PGTuned is a first attempt at building Docker PostgreSQL/PostGIS images which include basic performance tuning based on available resources and contemplated use-case.

This project includes a bash script equivalent of PGTune.

This pgtune.sh script is a bash port of PGTune with additions for system resources detection.
All arguments have been rendered optional. The script will either use default value or try and automatically determine the parameter value.

Usage: pgtune.sh [-h] [-v PG_VERSION] [-t DB_TYPE] [-m TOTAL_MEM] [-u CPU_COUNT] [-c MAX_CONN] [-s STGE_TYPE]

This script is a bash port of PGTune (https://pgtune.leopard.in.ua).
It produces a postgresql.conf file based on supplied parameters.

  -h                  display this help and exit
  -v PG_VERSION       (optional) PostgreSQL version
                      accepted values: 9.5, 9.6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15
                      default value: 15
  -t DB_TYPE          (optional) For what type of application is PostgreSQL used
                      accepted values: web, oltp, dw, desktop, mixed
                      default value: web
  -m TOTAL_MEM        (optional) how much memory can PostgreSQL use
                      accepted values: integer with unit ("MB" or "GB") between 1 and 9999 and greater than 512MB
                      default value: this script will try to determine the total memory and exit in case of failure
  -u CPU_COUNT        (optional) number of CPUs, which PostgreSQL can use
                      accepted values: integer between 1 and 9999
                      CPUs = threads per core * cores per socket * sockets
                      default value: this script will try to determine the CPUs count and exit in case of failure
  -c MAX_CONN         (optional) Maximum number of PostgreSQL client connections
                      accepted values: integer between 20 and 9999
                      default value: preset corresponding to db_type
  -s STGE_TYPE        (optional) Type of data storage device used with PostgreSQL
                      accepted values: hdd, ssd, san
                      default value: this script will try to determine the storage type (san not supported) and use hdd
                      value in case of failure.

The test.sh compares a selected number of pgtune.sh results with pre-generated postgresql.conf available in test_files/.

The PGTuned image is built on top of the official PostgreSQL Docker image. The installation of PostGIS is optional at building stage.

When running the PGTuned image as a container, the pgtuned.sh script replaces on startup the default postgresql.conf file by a new one created with pgtune.sh using supplied parameters.

The build stage of the PGTuned image accepts two optional build arguments :

• POSTGRES_VERSION corresponds to any tag available in the official PostgreSQL Docker image save the alpine tags (examples : 14, 13.6, 11.15-stretch, ...). If omitted the 15 tag will be used.
• POSTGIS_VERSION corresponds to the version of PostGIS that will be installed. The selected version of PostGIS must be available in the packages of the chosen PostgreSQL image. If omitted PostGIS will not be installed.

Below are command line examples to build different version of the PGTuned image :

• Build the pgtuned image using postgres:15 image without PostGIS :

docker build --no-cache . -t pgtuned

• Build the pgtuned:13 image using postgres:13 image without PostGIS :

docker build --no-cache --build-arg POSTGRES_VERSION=13 . -t pgtuned:13

• Build the pgtuned:11-2.5 image using postgres:11 image with PostGIS 2.5 :

docker build --no-cache --build-arg POSTGRES_VERSION=11 --build-arg POSTGIS_VERSION=2.5 . -t pgtuned:11-2.5

👉 The helper script test/scripts/check_compatibility.sh runs the main versions of the official Docker PostgreSQL image and checks available PostGIS versions for each. This could be used as a guide to select the correct version of PostGIS for each PostgreSQL image version. Note that a patch is applied for postgres images older than 12 still running on Debian Stretch.

