Where can I get support PostgreSQL ?

The main mailing list is: pgsql-general@PostgreSQL.org. It is available for discussion of matters pertaining to PostgreSQL. To subscribe, send mail with the following lines in the body (not the subject line):

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to pgsql-general-request@PostgreSQL.org.

There is also a digest list available. To subscribe to this list, send email to: pgsql-general-digest-request@PostgreSQL.org with a body of:

subscribe
end

Digests are sent out to members of this list whenever the main list has received around 30k of messages.

The bugs mailing list is available. To subscribe to this list, send email to pgsql-bugs-request@PostgreSQL.org with a body of:

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There is also a developers discussion mailing list available. To subscribe to this list, send email to pgsql-hackers-request@PostgreSQL.org with a body of:

subscribe
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Additional mailing lists and information about PostgreSQL can be found via the PostgreSQL WWW home page at:

http://www.PostgreSQL.org

There is also an IRC channel on EFNet and OpenProjects, channel #PostgreSQL. I use the Unix command irc -c '#PostgreSQL' "$USER" irc.phoenix.net.

A list of commercial support companies is available at http://techdocs.postgresql.org/companies.php.
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Where can I get PostgreSQL?

The primary anonymous ftp site for PostgreSQL is ftp://ftp.PostgreSQL.org/pub. For mirror sites, see our main web site.
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What non-Unix ports are available?

Client

It is possible to compile the libpq C library, psql, and other interfaces and client applications to run on MS Windows platforms. In this case, the client is running on MS Windows, and communicates via TCP/IP to a server running on one of our supported Unix platforms. A file win32.mak is included in the distribution for making a Win32 libpq library and psql. PostgreSQL also communicates with ODBC clients.


Server


The database server can run on Windows NT and Win2k using Cygwin, the Cygnus Unix/NT porting library. See pgsql/doc/FAQ_MSWIN in the distribution or the MS Windows FAQ at http://www.PostgreSQL.org/docs/faqs/text/FAQ_MSWIN.

A native port to MS Win NT/2000/XP is currently being worked on. For more details on the current status of PostgreSQL on Windows see http://techdocs.postgresql.org/guides/Windows.

There is also a Novell Netware 6 port at http://forge.novell.com.
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What Unix platforms does PostgreSQL run on?

In general, a modern Unix-compatible platform should be able to run PostgreSQL. The platforms that had received explicit testing at the time of release are listed in the installation instructions.
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What is the copyright on PostgreSQL?

PostgreSQL is subject to the following COPYRIGHT:

PostgreSQL Data Base Management System

Portions copyright (c) 1996-2002, PostgreSQL Global Development Group Portions Copyright (c) 1994-6 Regents of the University of California

Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software and its documentation for any purpose, without fee, and without a written agreement is hereby granted, provided that the above copyright notice and this paragraph and the following two paragraphs appear in all copies.

IN NO EVENT SHALL THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BE LIABLE TO ANY PARTY FOR DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOST PROFITS, ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE AND ITS DOCUMENTATION, EVEN IF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE SOFTWARE PROVIDED HEREUNDER IS ON AN "AS IS" BASIS, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA HAS NO OBLIGATIONS TO PROVIDE MAINTENANCE, SUPPORT, UPDATES, ENHANCEMENTS, OR MODIFICATIONS.

The above is the BSD license, the classic open-source license. It has no restrictions on how the source code may be used. We like it and have no intention of changing it.
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What is PostgreSQL? How is it pronounced?

PostgreSQL is pronounced Post-Gres-Q-L.

PostgreSQL is an enhancement of the POSTGRES database management system, a next-generation DBMS research prototype. While PostgreSQL retains the powerful data model and rich data types of POSTGRES, it replaces the PostQuel query language with an extended subset of SQL. PostgreSQL is free and the complete source is available.

PostgreSQL development is performed by a team of developers who all subscribe to the PostgreSQL development mailing list. The current coordinator is Marc G. Fournier (scrappy@PostgreSQL.org). (See section 1.6 on how to join). This team is now responsible for all development of PostgreSQL.

The authors of PostgreSQL 1.01 were Andrew Yu and Jolly Chen. Many others have contributed to the porting, testing, debugging, and enhancement of the code. The original Postgres code, from which PostgreSQL is derived, was the effort of many graduate students, undergraduate students, and staff programmers working under the direction of Professor Michael Stonebraker at the University of California, Berkeley.

The original name of the software at Berkeley was Postgres. When SQL functionality was added in 1995, its name was changed to Postgres95. The name was changed at the end of 1996 to PostgreSQL.
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SQL Scalar functions

SQL scalar functions return a single value, based on the input value.

Useful scalar functions:

* UCASE() - Converts a field to upper case
* LCASE() - Converts a field to lower case
* MID() - Extract characters from a text field
* LEN() - Returns the length of a text field
* ROUND() - Rounds a numeric field to the number of decimals specified
* NOW() - Returns the current system date and time
* FORMAT() - Formats how a field is to be displayed
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SQL Aggregate Functions

SQL aggregate functions return a single value, calculated from values in a column.

Useful aggregate functions:

* AVG() - Returns the average value
* COUNT() - Returns the number of rows
* FIRST() - Returns the first value
* LAST() - Returns the last value
* MAX() - Returns the largest value
* MIN() - Returns the smallest value
* SUM() - Returns the sum
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SQL Replication with Online Backup

It is vitally important that every business have a disaster recovery plan for its electronic data stores. Your company's data includes more than simple Word documents and e-mail messages; it also includes you databases and web site information.

One of the worst things that can happen to your business, whether it is large or small, is to lose any of your electronic data due to hardware failure, software corruption, or even to a natural disaster.

