This practical PostgreSQL Administration course guides you through installing, configuring, securing, and optimising PostgreSQL databases. Over five days, you’ll work through real-world administration tasks, from managing users and schemas to performance tuning and disaster recovery, building practical skills you can apply immediately in the workplace.
PostgreSQL Administration
Master PostgreSQL administration with confidence
Over five immersive days, you’ll develop practical skills to install, configure, secure, and optimise PostgreSQL databases. Guided by an experienced trainer, you’ll work through real-world scenarios, gaining the insight and confidence to manage everything from initial setup to ongoing performance tuning.
Learning objectives
- Set up PostgreSQL on Linux
- Manage users, roles and permissions
- Build and maintain schemas
- Create and optimise indexes
- Handle backups and recovery
- Monitor performance
- Improve slow queries
- Keep databases healthy
What you’ll learn
You’ll gain the skills to manage PostgreSQL databases effectively, using proven tools and techniques. With live lab practice every step of the way, you’ll be equipped to handle installations, manage access, optimise queries, and maintain smooth performance in real-world environments.
Installing PostgreSQL
Learn to install PostgreSQL on Linux or UNIX systems with confidence. You’ll go beyond basic installation, covering the creation of database clusters, initial server configuration, file system layout best practices, and account management. You’ll also explore how to relocate configuration files, manage server processes, and set up environments that support high performance from day one.
Managing users and access
You’ll explore PostgreSQL’s powerful role-based access control system. You’ll learn to create and manage user-defined roles, set attributes and privileges, and control database, schema, table, and even column-level access. We’ll cover role inheritance, membership, and troubleshooting permission issues, so you can maintain a secure and well-structured environment.
Organising your data
Understand how PostgreSQL uses schemas to structure and separate database objects. You’ll learn to create, drop, and manage schemas; set schema search paths; and work with the system and information schemas. Practical exercises will show you how to combine schema organisation with permissions for better scalability and clarity.
Indexes and performance
Gain an in-depth understanding of index creation and management. You’ll explore when and how to use B-tree, hash, BRIN, partial, and multicolumn indexes. You’ll also practise building expression-based indexes, creating indexes concurrently to avoid downtime, and using PostgreSQL’s REINDEX tool. You’ll learn how to analyse execution plans and use commands to tune queries and improve performance.
What’s included
- 5 full days of expert-led training
- Live labs to practise as you go
- Downloadable course materials
- Delivered in-person or virtually
- Covers PostgreSQL 10–16
- Step-by-step walkthroughs
- Help with real administration scenarios
Key facts
Ideal for
Anyone working with PostgreSQL who wants to build their administration skills and be more confident managing databases at work.
Prerequisites
You’ll need solid SQL skills and be familiar with Linux. If you need foundational understanding, explore our Linux Introduction and SQL for PostgreSQL courses first.
Learning experience
Our experienced trainers and interactive labs create a focused, practical environment – so you can put theory into practice from day one.
FAQs
This proactive course guides you through PostgreSQL administration tasks, from installing and configuring to backups and tuning. You’ll have opportunities to practise skills in live labs to use in your real-world work projects.
Will I learn how to optimise PostgreSQL queries?
Yes. We dedicate time to query optimisation techniques, including analysing execution plans, using EXPLAIN and ANALYZE, and fine-tuning indexes. You’ll practise spotting slow queries and applying changes that improve performance without disrupting other workloads.
Does the course include PostgreSQL architecture?
It does. You’ll explore PostgreSQL’s internal architecture, including processes, shared memory, WAL (write-ahead logging), and how data is stored. This knowledge will help you make better decisions about configuration and troubleshooting.
Will the course cover both logical and physical backups?
Yes. We’ll compare and practise both approaches using tools like pg_dump for logical backups and file system-level methods for physical backups. You’ll also learn when to use each method in real-world scenarios.
Is performance monitoring part of the training?
Absolutely. You’ll use PostgreSQL’s built-in statistics collectors, logs, and monitoring views to track table, index, and SQL statement activity. We’ll also cover monitoring background processes and identifying locks.
What our customers say
‘The course was particularly good and certainly took my SQL to another level. A lot of extremely useful stuff beyond programming. The instructor was particularly good and very knowledgeable. This is not my first class with him and one of the reasons I actually book with this company.’
Caroline, Government
‘Very well laid out and John does an amazing job of explaining things in detail.’
Ali, Operations Technical Service Analyst - Utilities
Why study with StayAhead
96% customer satisfaction
We combine experience and passion to deliver training that meets the highest standards
30+ years’ experience
Industry-leading specialists delivering high-impact IT training
Experiential instructor-led training
Courses are delivered by experienced instructors using hands-on, practical live labs