CloudNativePG consulting and hands-on support

CloudNativePG is an open-source Kubernetes operator for running PostgreSQL clusters through declarative Kubernetes resources. It manages PostgreSQL instances, streaming replication, primary failover, planned switchovers, backups, and recovery while fitting into Kubernetes-based platform and data engineering workflows.

Platform teams, SREs, and data teams use CloudNativePG to standardize PostgreSQL operations across environments. A sound implementation connects cluster manifests with GitOps or CI/CD, defines backup and recovery objectives, exposes operational metrics, and documents runbooks for failures, maintenance, scaling, and version upgrades alongside the wider Kubernetes platform.

• Deploys PostgreSQL clusters as Kubernetes resources with repeatable configuration and environment-specific settings.
• Automates replication, primary instance failover, and planned switchover procedures for high-availability deployments.
• Supports scheduled backups, write-ahead log archiving, and point-in-time recovery when the required storage and retention policies are configured.
• Provides controls for PostgreSQL users, databases, credentials, TLS, and other security-sensitive cluster settings.
• Integrates with monitoring and alerting systems so teams can track replication health, backup status, storage capacity, and database availability.
• Gives operators a consistent way to plan maintenance, capacity changes, and PostgreSQL upgrades without treating each cluster as a separate manual installation.

Teams use CloudNativePG to run PostgreSQL on Kubernetes with declarative configuration and repeatable operational procedures for availability, recovery, security, and day-2 maintenance.

• Automated failover: CloudNativePG monitors PostgreSQL instances and can promote a healthy standby when the primary becomes unavailable, reducing the manual work required during database incidents.
• Consistent replication: The operator manages PostgreSQL streaming replication and keeps cluster instances aligned with the declared topology, which supports read scaling and standby capacity for recovery.
• Recoverable backups: Teams can define scheduled backups, write backup data to object storage, and configure point-in-time recovery procedures as part of the cluster’s Kubernetes configuration.
• Declarative operations: PostgreSQL version, instance count, storage, resources, replication settings, and backup policies can be reviewed and changed through Kubernetes manifests, Git, and an existing CI/CD or GitOps process.
• Controlled maintenance: CloudNativePG supports planned switchovers and PostgreSQL upgrades with ordered instance operations, helping teams reduce avoidable downtime and document maintenance runbooks.
• Security and governance: Teams can manage database credentials through Kubernetes Secret resources, apply namespace and network policies, and define storage and resource settings alongside other platform controls.
• Operational visibility: CloudNativePG exposes cluster and instance status through Kubernetes resources and PostgreSQL metrics, giving operators useful signals for replication health, failover state, backup activity, and capacity planning.

Our practical experience with CloudNativePG helps clients design and operate PostgreSQL clusters on Kubernetes with consistent recovery procedures, controlled failover, secure access, and predictable day-2 operations. MeteorOps provides senior engineering capacity embedded with your team, billed by the hour with no retainer, lock-in, or fixed-price promise.

Some of the things we did include:

• Assessing existing PostgreSQL and Kubernetes environments, including cluster topology, workload requirements, recovery objectives, storage, networking, and operational ownership.
• Designing CloudNativePG reference architectures for instance placement, streaming replication, primary failover, planned switchovers, connection routing, and workload isolation.
• Implementing declarative cluster configurations through infrastructure as code and GitOps workflows, with reviewable changes, environment consistency, and controlled promotion.
• Configuring automated backups, backup retention, object storage integration, point-in-time recovery, and documented restore procedures that teams can test regularly.
• Hardening PostgreSQL and Kubernetes access with least-privilege permissions, secret management, network controls, TLS settings, and policy checks appropriate to the operating environment.
• Adding observability for cluster health, replication status, failover events, backup completion, restore readiness, storage capacity, and PostgreSQL performance indicators.
• Planning and executing CloudNativePG, PostgreSQL, Kubernetes, and supporting component upgrades with compatibility checks, staged validation, rollback planning, and clear maintenance runbooks.
• Training internal engineers through documented operating procedures, incident scenarios, recovery exercises, and structured handover for ongoing cluster administration.

Some of the things we can help you do with CloudNativePG include:

• Assess your current CloudNativePG setup: Review cluster manifests, PostgreSQL versions, instance counts, storage classes, replication settings, operator configuration, access controls, backup policies, and operational ownership to identify risks and define a practical improvement plan.
• Design the target PostgreSQL architecture: Define CloudNativePG cluster layouts, instance placement, storage requirements, pod scheduling rules, recovery objectives, network boundaries, and environment-specific configuration for development, staging, and production.
• Implement and standardize clusters: Create reusable Kubernetes resources for PostgreSQL clusters, roles, databases, extensions, secrets, monitoring configuration, and environment overlays while keeping configuration declarative and reviewable.
• Automate backups and recovery: Configure scheduled backups, write-ahead log archiving, retention policies, object storage integration, and recovery procedures, then test restoration into a separate cluster or environment.
• Integrate CloudNativePG with CI/CD or GitOps: Add manifest validation, policy checks, controlled promotion, synchronization workflows, and change approval steps for cluster configuration, PostgreSQL upgrades, and operational settings.
• Improve security and governance: Configure TLS, PostgreSQL roles, database privileges, Kubernetes RBAC, secret handling, network policies, and audit-friendly change controls according to your access and compliance requirements.
• Build observability and operational alerting: Connect CloudNativePG and PostgreSQL metrics to your monitoring platform, define alerts for replication health, failover events, backup status, storage capacity, connection pressure, and resource saturation, and document useful dashboards.
• Plan failover, maintenance, and upgrades: Define procedures for planned switchovers, unplanned failover, rolling changes, PostgreSQL major-version upgrades, operator upgrades, and compatibility checks, with clear approval and rollback steps.
• Strengthen day-2 operations: Create runbooks for scaling, incident response, backup verification, replication issues, storage problems, certificate rotation, maintenance windows, and routine health reviews, and work with your team to apply the procedures in practice.