Pgpool-II 4.7.0 released
Pgpool-II is PostgreSQL's connection pooler and load balancer extraordinaire. Version 4.7.0 arrives now, packed with updates.
At its heart, Pgpool-II manages connections efficiently and balances database workloads to prevent any single server from getting overloaded. Plus, it offers automatic failover, a crucial bit of kit if you're building systems needing that top-level uptime guarantee.
This new release throws out some notable changes. For instance, Slony mode is retired; think of it as the project moving away from an older replication approach to something fresher built-in these days.
They've also swapped 'logdir' for 'work_dir.' It's a simple name change, but one that makes things clearer and avoids potential confusion with other PostgreSQL directories. Good move.
In terms of compatibility, this version directly supports the SQL parser of PostgreSQL 18. That means it integrates perfectly with newer setups using that major database release.
Security folks will also notice some upgrades: better safeguards have been put in place for watchdog and heartbeat receiver functions. These protect against certain nasty issues you might encounter keeping things running smoothly.
There are other tweaks too; stuff like 'pcp_proc_info' now shows client info, helping with debugging or understanding what's hitting the pool. And 'show pool_pools'? That query is clearer than ever before.
But maybe the most exciting bit is how easy it is now to do database-level recovery directly online. This gives you more control in those tricky high-availability moments without needing downtime.
You can find all the gritty details and setup pointers right here in the release notes. Or hop over to the project's website if you want to see what else it offers or download a copy yourself.
