---
title: "This Week's PostgreSQL News (#189)"
publication: "Postgres Weekly"
issue: 189
published_at: "2017-01-11"
canonical_url: "https://postgresweekly.com/issues/189"
---

Postgres Weekly 189   . 

[Read this on the Web](http://postgresweekly.com/issues/189) 

[Postgres Weekly](http://postgresweekly.com) Issue 189 — January 11, 2017     

[Simple But Handy Postgres Features](http://www.craigkerstiens.com/2017/01/08/simple-but-handy-postgresql-features/?utm_source=postgresweekly&utm_medium=email)Here’s a collection of a few simple but very handy Postgres features that will be useful for anyone who works with Postgres frequently. Craig Kerstiens#tutorial [Tuning PostgreSQL with pgbench](https://blog.codeship.com/tuning-postgresql-with-pgbench/?utm_source=postgresweekly&utm_medium=email)`pgbench` is the norm when it comes to performance testing your Postgres database. Here you can learn how to use it to simulate a more realistic workload to assist with tuning your database. Ben Cane#tutorial [Postgres 10 Highlight: Quorum Set of Synchronous Standbys](http://paquier.xyz/postgresql-2/postgres-10-quorum-sync/?utm_source=postgresweekly&utm_medium=email)Being able to define quorum sets of synchronous standbys provides more flexibility in some availability scenarios. Michael Paquier#news [PostgreSQL Security Audit With 2ndQuadrant Can Help Harden Your Database](https://2ndquadrant.com/en/services/postgresql-security-audit/)Identifying database security vulnerabilities is the first step towards improving your infrastructure so that you don't fall victim to breach. A Security Audit with 2ndQuadrant evaluates and provides recommendations for the security of your database. 2ndQuadrant PostgreSQL Services#sponsored[![\](https://copm.s3.amazonaws.com/53a25043.png)](https://2ndquadrant.com/en/services/postgresql-security-audit/) [PGConf US 2017 (Jersey City, March 28-31)](http://pgconf.us/conferences/2017?utm_source=postgresweekly&utm_medium=email)Early registration for this years PGConf US, taking place in March near NYC, is now open. PGConf US#news [repmgr 3.3 Released](https://2ndquadrant.com/en/resources/repmgr/?utm_source=postgresweekly&utm_medium=email)Simplifies the process of setting up databases with high availability and scalability requirements. 2ndQuadrant#tools [The Difference Between ROW_NUMBER(), RANK(), and DENSE_RANK()](https://blog.jooq.org/2014/08/12/the-difference-between-row_number-rank-and-dense_rank/?utm_source=postgresweekly&utm_medium=email)[Window functions](http://postgresguide.com/tips/window.html) allow you to interact between rows in Postgres. For analytics they’re extremely powerful, and there’s a number of functions you can use with them. Here’s an overview of a few valuable ones and the differences. jOOQ#tutorial [The Multi-Column Index of the Mysteries](http://thebuild.com/blog/2016/12/30/the-multi-column-index-of-the-mysteries/?utm_source=postgresweekly&utm_medium=email)Indexing is powerful in Postgres, with types, conditional, and functional indexes. While they can give you great performance, understanding the details can help you know what you’re getting. Here's a great read on multi-column ones and how they work. The Build#tutorial [What Is The Purpose of PostGIS On PostgreSQL?](http://gis.stackexchange.com/questions/223487/what-is-the-purpose-of-postgis-on-postgresql?utm_source=postgresweekly&utm_medium=email)Why don’t we just use Postgres’ spatial functions? Paul Ramsey looks at the history. Stack Exchange [Use kill -9 Only in an Emergency](http://momjian.us/main/blogs/pgblog/2017.html?utm_source=postgresweekly&utm_medium=email#January_6_2017)kill -9 on Postgres will dramatically slow down its restart time. Bruce Momjian#opinion [Barman v2.1 Announced](https://www.postgresql.org/about/news/1727/?utm_source=postgresweekly&utm_medium=email)A minor release of the backup and recovery manager tool Barman, fixing a few bugs. PostgreSQL#tools [One-Time Passwords with Google Authenticator PAM](https://theplateisbad.blogspot.com/2016/12/one-time-passwords-with-google.html?utm_source=postgresweekly&utm_medium=email)Most people connect to Postgres with a standard username/password, but there’s a few more options. This highlights some of the flexibility of authentication you can use with PostgreSQL. Ergo ['RustgreSQL': Could Postgres Be Ported to Rust?](https://www.postgresql.org/message-id/CAASwCXdQUiuUnhycdRvrUmHuzk5PsaGxr54U4t34teQjcjb%3DAQ%40mail.gmail.com?utm_source=postgresweekly&utm_medium=email)Spoiler: Almost certainly not, but it was an interesting question. Joel Jacobson [The Lead Developer 1-day conference for Tech Leads. 21 Feb, New York.](http://2017.theleaddeveloper-ny.com/?utm_source=postgres-weekly&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=devops&utm_campaign=postgres-weekly)High-level sessions on growing an engineering organization with effective DevOps, going serverless and more. White October Events#sponsored    

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