PostgreSQL Usergroup NL meetup “the Dutchies”

On Thursday, May 30, already the 2nd “PostgreSQL User Group NL” meetup of 2024, the PostgreSQL meetup group of the Dutch Postgres community!

Nice to mention is that our meetup group now consists of 839 members. These are all PostgreSQL professionals working and active in the Netherlands who are part of the postgres community. The PostgreSQL Usergroup NL is an officially registered local chapter (PUG) of the PostgreSQL community.

We are guests at HCS Company in Amsterdam this time.
An old fashioned line-up, 2 friends from the show will give a talk this evening:

Feike Steenbergen will take us through his experiences with Streamlining Bulk Data Insertion in PostgreSQL

Boriss Mejias (co-author of the latest PostgreSQL 16 cookbook!) will tell us more about the capabilities of PGVector.

In addition to these interesting headliners, we offer the opportunity to participate in Lightning Talks. If you have something to share in the field of PostgreSQL, let us know and we will be happy to give you the floor.

This PostgreSQL Meetup will be held at HCS Company’s offices in Amsterdam. Food and drinks will be provided. Many thanks to HCS for their hospitality!!!

We hope to meet and talk on May 30.

17:30 – 18:15 Walk-in, food and drinks.

18:15 – 18:20 Opening by Gerard Zuidweg, OptimaData

18:20 – 18:30 Introduction HCS Company, KP

18:30 – 19:00 Feike Steenbergen – Streamlining Bulk Data Insertion in PostgreSQL

Break

19:10 – 19:45 Boriss Mejias – Pgvector – What the buzz with the vector databases in PostgreSQL

19:45 – 20:00 Lightning talks

20:00 – 20:30 Wrap up, networking and drinks

By Feike Steenbergen, Technisch medewerker – TimeScaleDB

Tijdens het werken aan een nieuw product dat veel gebruik maakt van bulk inserts, begonnen we de tools die beschikbaar zijn in PostgreSQL om grote hoeveelheden data in te voegen met zo min mogelijk impact op de performance van de database erg te waarderen. Een van de functies die sinds PostgreSQL 15 beschikbaar is, is MERGE, dat de mogelijkheden van INSERT ON CONFLICT uitbreidt, zodat je je gegevens efficiënt kunt invoegen met slechts 1 statement.

We zullen de semantiek van MERGE doornemen, wanneer het te gebruiken en een aantal voorbeelden laten zien waarom het nuttig is en wanneer het performanter is.

Eén usecase is om de meest recente gegevens direct beschikbaar te hebben in één tabel, maar ook om de hele geschiedenis van de gegevens in verschillende tabellen te bewaren.

We zullen laten zien hoe het instellen van tijdelijke tabellen, MERGE, COPY en een paar triggers onze applicatie vereenvoudigt, ons geweldige prestaties geeft voor het verkrijgen van de meest recente gegevens, terwijl we nog steeds de hele geschiedenis in (gepartitioneerde) tabellen kunnen opvragen.

By Boris Mejias, Solution Architect – EDB

Yet another talk on vector databases in PostgreSQL, and yes, yet again with the pgvector extension. So let’s iterate once again on the topic so that we probably get it right. The multi-dimensional representation of data using vectors enables programs to see data in a structured way that allows them to search and compare data in the forms of images, audio or text. This is especially interesting for deductive behavior in artificial intelligence.

Now, Postgres is an object-relational database that does not yet have vector capabilities in core, and that is why the extension pgvector comes into the game to convert Postgres in a vector database.

Postgres has established itself as a core capability of today’s digital transformation. This talk will explore the role Postgres plays in the IT stack, and what drove that phenomenal success. It will also look at the key requirements of new applications, as they pertain to Postgres. The talk ends with a discussion of the next frontiers for data driven applications: accelerated transformation, distributed systems, analytics, and AI.

What are Lightning Talks?

A Lightning talk is a short presentation given at a conference or meetup. Unlike other presentations, Lightning Talks last only a few minutes and several are usually given in a short time slot by different speakers. Everyone has the opportunity to give their views, share a short topic or ask for input from the audience in the span of 1 slot.

During the PostgreSQL Usergroup NL meetups, through the Lightning Talks, we provide a low-threshold stage for participants to share their experience and knowledge.

Would you like to submit a Lighting Talk, do you have a short topic, would you like to share something within the PostgreSQL domain or what it touches? Send us an email with your suggestion, your topic, or just your name requesting a time slot and we will schedule you into the Lightning Talks! You can also put your name on the list on the night itself!

Sign into Lightning Talk

The meetup will be held at HCS Company’s Amsterdam location at 61 Anthony Fokkerweg.

The address is:

Anthony Fokkerweg 61
Amsterdam

Accessibility:

By car: HCS Company’s office is easily accessible by car via the A10 exit s107. There is ample parking space around the office and in the neighborhood.

By public transport: Within walking distance is the Hoofddorpplein and Haarlemmermeer station located, from here there are several streetcar and bus services to Amsterdam Center/South. The metro station Henk Sneevlietweg is a few minutes walk away.