Examining postgres:15
######################
Available PostGIS versions : 3
Running on Debian GNU/Linux 11 (bullseye)


Examining postgres:14
######################
Available PostGIS versions : 3
Running on Debian GNU/Linux 11 (bullseye)


Examining postgres:13
######################
Available PostGIS versions : 3
Running on Debian GNU/Linux 11 (bullseye)


Examining postgres:12
######################
Available PostGIS versions : 3
Running on Debian GNU/Linux 11 (bullseye)


Examining postgres:11
######################
applying apt-archive.postgres.org patch
Available PostGIS versions : 2.5 3
Running on Debian GNU/Linux 9 (stretch)


Examining postgres:11-bullseye
######################
Available PostGIS versions : 3
Running on Debian GNU/Linux 11 (bullseye)


Examining postgres:10
######################
applying apt-archive.postgres.org patch
Available PostGIS versions : 2.4 2.5 3
Running on Debian GNU/Linux 9 (stretch)


Examining postgres:10-bullseye
######################
Available PostGIS versions : 3
Running on Debian GNU/Linux 11 (bullseye)


Examining postgres:9.6
######################
applying apt-archive.postgres.org patch
Available PostGIS versions : 2.3 2.4 2.5 3
Running on Debian GNU/Linux 9 (stretch)


Examining postgres:9.6-bullseye
######################
Available PostGIS versions : 3
Running on Debian GNU/Linux 11 (bullseye)


Examining postgres:9.5
######################
applying apt-archive.postgres.org patch
Available PostGIS versions : 2.3 2.4 2.5 3
Running on Debian GNU/Linux 9 (stretch)

POSTGRES_PASSWORD environment variable is compulsory to run the official PostgreSQL image and therefore the PGTuned image.
All other environment variables of the official PostgreSQL Docker image may also be used (POSTGRES_USER, POSTGRES_DB, ...).

In addition, the following environment variables may be provided to tune PostgreSQL with pgtune.sh :

• DB_TYPE : If not provided web will be used as default DB_TYPE
• TOTAL_MEM : If not provided pgtune.sh will try to determine the total memory automatically
• CPU_COUNT : If not provided pgtune.sh will try to determine the cpu count automatically
• MAX_CONN : If not provided 200 wil be used as default maximum client connections number
• STGE_TYPE : If not provided pgtune.sh will try to determine the storage type automatically
• PG_VERSION : Should not be necessary as Docker image PG_MAJOR environment variable will be used by default

Default command line for running the PGTuned image with default pgtune.sh options :

docker run -d -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=secret --name pgtuned pgtuned

Command line example for running the PGTuned image with 2GB of RAM, mixed database type, 4 cpu cores and ssd storage :

docker run -d -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=secret -e TOTAL_MEM=2GB -e DB_TYPE=mixed -e CPU_COUNT=4 -e STGE_TYPE=ssd --name pgtuned pgtuned

You can check PostgreSQL parameter (here work_mem) by using such a command once the pgtuned container is up and running :

user@machine:$ docker exec -ti pgtuned psql -U postgres -W -c "show work_mem;"
Password: 
 work_mem 
----------
 1310kB
(1 row)

You can also check the content of the postgresql.conf file generated by pgtune.sh by running :

user@machine:$ docker exec -ti pgtuned cat /var/lib/postgresql/data/postgresql.conf
# DB Version: 14
# OS Type: linux
# DB Type: web
# Total Memory (RAM): 3927732 kB
# CPUs num: 2
# Connections num: 200
# Data Storage: hdd

max_connections = 200
shared_buffers = 981933kB
effective_cache_size = 2945799kB
maintenance_work_mem = 245483kB
checkpoint_completion_target = 0.9
... more lines displayed after this ...

This project builds a number of versions of the PGTuned image and deploy them to Docker Hub using the following tags :

• latest corresponds to PostgreSQL 15
• postgis-latest corresponds to PostgreSQL 15 and PostGIS 3
• POSTGRES_VERSION corresponds to a specific PostgreSQL image version (e.g. 12) without PostGIS
• POSTGRES_VERSION-POSTGIS_VERSION corresponds to a specific PostgreSQL image version including a specific PostGIS version (e.g. 12-3)

To use these images simply docker pull esgn/pgtuned:tag and run.

A docker-compose file is provided to illustrate how to use the pgtuned image in the context of a docker-compose project.