[Test Management][Release Management] Product teams update database versions to PostgreSQL 18.x

[ds-hzimmer]

Overview

Goal: Eclipse Tractus-X projects should update their used PostgreSQL database versions to a current version in order to ensure (a) long-term support and (b) a harmonization to one supported DB major-release version within a Tractus-X release.

Edit: The Update was postponed to Release 26.06 as not all core services will participate in the 26.03 release and test phase with new versions and thus not complete this version update and change of image provider to Cloud Pirates.
See discussion in Tractus-X Office Hours meetings Tractus-X Open Meetings (view)

Explain the topic in 2 sentences

Products should upgrade the used database version to PostgreSQL 18.x. This would get all products on a shared PostgreSQL major-release version, and long-term support for this PostgreSQL version should last through the expected supported use of the Tractus-X 25.12 / Catena-X "Saturn" and "Titan" release and thus would reduce risks for users of the products respectively the operating company.

What's the benefit?

Currently Tractus-X products are using a mix of PostgreSQL 15.x and 16.x versions (see below in "current implementation"). An upgrade would provide a harmonization and longer support window for used databases, as well as taking advantage of improvements in the newer 17.x an 18.x versions, respectively not accruing more technical debt that may require additonal efforts in the future.

Incremental upgrades every 1–2 years tend to be smoother and carry less risk than having to later upgrade several major versions in one jump (e.g. 15.x to 18.x in 2026).

Version details:

• PostgreSQL 15.x will reach end of life as currently scheduled by the provider in November 2027.
  Risk if no action to upgrade possible within the 25.12 release milestone: Still viable as a fallback to remain on this version for the launch of the Tractus-X 25.12 respectively Catena-X Titan release if a product team should have to postpone upgrading its used PostgreSQL version further. But upgrading should be done as soon as possible.
• Active support window for PostgreSQL 16.x until November 2028.
  Benefits of this version or higher: Improvements include performance & query optimizations, logical replication from a standby, various SQL enhancements. E.g. incorporates fix for vulnerability CVE-2024-4317 and over 50 other bugs.
• Active support for PostgreSQL 18.x (in Azue) until at least November 2030.
  Benefits: In addition to those in 16.x further performance and efficiency improvements such as vacuum memory overhaul, I/O enhancements, query execution, failover control, as well as security improvements

What are the Risks/Dependencies ?

• Typical risks for dependency updates, in particular if upgrading several new major versions from 15.x
• New features, planner behavior changes, and internal storage/layout modifications may require additional (regression) testing needs of the new implementation.
• Major upgrades in PostgreSQL typically require a dump/restore or a pg_upgrade run.
• If special extensions are used (unknown to me which products may use those) they may lag behind in support for the newest major version

Current implementation

1. Used versions: The Tractus-X products are currently using a mix of PostgreSQL versions, with most using version images 15.4.0-debian-11-r10 or 16.2.0-debian-12-r10

2. TRG: TRG 5.07 - Chart Dependencies was last updated in September 2023 and contains a now outdated reference to Chart Version 12.x.x and App version 15.x.x
   -> TRG was now updated in October 2025 to latest PostgreSQL 18 version. Due to licensing issues the recommended image source was also changed from Bitnami to Cloud Pirates due to licensing issues.

Proposed improvements

1. Teams update the database version used by the product to PostgreSQL 18.x

2. Update Charts according to TRG 5.07
   Edit: An update regarding the version and image source was already proposed with feat/Update TRG 5.05 and TRG 5.07 to include Cloudpirates eclipse-tractusx.github.io#1367

Feature Team

Test- and Release Management to coordinate. Implementation to be done within release cycle by committers / contributors from each product team (those with a product in the release).

Target would be to have the upgrade completed by time of 25.12 end-to-end test phase 03. November 2025. If not possible within release, the target milestone should be shifted to the next Tractus-X release.

Contributor

@MonikaJacobsen
@ther3sa (also Committer)
@ds-hzimmer

Committer

Individual committers per product team, in coordination with Release Management and Test Management

@mgarciaLKS and @lgblaumeiser created updates to the applicable TRGs 5.07 Chart Dependencies (in particular PostgreSQL) as well as 5.05 Chart Values
eclipse-tractusx/eclipse-tractusx.github.io#1367

User Stories

See sub-task issues linked below.

Acceptance Criteria

• Affected products (see sub-tasks per team) have updated their used PostgreSQL versions to 17.x until end-to-end testing of the milestone release
• TRG 5.07 is updated to reflect the new required minimum version

Test Cases

Test Case 1

• Product teams update the PostgreSQL chart dependencies and successfully run all applicable tests testing the database
• Verification of used version by test and release management e.g. via the App Dashboard once the product in deployed for testing on Catena-X INT environment https://app-dashboard.int.catena-x.net/

Expected Result

• Build is successful and release candidate can be deployed on Catena-X INT environment
• PostgreSQL database version used by the product release candidate/release version is updated to the required major-version for the testing of the applicable milestone release

Test Case 2

Product release candidate is tested in end-to-end tests

Expected Result

• The updated product release candidate is successfully tested in end-to-end system integration with the new database version during the applicable milestone release test phase.
• Database functionality and performance is as expected (as good or better as in past releases)

Architectural Relevance

The following items are ensured (answer: yes) after this issue is implemented.

In the context of the standards 126 and 127, typically only one is applicable, depending on the specific use case. Please cross out one of the two standards that does not apply.

• This feature aligns with our current architectural guidelines
  • Data Sovereignty: All data sharing activities across company boundaries follow the Catena-X Regulatory Framework, in particular the Data Exchange Governance, and the Dataspace Protocol via a compliant Connector (like the tractusx-edc or similar, see Connector KIT)

-> No changes to underlying standards due to this technical change of database versions expected
- [ ] CX-0010 Business Partner Number
- [ ] CX-0013 Identity of Member Companies
- [ ] CX-0018 Data Space Connectivity (EDC)
- [ ] CX-0049 DID Document Schema
- [ ] CX-0050 Framework Agreement Credential
- [ ] CX-0149 Verified Company Identity

• Interoperability: Digital Twins are used (compliant to the Digital Twin KIT and the Industry Core KIT)
  • CX-0001 EDC Discovery API
  • CX-0002 Digital Twins in Catena-X
  • CX-0018 Data Space Connectivity (EDC)
  • CX-0126 Industry Core: Part Type 2.0.0
  • CX-0127 Industry Core: Part Instance 2.0.0
• Data Format:
  • The data model is based on a published Semantic Model
• The impact on the overall system architecture has been assessed. The Feature does not require changes to the architecture or any existing standard? Please have a look here on the overarching architecture
• Potential risks or conflicts with existing architecture has been assessed

Justification: (Fill this out, if at least one of the checkboxes above cannot be ticked. Contact the Architecture Management Committee to get an approval for the justification)

Additional information

• I am aware that my request may not be developed if no developer can be found for it. I'll try to contribute a developer (bring your own developer)