Unfortunately each of these three things happens more than you might want to think about. But, by being prepared you can be one step ahead of the game.

If you company uses an SQL database, it is vitally important that you have regular backups of the data. The best practice for any company is to have a local copy of the data as well as offsite backup in case of any major disaster to your physical building.

One of the best things you can do with your SQL data is to replicate the data to a backup server as well as an offsite backup location. This will ensure that your data is available should you ever need to restore it and there is some form of damage to your servers.

By having a local copy you can do simple restorations, and by having an offsite copy, you are covered in case something happens to your building.

Microsoft SQL Server allows you the ability to replicate your data to other servers running SQL Server, in order to backup your database. This process allows you to replicate your data to another server at your company location, or via the Internet to a SQL server hosted by an online data backup provider.

If your local server should fail, you will have the ability to restore it from one of your replicated copies and quickly get your database back up and running.

Microsoft SQL Server offers three types of SQL replication. They are: merge replication, snapshot replication and transactional replication.

Snapshot replication simply copies all database objects exactly as they are at any given moment in time.

Transactional replication copies changes to the database as they happen in real-time.

Merge replication first completes a snapshot replication and then follows it with transactional replication as data changes.

SQL Server allows you to easily configure it to perform each of the three SQL replication methods over the internet. This allows for you to be able to backup your data online just incase you ever need to restore it. The minimum acceptable backup would be a snapshot replication each night.

One of the most important things for your business success is its electronic data. The data your company generates each day has already cost your company both time and money. Trying to recreate data is not what you, as a business owner, ever want to have to do.

As long as you plan for the unexpected and backup your data regularly, you will not have to ever go back and try and recreate your data from scratch.

You can never be too prepared when disaster threatens your business. Protect your data with backup solutions such as SQL replication from Global Data Vault.
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SQL Best Practices

Are you looking for SQL best practises, hints and tips to assist you in optimising your queries? A fast SQL Server is something that should be taken for granted, but, the vast majority of systems do not perform well.

The reasons for this can vary, and include database design, hardware bottlenecks, poor coding, table size, poor indexing, an overloaded Server, inefficient configuration, insufficient space, and many more.

If you search the web, you will find articles, forums, expert advice, hints and tips that may assist you in your optimisation and troubleshooting efforts. It can also help to prevent mistakes from being made in the first place.

You will find Transact-SQL optimisation hints and tips to assist you in ensuring that your code is optimised on the web. You will also find articles, FAQs, scripts, and tips on table design, indexes, cursors and stored procedures.

Visit this source for SQL best practises. Reduce backup times by 50%, reduce storage requirements by 90%, automate backup management across the enterprise, and perform backups across servers at the same time.

PL/SQL is the Oracle's extension to SQL with design features of programming languages. The Oracle server pre compiles PL/SQL code prior to the actual code execution, thus improving the database's performance.

Oracle, like SQL Server, has a wide range of built in functions that you can utilise when manipulating data, such as finding today's date, determining the length of a field and converting a field from one format to another.

This site is a resource for Oracle database developers. You will find a collection of articles, tutorials, and utilities. Most of the content on the site is original, and the contributions of others is referenced and credited.

It is important to follow SQL best practises to ensure that you optimise your queries and improve the database's performance. The most important thing to consider when creating tables, is to index tables efficiently.

Have you ever been stuck looking for answers to your Oracle questions? If so, then this site is for you. We've got loads of tips, tricks, examples, short cuts and tutorials to help you learn Oracle and expand your knowledge.

Tech on the Net is dedicated to providing helpful advice, how-to's and FAQs. The focus is on technologies such as Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, MS SQL, Oracle PL/SQL, UNIX, and Linux.

If there is still a question you couldn't find an answer for, why not ask the Oracle experts? This is the place to get your toughest strategic Oracle questions answered by some of the top gurus in the Oracle community.

Oracle is the world's largest enterprise software company. Oracle Magazine contains technology strategy articles, sample code, tips, Oracle and partner news, how to articles for developers and DBAs, and much more.

Visit the official public Oracle Wiki, where members of the Oracle community (employees and non-employees) collaboratively create and share content about Oracle-related subjects they're passionate about.

If you have specific questions about Oracle products and associated technology, however, forums.oracle.com is still your best resource in your quest to learn the language and to follow PL/SQL best practises.
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SQL Server Database Security

A few years back, a deadly virus called the Slammer worm attacked a lot of SQL severs gaining access to millions of credit cards. Microsoft has been on the guard since then making efforts to create and develop software in better protection and security of our systems. The effort is bold and continuing in being dedicated to enhancing and preserving SQL server database security.

SQL means Structured Query Language is actually an essential element of modern database systems. It is a definition by which the ways to create, organize and manage databases on most platforms. SQL might sound complicated at first but its purpose is really quite simple but since it involves important data which needs to be private and protected, there are great efforts made to ensure better SQL server database security.

SQL has many different forms as well. The databases which make Oracle as foundation make use of PL/SQL while Microsoft SQL utilizes Transact-SQL. Though they are different in some ways, they are still based on the standard ANSI SQL. The ANSI compliant SQL commands usually works on almost all database systems of today and as with other data that needs protection, SQL server database security must be incorporated for safety against probable intrusions.

Communications and exchange of data from one computer utilizes and is made possible by the SQL system. Negligence to provide adequate protection has been proven to result in destructive outcomes like the virus earlier said which hit the world a few years back. Now at present date, companies from all over are giving more attention to their SQL server database security.

The havoc that spread and caused severe damage before serves as a reminder of what can happen when a system becomes vulnerable to intrusions. A little know how on SQL might come in handy. It is also best to seek professional consultation about the SQL server database security of the system you are running for safety of your data and investments.
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