Schedule - PGConf.dev 2026

Establishing the PostgreSQL standard: What's Postgres compatible?

Level: Intermediate

What does it mean to be "PostgreSQL compatible"? As PostgreSQL becomes "the new Linux" for the enterprise, this question becomes increasingly important. This session invites Postgres developers, contributors, and community members to continue the work of defining a practical framework of criteria and tests for PostgreSQL compatibility.

Building upon the foundations set in our session at PGConf.EU 2025 in Riga, this session will pivot from the idea of a strict binary "pass/fail" certification to designing a granular compatibility matrix — a weighted checklist distinguishing critical (Core) features from peripheral ones, with room for specific exceptions (e.g., "Managed" Postgres restrictions on superusers)

Agenda

• Introduction & Recap: A brief overview of the landscape, the consensus from Riga, and the goals of this session.
• Facilitated Discussion: Structured conversation across key compatibility dimensions.
• Synthesis & Next Steps: Capture consensus and outline the path forward.

Discussion Topics

• SQL & Core Behavior: What's required from "Part II. The SQL Language"? How do we handle implied behaviors (like plpgsql is required for TRIGGERs), undocumented-but-relied-upon features (e.g., INSERT...ORDER BY), and transaction isolation semantics?
• Test Harness Design: An independent suite tracking Postgres versions—testing compliance, not bug-for-bug compatibility
• Ecosystem & Connectivity: Version reporting, driver compatibility, pg_dump portability, and pg_catalog availability
• Backup & Replication: WAL, streaming, hybrid clusters (mixing Vanilla and Vendor nodes), and proprietary extensions in the WAL stream
• Compliance Matrix: Required vs. Optional tests, accommodating managed environments, and catching "silent failures"

We aim to leave with refined compatibility criteria and a concrete roadmap for continued collaboration.

Speaker

Henrietta Dombrovskaya
Jimmy Angelakos