Re: [HACKERS] Postgres "in the field"

> Date: 24 Mar 1998 13:31:14 U
> From: "Andy Farrell" <Andy_Farrell(at)gator-gate(dot)itd(dot)sterling(dot)com>

> We are contemplating using postgres in an internal project currently in
> progress. I have to give a presentation on rdbms that I've evaluated. I'd
> like to include a slide on what postgres is being used for "in the field".
>
> I'd like to get the warm fuzzy that postgres is not just being used for
> post-graduate thesis work.
>
> So, what's everyone using postgres for?

1. Network administration. Tables keep track of hostname, function,
location, and interfaces on our WAN. Automated scripts scan these
tables to monitor active services including NTP and DNS and report
possible problems. Hosts are classified by OS and service and
divided into differing populations. We've enhanced the "config/Rdist"
tools reported in Lisa '94 (Rouillard & Martin) to work from
a pgsql backend, allowing reconfiguration of some or all host
populations to be pushed from a single system.

2. Query logging. Our business is computer assisted telephony. When
someone calls a customer of ours, we run queries for the related
service. Some results of this process (time of the query, type of
data returned, success/failure status) are logged and reviewed
using pgsql.

3. Vendor location. Our newest pgsql app uses location information
based on the caller's phone number to route the call to one of
several nearest vendor sites. An rtree index is used for the
location process.

We use a fairly pragmatic mix of operating systems and tools, both
commercial and free software. So far, PostgreSQL projects are limited
to internal use and fairly low traffic customer applications. We
expect to increase our use of PostgreSQL as our confidence in its
stability and performance grow.

Hal Snyder, M.D.
V.P. Networking
Vail Systems, Inc.