Question

What is usecase for pg_cron extension if cron database cannot be changed?

Posted on July 9, 2023
DigitalOcean Managed PostgreSQL Database PostgreSQL
Asked by Kaushalya Pradeep

DigitalOcean support pg_cron extension for managed Postgres database service, but we cannot use it since we cannot change the extension’s database since we cannot change the postgresql.conf, so extension can only be used with defaultdb. Typically using defaultdb for applications are discouraged, So my question is what is the use case pg_cron extension on DigitalOcean?

Submit an answer

This textbox defaults to using Markdown to format your answer.

You can type !ref in this text area to quickly search our full set of tutorials, documentation & marketplace offerings and insert the link!

These answers are provided by our Community. If you find them useful, show some love by clicking the heart. If you run into issues leave a comment, or add your own answer to help others.

alexdo

Site Moderator

• July 10, 2023

Hello @kaushalyapradeep

You’re correct, pg_cron can be used on the DigitalOcean managed Postgres service, but only on the defaultdb because the postgresql.conf file is not user-configurable in the managed service. Using the defaultdb is typically discouraged for applications for separation of concerns and better management.

However, pg_cron can be quite useful in a number of scenarios like performing routine maintenance tasks (clean-up, vacuuming, etc.), running regular data analysis queries, generating reports, and more, all on a specified schedule.

While it might not be ideal for all application scenarios due to the limitations you pointed out, it offers some handy automation capabilities within those parameters.

Hope that this helps!