle with PostgreSQL. We also integrate PostgreSQL with built-in Solaris technologies.

100% of our PostgreSQL for Solaris offering is open source, and 100% of the improvements we make to PostgreSQL are contributed to the PostgreSQL community.

All localization available in PostgresSQL is available with PostgreSQL for Solaris. This includes multiple languages such as German, Spanish and Japanese.

Sun performance engineers have been running various benchmarks to characterized PostgreSQL performance on Solaris, and they have been working with the community to improve performance whether it be in the JDBC driver, tweaking postgresql.conf to take advantage of Solaris implementations, or working with the database team and the community to make Solaris the performance platform of choice for PostgreSQL.

Bugs that are determined to be in the PostgreSQL source code will be reported through the normal PostgreSQL community bug fixing process. Where possible, Sun engineers will submit a proposed patch to fix the issue as well. Bugs in the Solaris packaging of PostgreSQL and Solaris specific add-ons will be fixed directly by Sun and new packages released.

Yes, you can run PostgreSQL Solaris Containers and this is described in the How-To Guide available at http://www.sun.com/software/solaris/howtoguides/postgresqlhowto.jsp#3.

Solaris Containers provide a virtualized and isolated application environment and can be used to improve security, system utilization, manageability, among others.

Yes, the PostgreSQL agent and guide for Sun Cluster is available at http://opensolaris.org/os/community/ha-clusters/ohac/Documentation/open-agents/.