PostgreSQL extensions


PostgreSQL Extensions shows optional monitoring that becomes available when common PostgreSQL extensions are installed in a monitored database.

What Mini DBA detects

Mini DBA automatically detects installed extensions per database. The page shows capability-gated checks instead of failing the whole view when an extension, catalog view, or permission is unavailable.

The first supported extension packs are:

  • TimescaleDB: hypertables, chunks, compression status, continuous aggregates, background jobs, and policy/job status.
  • PostGIS: geometry columns, table size, spatial index presence, spatial index usage, and bounded invalid-geometry checks.
  • pgvector: vector columns, table size, HNSW/IVFFlat index presence, and sequential-scan risk for larger vector tables.

How to use the page

  1. Open a PostgreSQL server in the navigation tree.
  2. Select Extensions.
  3. Review capability rows first. They explain whether Mini DBA could run each extension-specific check.
  4. Open the extension-specific tabs for the installed extensions.
  5. Use the status, detail, and recommendation columns as investigation prompts rather than automatic change instructions.

Extension-specific notes

TimescaleDB checks look for operational risks such as failed jobs, missing compression where it appears expected, old chunks, continuous aggregate refresh context, and policy/job details that may need DBA review.

PostGIS checks look for geometry columns without useful spatial index coverage, indexed geometry columns that appear unused, and a bounded sample of invalid geometries. Mini DBA deliberately caps invalid-geometry checks so the page does not unexpectedly scan large spatial tables.

pgvector checks look for larger vector tables that appear to rely on sequential scans without HNSW or IVFFlat index coverage. Mini DBA does not estimate recall quality or embedding correctness.

Permissions and installation

Mini DBA does not install application extensions. A DBA or application owner should install TimescaleDB, PostGIS, or pgvector only when the application needs them.

The monitoring login normally needs read access to PostgreSQL catalog and statistics views. Some extension views may require additional permissions depending on PostgreSQL version, extension version, and hosting model. Missing permissions should appear as a capability row on the page.

Related pages