pg_durable

Overview

Requires preload and a superuser worker role; pgrx 0.19.2.

Version

Build

You can build the RPM / DEB packages for pg_durable using pig build:

pig build pkg pg_durable         # build RPM / DEB packages

Install

You can install pg_durable directly. First, make sure the PGDG and PIGSTY repositories are added and enabled:

pig repo add pgsql -u          # Add repo and update cache

Install the extension using pig or apt/yum/dnf:

pig install pg_durable;          # Install for current active PG version

pig ext install -y pg_durable -v 18  # PG 18
pig ext install -y pg_durable -v 17  # PG 17
pig ext install -y pg_durable -v 16  # PG 16
pig ext install -y pg_durable -v 15  # PG 15
pig ext install -y pg_durable -v 14  # PG 14

dnf install -y pg_durable_18       # PG 18
dnf install -y pg_durable_17       # PG 17
dnf install -y pg_durable_16       # PG 16
dnf install -y pg_durable_15       # PG 15
dnf install -y pg_durable_14       # PG 14

apt install -y postgresql-18-pg-durable   # PG 18
apt install -y postgresql-17-pg-durable   # PG 17
apt install -y postgresql-16-pg-durable   # PG 16
apt install -y postgresql-15-pg-durable   # PG 15
apt install -y postgresql-14-pg-durable   # PG 14

Preload:

shared_preload_libraries = 'pg_durable';

Create Extension:

CREATE EXTENSION pg_durable;

Usage

Sources:

• PGXN 0.2.6 README
• 0.2.6 user guide
• 0.2.6 changelog
• pg_durable control file
• 0.2.5 to 0.2.6 upgrade SQL

pg_durable runs durable, fault-tolerant SQL workflows inside PostgreSQL. A workflow is a graph of SQL steps, timers, signals, conditions, and parallel branches submitted with df.start(). Execution state is checkpointed in PostgreSQL so completed steps are not repeated after a crash, restart, or retry.

Enable and Grant Access

Preload the worker, select its database and superuser role if the defaults are unsuitable, then restart PostgreSQL:

shared_preload_libraries = 'pg_durable'
pg_durable.database = 'postgres'
pg_durable.worker_role = 'postgres'

Create the extension in pg_durable.database and grant an application login role access:

CREATE EXTENSION pg_durable;
SELECT df.grant_usage('app_role');

The worker role must be a superuser because it manages all users’ instances while bypassing row-level security. The role that calls df.start() must have LOGIN, because workflow SQL is executed through a connection authenticated as that captured role.

Build and Run a Workflow

SELECT df.start(
    'SELECT 100 AS amount' |=> 'total'
    ~> 'SELECT $total.amount * 2 AS doubled',
    'double-total'
);

df.start() returns an instance ID. Use it to monitor or control the run:

SELECT df.status('a1b2c3d4');
SELECT df.result('a1b2c3d4');
SELECT * FROM df.instance_nodes('a1b2c3d4');
SELECT * FROM df.instance_executions('a1b2c3d4', 20);
SELECT df.cancel('a1b2c3d4', 'No longer needed');

DSL Index

• ~> sequences steps; |=> names a result for $name, $name.column, or $name.* substitution.
• & / df.join() waits for parallel branches; | / df.race() keeps the first result.
• ?> and !> / df.if() select conditional branches; @> / df.loop() repeats a graph.
• df.sleep(), df.wait_for_schedule(), and df.wait_for_signal() make waits durable.
• df.signal(), df.wait_for_completion(), df.explain(), and the instance-inspection functions operate on running or stored instances.
• df.setvar(), df.getvar(), df.unsetvar(), and df.clearvars() manage per-user variables captured when df.start() is called.

Version 0.2.6 Boundaries

• Upstream source installation and published images support PostgreSQL 17 and 18 with pgrx 0.16.1. The extension still requires shared_preload_libraries, a restart, and a superuser worker role.
• Upgrades through 0.2.4 and 0.2.5 contain replay-breaking workflow changes. Drain or cancel in-flight JOIN, RACE, loop, and df.wait_for_schedule() work before upgrading; the 0.2.4 df.nodes key migration also takes an ACCESS EXCLUSIVE lock.
• df.start(..., transaction_mode => 'new') persists an independent start outside the caller transaction. Cluster-wide admission defaults to two concurrent starts and is controlled by pg_durable.max_new_transaction_starts and pg_durable.new_transaction_start_timeout.
• Variable substitution is resolved once from left to right in 0.2.6, so token-shaped text introduced by a value is not rescanned. It remains raw SQL substitution; never place untrusted input in {name} variables. Named step-result substitution through $name performs SQL escaping.
• The undocumented df.ensure_durofut(text) helper was removed. Drop or rewrite customer-owned dependent objects before upgrading.
• Re-run df.grant_usage() after ALTER EXTENSION ... UPDATE, because grants on all functions do not automatically include functions added later.
• df.http() and df.http_multipart() availability and egress policy are compile-time features. Their restrictions do not sandbox arbitrary SQL or other installed extensions.
• The project remains pre-1.0, and upstream’s published Docker images are for evaluation and learning rather than production. Read every adjacent upgrade warning instead of assuming an untested multi-version jump is replay-safe.