Silo 03

Infra Silo

A resilient PostgreSQL deployment on Kubernetes with operational runbooks executed through kubectl.

Requirements

Run PostgreSQL with high availability and persistent storage.
Automate daily backups with tested restore procedures.
Provide clear kubectl-based runbooks for incident response.

Stack

PostgreSQL
Kubernetes
kubectl
Prometheus
Grafana

Architecture

StatefulSets and persistent volumes manage primary and replica database pods.
Automated backups run on schedule with tested restore playbooks.
Operational procedures rely on explicit kubectl commands for failover and verification.

Workflow

Primary pod handles writes while replica pod streams WAL updates.
Scheduled job snapshots backups to object storage.
Health monitors trigger alerts for replication lag and pod health.
Runbook operator executes controlled failover steps via kubectl.

Diagram

flowchart LR
      A[App Services] --> B[Postgres Primary Pod]
      B --> C[Replica Pod]
      B --> D[Persistent Volume]
      C --> E[Read Traffic]
      B --> F[Backup CronJob]
      F --> G[Object Storage]
      H[kubectl Runbooks] --> B
      H --> C

Kubernetes Postgres Topology

Custom topology sketch for operator perspective.

Tradeoffs

Kubernetes control plane adds complexity compared with single-host DB.
Operational resilience improves at the cost of deeper platform knowledge.
Backup/restore automation requires periodic fire-drill validation.

Risks / Failure Modes

Storage class misconfiguration can threaten durability guarantees.
Failover automation can create split-brain if guardrails are weak.
Alert noise can hide meaningful signals during incidents.

Outcomes

Improved platform resilience with documented failover and restore exercises.
Increased deployment confidence via environment parity and repeatable runbooks.
Lowered recovery-time objectives through proactive incident drills.