PostgreSQL is one of the world’s most popular databases. ZENworks added support for PostgreSQL as a DB platform in ZENworks 2017. Since then, we have found more and more customers using PostgreSQL for their ZENworks DB. The reasons behind this are not hard to find –

• Many Customers already have PostgreSQL in their IT environments and are thus familiar and have instances already in place.
• Help is easy to come by given the vibrant community and vast no. of organizations running PostgreSQL.
• PostgreSQL also provides them the ability to scale their ZENworks environment without needing to switch to MS-SQL/Oracle (with Update 4, we support up to 20,000 devices in a zone with external PostgreSQL being used as DB).
• No Licensing cost is the sweet cherry on top.

With this love being showered upon PostgreSQL, we thought that it makes sense for us to focus on increasing the no. of devices that can be supported in a ZENworks zone running PostgreSQL, so that it can serve as a viable alternative for customers using ZENworks with Oracle & MS-SQL DB’s. With scalability being better, the cost being the same to you, we've decided to replace our existing Sybase Database solution with PostgreSQL.

With #ZENworks2020, we have dropped support for Sybase as a supported DB platform. Thus, for all our customers using Sybase as a ZENworks DB, upgrading to ZENworks 2020 is a two-step process:

Migrate Away from Sybase

All ZENworks customers who are using Sybase need to migrate away from Sybase BEFORE upgrading to ZENworks 2020. We are providing two ways to do so –

• Using a stand-alone DB Migration Utility
• Using the DB Migration Utility built into ZENworks 2020 Upgrade installer

Currently, using the DB Migration Utility, customers can choose to migrate from Sybase to PostgreSQL DB embedded in ZENworks 2017 or they can choose to migrate to an instance of PostgreSQL hosted outside ZENworks. By next month, we are planning to extend this utility to even provide support for migration from Oracle & MS-SQL DB’s to PostgreSQL.

Since many ZENworks customers use Sybase as their ZENworks DB, we have tried to ensure that customers can easily move away from Sybase to PostgreSQL. We have extensively tested the DB Migration Utility and made sure that it is re-runnable and can be resumed or restarted. Also, as a safety measure, if you encounter problems during migration, it is possible to revert back to Sybase, thus ensuring that your zone remains up and running.

Upgrade to #ZENworks2020

Once your database migration is successfully completed, only then can you upgrade to ZENworks 2020. Post upgrade to ZENworks 2020, Sybase is removed permanently and it isn’t possible to switch back to it.

A New Chapter

This decision marks a new chapter for ZENworks. With our commitment to provide migration paths from other DB’s to PostgreSQL, we are making sure that our customers continue to get more value from ZENworks. Indeed, this also indicates that PostgreSQL has truly taken over ZENworks!