Understanding the RDS for PostgreSQL incremental release process (original) (raw)

RDS for PostgreSQL delivers security fixes, performance improvements, and new features through incremental releases while maintaining minor version compatibility. These releases are labeled as R1, R2, R3, and so on.

Release version naming convention

• R1 is the initial release of a minor version. It occasionally includes new features, extensions, or upgrades to existing extensions.
• Subsequent release versions (R2, R3, and later) include:
  • Security updates
  • Performance improvements
  • Bug fixes
  • Extension updates

Advantages of RDS for PostgreSQL incremental release process

The incremental release process provides the following advantages:

• Quick adoption of new PostgreSQL community releases while separately managing RDS-specific enhancements through subsequent releases. This streamlines the release process and ensures faster delivery of critical updates.
• Access to bug fixes, new features, security updates, and extension updates while maintaining compatibility with the PostgreSQL minor version.

Managing release updates

Amazon RDS notifies you about new incremental releases through pending maintenance actions in the AWS Management Console. You can update your database using one of these methods:

• Enable automatic updates during scheduled maintenance windows.
• Apply updates manually through pending maintenance actions.
• Use Blue/Green deployments with physical replication to minimize downtime. For more information, see Blue/Green Deployments support minor version upgrade for RDS for PostgreSQL.

Before updating your database, consider the following key points:

• Database reboots are required for updates unless you use Blue/Green deployments with physical replication.
• Some incremental releases are mandatory, particularly those that include security fixes.

For more information about updating your Amazon RDS DB instance instance, see PostgreSQL trusted extensions and apply-pending-maintenance-action.