PostgreSQL 8.2, the 14th public release of the database, includes refinements such as improved logging, a better optimizer and the ability to create indexes even as a user is modifying a database table. It is available for a free download.

Performance improvements include a 20 percent overall speed increase for high-end online transaction processing, better multiprocessor scaling, better planning of partitioned data queries, faster bulk loads and accelerated outer joins, according to the group.

"What we see with this release ... is that it basically ... takes a lot of features that we've put in the past few releases and makes them feature-complete," said Bruce Momjian, a PostgreSQL core team member and EnterpriseDB database architect. "This release touches almost every command and database facility. It adds expanded, compatible syntax and interfaces which have been requested by our community, making it easier for new DBAs to fully use all of PostgreSQL's advanced features.

"It really improves the usability of the database," he added.

Other improvements include an extension of the "point-in-time recovery" feature that allows administrators to create a fail-over copy of a database cluster, providing warm standby databases for emergency use.