Upgrading PostgreSQL and Citus: A Real-World Case Story

When your organization relies on PostgreSQL and Citus, a PostgreSQL upgrade isn’t just about version numbers—it’s about unlocking new features, improving scalability, and optimizing performance. Yet in modern distributed environments, with Docker, Kubernetes, and custom extensions, upgrades can be complex without the right approach.

The Challenge

Our client needed to move from PostgreSQL 11 to 15.5 and Citus 8.3 to 12.1—an ambitious step that required:

• Preserving performance across distributed environments
• Simplifying a custom extension
• Ensuring compatibility with Kubernetes, Docker, and Ansible
• Coordinating upgrades across development, testing, and production

This PostgreSQL case study demonstrates how a real-world client faced the challenges of a distributed architecture while still achieving Postgres upgrade best practices.

The Journey

The upgrade followed a carefully structured plan to ensure success in a containerized environment:

• Development: Reworked the custom extension, built Docker images, and validated core functionalities.
• Testing: Simulated production loads, validated ZFS snapshot functionality, and collaborated on flushing out data issues.
• Production: Executed with pre-approved scripts, live monitoring, and rollback-ready safeguards.

Not every step was smooth, as advisory lock inconsistencies and historical production anomalies meant careful adjustments. Collaboration, thorough testing, and PostgreSQL performance optimization expertise delivered a cleaner, more scalable system.

The Results

The outcome of this PostgreSQL Citus upgrade included:

• Enhanced performance with PostgreSQL 15 and Citus 12.1
• Future-ready scalability for distributed workloads
• Reduced complexity as custom extensions gave way to native Citus features
• Improved practices for distributed PostgreSQL performance tuning

This was more than a version change; it was a Postgres upgrade best practice that ensured long-term stability and growth.

Why This Matters for You

If your organization runs PostgreSQL in distributed or containerized environments, upgrades are not optional—they’re essential for keeping pace with scalability and security needs. With careful planning and the right PostgreSQL consulting services, upgrades don’t have to be disruptive.

Download the full white paper below — Upgrading PostgreSQL and Citus for Enhanced Database Functionality — to explore the detailed case study, processes, and lessons learned that can help you prepare for your upgrade.

New to Citus? Check out our Citus tutorials YouTube playlist to start building distributed PostgreSQL confidence:

Need Help with PostgreSQL?

At Command Prompt, we guide you through the complexity so you can stay focused on delivering value to your business and customers. As the world’s oldest dedicated Postgres services and consulting company, we bring deep expertise in performance optimization, troubleshooting, and open-source database support.

Ready to plan your next PostgreSQL upgrade or tackle a database challenge? Book a call with our team and let’s explore the right path forward together.