Performance Testing PostgreSQL on Azure NetApp Files

This white paper presents the performance testing results of Instaclustr PostgreSQL on Azure NetApp Files (ANF). The objective is to demonstrate the performance and cost advantages of using ANF compared to traditional Azure Premium Disk storage. The testing methodology involved using pgbench to simulate customer workloads, comparing two instances: one on Microsoft Premium SSD and the other on ANF premium storage. Results indicate significant improvements in transactions per second (TPS), with increases of up to 325% for read-only workloads and 167% for read/write workloads. The paper also discusses performance tuning adjustments made to optimize the PostgreSQL server's performance under varying client loads. Additionally, it highlights the cost-effectiveness of ANF storage, showing that it can reduce the price per TPS by over 50% for read/write workloads. Future enhancements are planned to leverage ANF's snapshot and mirroring features for improved backup and disaster recovery capabilities.