PostgreSQL database change management

Whether you are a beginner database developer or an expert DBA, comparing of PostgreSQL databases usually requires considerable administration efforts. Suppose a situation arises where changes made to a local PostgreSQL database need to be cloned to a database on a remote server, so finding the differences between the latest and previous database's structures is a very relevant task. In large environments, numerous clones of PostgreSQL production databases are often required to support a broad range of organization activities, so it can dramatically increase the time required for synchronization and attracted resources.

Database application development process can be widely distributed. Development groups are often spread across an organization or even around the globe, with important data periodically copied or migrated to multiple PostgreSQL servers to protect against all types of information loss. Therefore, at final or intermediate stages of the development process it is very important to synchronize the existing PostgreSQL databases to commit contributed data and schema changes. Special database synchronization software designed for PostgreSQL can facilitate the database comparison and cloning process by generating and executing SQL scripts necessary to move a database to the up-to-date state.

The PostgreSQL database cloning process consists of the scheme synchronization and data synchronization phases, therefore let's review the software suitable for each of these purposes separately.

PostgreSQL scheme synchronization

EMS DB Comparer for PostgreSQL is a powerful program for PostgreSQL database comparison and synchronization. This database synchronization utility can help you to discover all distinctions in the compared PostgreSQL database objects and execute an automatically generated script to eliminate all or selected differences. The schema comparison process spitted into few separate steps, and convenient wizard interface allows you synchronize PostgreSQL databases with a few mouse clicks. The program visually displays the inconsistencies between source and target database schemas and has an ability to synchronize PostgreSQL databases manually step by step or automatically, generate reports with database differences, compare and synchronize databases or schemas on different servers as well as on a single server and much more. You can control any stage of the database synchronization process by defining the necessary options and selecting PostgreSQL database objects that should be cloned. EMS DB Comparer for PostgreSQL supports the latest PostgreSQL versions, has a powerful built-in SQL Script editor with syntax highlight and many other useful features. In this way, EMS DB Comparer for PostgreSQL enables DBAs and developers to automate and simplify the complex, manual, and time-consuming processes associated with PostgreSQL database synchronization.

PostgreSQL data synchronization

The PostgreSQL database data synchronization task is no less important issue than PostgreSQL database schema synchronization. The synchronization of database data may be required immediately after the synchronization of database schemes or may represent a separate objective, it may be required only once or there may be a need to implement it on a periodical basis.

To fulfill the data synchronization phase of PostgreSQL database cloning process you can use a flexible and powerful utility intended for data synchronization and comparison: EMS Data Comparer for PostgreSQL. The tool has an ability to find and display all differences existing in compared database tables, generate and execute SQL script to automatically remove these differences. Flexible customization of the comparison and synchronization process will enable you to select PostgreSQL database tables and fields for comparison, save all parameters defined on the current wizard session, write SQL statement batches which will be executed before and/or after the synchronization process and tune many other options.

Both EMS DB Comparer and EMS Data Comparer support SSH and HTTP tunneling to ensure confidentiality and integrity of data over the network connection to a database as well as to access the PostgreSQL server that is located behind a firewall or configured to block external connections. Another helpful feature of these utilities is the ability to automate the process of PostgreSQL database synchronization with a special console tool. This tool can perform database schema or data synchronization process according to the predefined settings on the schedule basis

Database synchronization software dramatically reduces the time, resources, and efforts required for supporting the database development and deployment. You can find more database tools for effective database administration in EMS SQL Management Studio for PostgreSQL