Author: David Sterling

David Sterling is a PostgreSQL database expert specializing in performance optimization, query tuning, and database administration. With years of experience helping developers and businesses optimize their PostgreSQL deployments, David shares practical insights and best practices on this blog. For inquiries or consulting, contact: [email protected]
AI Features and extensions pgvector pgvectorscale

PostgreSQL Vector Search: From Possible to Competitive with pgvector and pgvectorscale

PostgreSQL has quietly crossed an important line in the last year: AI with Postgres is no longer a science project, it is genuinely competitive with specialized vector databases at production scale. From “possible” to “competitive” For a long time, the story around AI and Postgres sounded like “you can do it if you really want […]

David Sterling 
Performance and tuning postgresql

PostgreSQL 18 Async I/O on AWS: Why 2–3× Throughput Doesn’t Mean 3× Smaller Instances

The PostgreSQL 18 async I/O feature has generated a lot of excitement—and for good reason. Lab benchmarks show 2–3× better read throughput on cloud storage compared to synchronous I/O. But if you’re expecting to downsize your AWS RDS instances by 3× and pocket massive savings, I have news: real-world deployments tell a more nuanced story. […]

David Sterling 
Learning resources postgresql

Essential PostgreSQL Books Every Engineer Should Own

1. Learn PostgreSQL (latest edition) “Learn PostgreSQL” (recent editions target PostgreSQL 15–16) is a beginner-friendly, end-to-end introduction that stays useful even after you’re no longer a beginner. It walks through SQL basics, core internals like transactions and MVCC, replication, security, backups, and monitoring, with hands-on exercises that resemble real production use cases.goodreads+1​ Why a PostgreSQL […]

David Sterling 
postgresql

PostgreSQL 18 Async I/O in Production: Real-World Benchmarks, Configuration Patterns, and Storage Performance in 2026

When PostgreSQL 18 dropped in September 2025, the async I/O subsystem was the headline feature that had database administrators and performance engineers buzzing. Six months into production deployments across diverse infrastructure environments, we now have enough real-world data to move beyond the release notes and understand how async I/O actually performs in the wild. This […]

David Sterling 
postgresql

PostgreSQL 18: Major Performance Leap with Async I/O

The PostgreSQL community released PostgreSQL 18 in September 2025, marking one of the most significant performance improvements in the database’s history. If you’re running read-heavy workloads or operating in cloud environments, this release deserves your immediate attention.The Game-Changer: Asynchronous I/O The headline feature in PostgreSQL 18 is the new asynchronous I/O (AIO) subsystem. This isn’t […]

David Sterling 
postgresql

PostgreSQL 18.1 Released: Security Fixes and Performance Improvements

The PostgreSQL Global Development Group has released PostgreSQL 18.1 on November 13, 2025. This minor release brings critical security fixes and important bug corrections for users running PostgreSQL 18.0. What’s New in PostgreSQL 18.1 This maintenance release focuses on stability and security improvements rather than new features. Users running PostgreSQL 18.X can upgrade without requiring […]

David Sterling