How to Run PostgreSQL in a Cloud-Native Stack

How do I deploy PostgreSQL in a cloud-native environment?

The cloud-native approach runs PostgreSQL as containers managed by orchestration tools, enabling easy scaling, self-healing, and DevOps-friendly workflows.

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Description

Why run PostgreSQL cloud-natively?

Running PostgreSQL in containers lets you version infrastructure, apply rolling updates, and replicate environments quickly. Kubernetes or Docker Swarm handle health checks, fail-over, and horizontal scaling, freeing you from manual server care.

Which images and tags should I use?

Use the official postgres:alpine tag for a small footprint or postgres:XX.X for version-locked deployments.Pin tags to avoid unexpected upgrades.

How do I start PostgreSQL with Docker?

docker run -d --name pg-ecom -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=secret -e PGDATA=/var/lib/postgresql/data/pgdata -v pg_vol:/var/lib/postgresql/data -p 5432:5432 postgres:15-alpine

The volume pg_vol ensures persistent storage even if the container restarts.

How do I connect from my application?

Set DATABASE_URL=postgresql://postgres:secret@pg-ecom:5432/ecommerce?sslmode=disable.Use Kubernetes Service names (e.g., pg-ecom.default.svc) instead of container names in clusters.

What is a minimal Kubernetes manifest?

apiVersion: apps/v1 kind: StatefulSet metadata: name: pg-ecom spec: serviceName: pg-ecom replicas: 1 selector: matchLabels: app: pg-ecom template: metadata: labels: app: pg-ecom spec: containers: - name: postgres image: postgres:15-alpine env: - name: POSTGRES_PASSWORD valueFrom: secretKeyRef: name: pg-secret key: password volumeMounts: - mountPath: /var/lib/postgresql/data name: pg-data volumeClaimTemplates: - metadata: name: pg-data spec: accessModes: [ "ReadWriteOnce" ] resources: requests: storage: 10Gi

How do I seed ecommerce tables?

Attach to the pod and run psql -f seed_ecommerce.sql.Maintain SQL migrations in a GitOps workflow for repeatability.

How do I enable automated backups?

Use sidecar containers running pg_dump to an object store or integrate the wal-g image for continuous archiving. Schedule CronJobs for logical dumps if point-in-time recovery isn’t required.

How do I scale reads?

Add replicas to the StatefulSet, then configure replicaCount in Helm charts or set --replicas via kubectl.Route read-only traffic with PgBouncer or application-level replica hosts.

Best practices for production?

• Pin image tags
• Store passwords in Secrets
• Use StatefulSet over Deployment
• Monitor with pg_stat_statements and Prometheus
• Perform regular disaster-recovery tests

Why How to Run PostgreSQL in a Cloud-Native Stack is important

How to Run PostgreSQL in a Cloud-Native Stack Example Usage


-- Find top customers by spend last 30 days
SELECT c.id, c.name, SUM(o.total_amount) AS lifetime_value
FROM Customers c
JOIN Orders o ON o.customer_id = c.id
WHERE o.order_date >= current_date - INTERVAL '30 day'
GROUP BY c.id, c.name
ORDER BY lifetime_value DESC
LIMIT 10;

How to Run PostgreSQL in a Cloud-Native Stack Syntax


Docker:  docker run -d --name pg-ecom -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=secret -e POSTGRES_DB=ecommerce -e PGDATA=/var/lib/postgresql/data/pgdata -v pg_vol:/var/lib/postgresql/data -p 5432:5432 postgres:15-alpine

Kubernetes Helm (bitnami chart):  helm install pg-ecom oci://registry-1.docker.io/bitnamicharts/postgresql \
  --set auth.postgresPassword=secret \
  --set global.postgresql.auth.database=ecommerce \
  --set primary.persistence.size=10Gi

psql connection:  psql "postgresql://postgres:secret@pg-ecom.default.svc:5432/ecommerce"

Example DDL:  CREATE TABLE Customers (id serial PRIMARY KEY, name text NOT NULL, email text UNIQUE, created_at timestamptz DEFAULT now());

Common Mistakes

Ignoring persistent volumes: Running containers without mounted storage loses data on restarts. Always attach a volume or StatefulSet PVC.
Hard-coding credentials: Storing the POSTGRES_PASSWORD in plain manifests risks leaks. Use Kubernetes Secrets or encrypted env files.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can I upgrade PostgreSQL without downtime?

Yes. Create a new container with the target version, replicate WAL via streaming or logical replication, then switch application traffic after verification.

Is PgBouncer necessary in Kubernetes?

Connection pooling is still critical because Kubernetes restarts pods and microservices often. PgBouncer smooths connection spikes and short-lived connections.