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Getting started with TimescaleDB

TimescaleDB is an extension of PostgreSQL (it uses PostgreSQL as its underlying database engine) adding additional features specifically for handling time-series data. As such, the integration of TimescaleDB in the DBOD service should be seen as providing an enhancement to the existing PostgreSQL offering, rather than an entirely new database type.

TimescaleDB extends PostgreSQL with functionalities like hypertables, continuous aggregates, and more efficient storage mechanisms for time-series data. While PostgreSQL itself can handle time-series data, TimescaleDB provides performance optimizations and ease-of-use features specifically for these types of workloads, making it similar in use cases to InfluxDB.

TimescaleDB Community Edition is now available in our PostgreSQL 14 and 15 releases. As described in our PG extensions documentation, if you would like to use TimescaleDB, please open us a SNOW ticket mentioning in which instance, database, and schema (if not the default one) you need it installed. We will install and enable it for you, as superuser privileges are required.

Please refer to the Timescale Docs for latest documentation and tutorials.

Bear in mind that TimescaleDB Community is made available under the Timescale License ("TSL"). To permit its usage as part of the DBOD service offering, CERN has entered into a Licensing and Publicity Agreement with Timescale Inc. This agreement includes the following key aspects relevant to users requesting TimescaleDB at CERN:

  • License: CERN holds a non-exclusive, worldwide, limited license to use TimescaleDB Community Edition. This license also extends to personnel from collaborating institutions working on Approved Experiments at CERN. Usage outside of these experiments is not permitted.
  • Term and Renewal: The agreement has an initial term of three years, beginning from September 24, 2024, and will auto-renew for two additional years unless either party gives a one-year notice of non-renewal.
  • Early Termination: Either party may terminate the agreement if the other is in material breach of its terms and fails to remedy the breach within 30 days of receiving notice.