Description

Ensure every Render Postgres database runs PostgreSQL 15 or newer. Render supports major versions 13 to 18 for new databases, and the default for new databases is the latest version, currently 18.

Rationale

Older PostgreSQL major versions stop receiving security fixes from the PostgreSQL project, so known vulnerabilities stay open. Running version 15 or newer keeps the database on a version that is still maintained and patched.

Impact

  • The database keeps receiving security fixes

  • Access to newer PostgreSQL features

  • Upgrading causes downtime and should be tested first

Default Value

Databases stay on the major version they were created with until they are upgraded. New databases default to the latest supported version (currently 18).

Pre-Requisites

  • Admin or Developer role (Admin for protected environments)

  • A planned maintenance window

  • Applications tested against the new version

Remediation

Test Plan

  1. Sign in to the Render Dashboard at https://dashboard.render.com.

  2. From your workspace home (or project), click the Postgres database to open it.

  3. On the Info page, check the PostgreSQL version.

  4. If the version is lower than 15, follow the implementation steps.

Implementation Steps

  1. Test your application against the target PostgreSQL version.

  2. Sign in to the Render Dashboard at https://dashboard.render.com.

  3. From your workspace home (or project), click the Postgres database to open it.

  4. On the Info page, click the PostgreSQL version number to open the upgrade page.

  5. Follow the steps to upgrade in place. The database is unavailable during the upgrade, which usually takes less than an hour.

Backout Plan

  1. An in-place upgrade cannot be reversed. If needed, restore a backup to a new database on the previous version.

Reference