Database Parameters

Latitude.sh allows you to customize PostgreSQL and connection pooler parameters to optimize your database for your specific workload. You can configure these parameters from the Parameters tab in your database dashboard.

PostgreSQL parameters

The following PostgreSQL parameters can be customized based on your database plan.

Connection parameters

Parameter	Description
Max Connections	Maximum number of concurrent database connections. Higher values allow more simultaneous clients but consume more memory.
TCP Keepalives Idle	Seconds of inactivity before sending a TCP keepalive. 0 to use OS default.
TCP Keepalives Interval	Seconds between TCP keepalive retransmits. 0 to use OS default.
TCP Keepalives Count	Maximum TCP keepalive retransmits before considering connection dead.

Memory parameters

Parameter	Description
Shared Buffers	Memory allocated for PostgreSQL’s shared buffer cache. This is where frequently accessed data is cached. Recommended: 25% of available RAM.
Work Memory	Memory used per operation for sorting and hash tables. Be careful with high values as this is multiplied by concurrent operations.
Maintenance Work Memory	Memory allocated for maintenance operations like VACUUM, CREATE INDEX, and ALTER TABLE.
Effective Cache Size	The planner’s estimate of available memory for disk caching. This helps PostgreSQL choose better query plans.
Temp File Limit	Maximum disk space for temporary files per session. -1 for unlimited.

Timeout parameters

Parameter	Description
Idle Transaction Timeout	Time before idle transactions are automatically terminated. Prevents connections from being held indefinitely.
Idle Session Timeout	Time before idle sessions are terminated. 0 to disable.
Statement Timeout	Maximum time a query can run before being cancelled. Useful for preventing runaway queries. Set to 0 to disable.
Lock Timeout	Maximum time to wait for a lock. Prevents queries from waiting indefinitely for locked resources. Set to 0 to disable.

WAL & Checkpoint parameters

Parameter	Description
Max WAL Size	Maximum size the WAL can grow to between checkpoints.
Min WAL Size	Minimum size of WAL files to retain.
WAL Buffers	Shared memory used for WAL data not yet written to disk.
Checkpoint Timeout	Maximum time between automatic WAL checkpoints.
Checkpoint Completion Target	Target completion fraction of checkpoint. Higher values spread I/O over time.

Autovacuum parameters

Parameter	Description
Vacuum Scale Factor	Fraction of table size to add to vacuum threshold.
Analyze Scale Factor	Fraction of table size to add to analyze threshold.
Autovacuum Naptime	Time between autovacuum runs.

Connection pooler (PgBouncer)

PgBouncer is a connection pooler that sits between your application and PostgreSQL. It efficiently manages database connections, reducing overhead and improving performance.

Pool settings

Parameter	Description
Pool Mode	How connections are assigned to clients. Transaction mode (recommended) releases connections after each transaction. Session mode keeps connections for the session lifetime. Statement mode releases after each statement.
Default Pool Size	Number of server connections maintained per user/database pair.
Min Pool Size	Minimum server connections to keep open per pool.
Reserve Pool Size	Additional connections for reserve pool when default is exhausted.

Connection limits

Parameter	Description
Max Client Connections	Maximum number of client connections the pooler accepts.
Max DB Connections	Maximum connections allowed per database.

Timeouts

Parameter	Description
Query Timeout (s)	Maximum time a query can run. 0 to disable.
Query Wait Timeout (s)	Maximum time a client can wait for a server connection.
Server Idle Timeout (s)	Time a server connection can be idle before being closed.
Client Idle Timeout (s)	Time a client connection can be idle. 0 to disable.
Server Connect Timeout (s)	Maximum time to establish a server connection.

Recommended defaults

Default values are optimized for each database plan to provide stable operation within your plan’s resources. You have full control over parameter values, but we recommend staying close to these defaults unless you have specific requirements.

Small
Medium
Large

Parameter	Default
Max Connections	100
Shared Buffers	128MB
Work Memory	16MB
Maintenance Work Memory	64MB
Effective Cache Size	1GB
Pool Size	20
Max Client Conn	100

Parameter	Default
Max Connections	200
Shared Buffers	256MB
Work Memory	32MB
Maintenance Work Memory	128MB
Effective Cache Size	2GB
Pool Size	30
Max Client Conn	200

Parameter	Default
Max Connections	1000
Shared Buffers	512MB
Work Memory	128MB
Maintenance Work Memory	256MB
Effective Cache Size	4GB
Pool Size	50
Max Client Conn	500

Values significantly outside recommended ranges will be highlighted in the dashboard. While you can set any value, extreme settings may impact database stability or performance.

Configuring parameters

Go to Databases and select your database.
Click the Parameters tab.
Click Manage next to PostgreSQL or Pooler parameters.
Click on any parameter row to expand it and view the input field and allowed range.
Adjust the value as needed. A warning indicator appears if the value is outside the recommended range.
Click Restore defaults to reset all parameters to plan defaults, or Apply to save your changes.

Parameter changes trigger a rolling restart of your database pods. This ensures the new configuration is applied safely with minimal downtime.

Best practices

Start with defaults: The default values are tuned for typical workloads. Only adjust if you have specific requirements.
Monitor after changes: Watch your database metrics after making parameter changes to ensure the desired effect.
Work Memory caution: High work_mem values can cause memory issues since this is allocated per operation. Calculate: work_mem × max_connections × average_operations.
Use connection pooling: For applications with many short-lived connections, the connection pooler significantly reduces overhead.
Transaction mode: Use transaction pool mode unless your application requires session-level features like prepared statements or advisory locks.

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PostgreSQL parameters

Connection parameters

Memory parameters

Timeout parameters

WAL & Checkpoint parameters

Autovacuum parameters

Connection pooler (PgBouncer)

Pool settings

Connection limits

Timeouts

Recommended defaults

Configuring parameters

Best practices

​PostgreSQL parameters

​Connection parameters

​Memory parameters

​Timeout parameters

​WAL & Checkpoint parameters

​Autovacuum parameters

​Connection pooler (PgBouncer)

​Pool settings

​Connection limits

​Timeouts

​Recommended defaults

​Configuring parameters

​Best practices

PostgreSQL parameters

Connection parameters

Memory parameters

Timeout parameters

WAL & Checkpoint parameters

Autovacuum parameters

Connection pooler (PgBouncer)

Pool settings

Connection limits

Timeouts

Recommended defaults

Configuring parameters

Best practices