Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL 11 Extended Support Ends March 31, 2027
RDS Extended Support for PostgreSQL 11 ends on March 31, 2027. The date is in AWS's release calendar for Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL, which gives PostgreSQL 11 an RDS end of standard support of February 29, 2024. A PostgreSQL 11 instance still running on RDS today runs on RDS Extended Support, which AWS charges for. AWS's Extended Support documentation says it is available for up to 3 years past the end of standard support, and that after that Amazon RDS will automatically upgrade the major engine version.
AWS's dates for RDS for PostgreSQL 11 to 14
| PostgreSQL | RDS end of standard support | RDS end of Extended Support |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | February 29, 2024 | March 31, 2027 |
| 12 | February 28, 2025 | February 29, 2028 |
| 13 | February 28, 2026 | February 28, 2029 |
| 14 | February 28, 2027 | February 28, 2030 |
PostgreSQL 11 is the only version above with less than a year of Extended Support left; 14 leaves standard support on February 28, 2027, a month before 11 leaves Extended Support. Every version, including 15 to 18, is on the Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL page.
What RDS Extended Support covers
AWS describes RDS Extended Support as a paid offering that gives you more time to upgrade. It lists three things it provides:
- Security updates for critical and high CVEs, including the database engine.
- Bug fixes and patches for critical issues.
- The ability to open support cases and get troubleshooting help within the standard Amazon RDS service level agreement.
Medium and low severity issues are not on that list. AWS's calendar prices Extended Support in stages, with separate start dates for year 1 and year 3 pricing; PostgreSQL 11 is in its third year now.
What to do
- List every PostgreSQL 11 instance and cluster. Include read replicas and test environments; every running instance on 11 carries the Extended Support charge.
- Pick the target version by its own dates. 12 and 13 are already on Extended Support themselves and 14 leaves standard support on February 28, 2027; a jump to a newer major version buys the most time. The RDS for PostgreSQL page has every version's dates.
- Test the upgrade on a copy first. Major-version upgrades change the engine; extensions, query plans and drivers are the usual surprises.
- Upgrade before March 31, 2027, on your schedule, rather than leaving it to the automatic upgrade.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does RDS Extended Support for PostgreSQL 11 end?
AWS's release calendar for Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL gives PostgreSQL 11 an RDS end of Extended Support date of March 31, 2027. RDS end of standard support for PostgreSQL 11 was February 29, 2024.
What happens to a PostgreSQL 11 instance after Extended Support ends?
AWS says RDS Extended Support is available for up to 3 years past the end of standard support, and after that, if the major engine version has not been upgraded, Amazon RDS will automatically upgrade it.
What does RDS Extended Support cover?
AWS lists security updates for critical and high CVEs, bug fixes and patches for critical issues, and the ability to open support cases within the standard Amazon RDS service level agreement. It is a paid offering, charged on top of the instance.
Related
- Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL — every version and its dates
- PostgreSQL end of life — the community dates behind the RDS calendar
- RDS for MySQL 8.0 Extended Support — the same charge on MySQL