The Importance of Connection Poolers

Connection poolers are crucial for efficient postgreSQL database systems and the functioning of applications that interact with them. Connection creation can be expensive and result in latency and resource overhead. Using session or transaction mode in connection poolers like pg_bouncer allows for connection reuse and multiplexing, optimizing resource utilization. Various connection poolers like pg_bouncer, Odysseus, and pgcat have emerged, each offering unique features and addressing different needs. These poolers provide insights into query performance, average latencies, and other statistics to aid in monitoring and tuning the database system. They also enable techniques like pausing and resuming, facilitating zero-downtime upgrades or restarts. The competition among connection poolers continues to evolve, with potential for enhancements and new leaders in the future.