---
title: "Operate PostgreSQL"
url: "https://docs.caracal.run/v1.0/operations/postgres/"
markdown_url: "https://docs.caracal.run/markdown/v1.0/operations/postgres.md"
description: "Run migrations, verify schema protections, monitor capacity, and recover the durable store."
page_type: "workflow"
concepts: []
requires: []
---

# Operate PostgreSQL

Canonical URL: https://docs.caracal.run/v1.0/operations/postgres/
Markdown URL: https://docs.caracal.run/markdown/v1.0/operations/postgres.md
Description: Run migrations, verify schema protections, monitor capacity, and recover the durable store.
Page type: workflow
Concepts: none
Requires: none

---

Postgres holds product, authority, policy, session, delegation, outbox, key-reference, and audit state.

## Prerequisites

Use release-matched migrations, an administrative migration role, service-specific credentials, and a tested backup. Do not grant service roles ownership or `BYPASSRLS`.

## Procedure

Compose and Helm run `infra/postgres/scripts/migrate.sh` in a one-shot workload. Files apply in order, one transaction each, under an advisory lock. Production operation is forward-only.

In a disposable database, run:

```bash
bash infra/postgres/scripts/validateMigrations.sh
```

Monitor pools, long transactions, timeouts, storage, audit partitions, and outbox age. Increase database capacity before aggregate service pools.

## Verify

Confirm migrations, `schema_migrations`, service roles, RLS, append-only audit permissions, and dependent readiness.

## Recovery

Restore connectivity/capacity, then verify migrations, pools, outboxes, and readiness. For data loss, use complete restore; do not reconstruct authority or audit rows manually.

:::danger[Schema and evidence damage]
Do not run down migrations, drop databases, disable RLS, or mutate audit rows as an outage shortcut.
:::

## Next Step

Verify event delivery with [Operate Redis Streams](/v1.0/operations/redis/).