PostgreSQL Performance Optimization

PostgreSQL Performance Optimization

Database performance is critical for application scalability. This guide covers proven techniques for optimizing PostgreSQL.

Index Optimization

Indexes are your first line of defense:

-- Create index on frequently queried columns
CREATE INDEX idx_users_email ON users(email);

-- Composite index for multiple columns
CREATE INDEX idx_orders_user_date ON orders(user_id, created_at);

-- Partial index for specific conditions
CREATE INDEX idx_active_users ON users(id) WHERE active = true;

Query Optimization

Use EXPLAIN ANALYZE to understand query performance:

Connection Pooling

Never create a new connection per request:

Vacuum and Analyze

Regular maintenance is essential:

-- Analyze to update statistics
ANALYZE users;

-- Vacuum to reclaim space
VACUUM ANALYZE;

-- Auto-vacuum configuration
ALTER TABLE users SET (autovacuum_vacuum_scale_factor = 0.1);

Read Replicas

Scale reads with replicas:

Conclusion

PostgreSQL performance tuning is an ongoing process. Measure, optimize, and repeat based on your specific workload patterns.