May 8, 2024
Summary: The pg_auto_failover is a PostgreSQL extension and service for automated failover and high availability.
Table of Contents
pg_auto_failover is an extension for PostgreSQL that monitors and manages failover for postgres clusters. It is optimised for simplicity and correctness.
pg_auto_failover supports several PostgreSQL architectures and implements a safe automated failover for your PostgreSQL service. It is possible to get started with only two data nodes which will be given the roles of primary and secondary by the monitor.
Single Standby Architecture
pg_auto_failover architecture with a primary and a standby node
pg_auto_failover implements Business Continuity for your PostgreSQL services. pg_auto_failover implements a single PostgreSQL service using multiple nodes with automated failover, and automates PostgreSQL maintenance operations in a way that guarantees availability of the service to its users and applications.
To that end, pg_auto_failover uses three nodes (machines, servers) per PostgreSQL service:
- a PostgreSQL primary node,
- a PostgreSQL secondary node, using Synchronous Hot Standby,
- a pg_auto_failover Monitor node that acts both as a witness and an orchestrator.
The pg_auto_failover Monitor implements a state machine and relies on in-core PostgreSQL facilities to deliver HA. For example. when the secondary node is detected to be unavailable, or when its lag is reported above a defined threshold (the default is 1 WAL files, or 16MB, see the pgautofailover.promote_wal_log_threshold
GUC on the pg_auto_failover monitor), then the Monitor removes it from the synchronous_standby_names setting on the primary node. Until the secondary is back to being monitored healthy, failover and switchover operations are not allowed, preventing data loss.
pg_auto_failover consists of the following parts:
- a PostgreSQL extension named
pgautofailover
- a PostgreSQL service to operate the pg_auto_failover monitor
- a pg_auto_failover keeper to operate your PostgreSQL instances, see
pg_autoctl run
Multiple Standby Architecture
pg_auto_failover architecture with a primary and two standby nodes
In the pictured architecture, pg_auto_failover implements Business Continuity and data availability by implementing a single PostgreSQL service using multiple nodes with automated failover and data redundancy. Even after losing any PostgreSQL node in a production system, this architecture maintains two copies of the data on two different nodes.
When using more than one standby, different architectures can be achieved with pg_auto_failover, depending on the objectives and trade-offs needed for your production setup.
Multiple Standbys Architecture with 3 standby nodes, one async
pg_auto_failover architecture with a primary and three standby nodes
When setting the three parameters above, it’s possible to design very different PostgreSQL architectures for your production needs.
In this case, the system is setup with two standby nodes participating in the replication quorum, allowing for number_sync_standbys = 1
. The system always maintains a minimum of two copies of the data set: one on the primary, another one on either node B or node C. Whenever we lose one of those nodes, we can hold to this guarantee of two copies of the data set.
Adding to that, we have the standby server D which has been set up to not participate in the replication quorum. Node D will not be found in the synchronous_standby_names
list of nodes. Also, node D is set up in a way to never be a candidate for failover, with candidate-priority = 0
.
This architecture would fit a situation where nodes A, B, and C are deployed in the same data center or availability zone, and node D in another. Those three nodes are set up to support the main production traffic and implement high availability of both the PostgreSQL service and the data set.
Node D might be set up for Business Continuity in case the first data center is lost, or maybe for reporting the need for deployment on another application domain.