At a glance

Type	Hardened VM image
Upstream / license	PostgreSQL (PostgreSQL License) — see licenses
Version	PostgreSQL 16 (Ubuntu 24.04 packages on GCE; Amazon Linux 2023 postgresql16 packages on AWS). Current builds: release notes.
Architecture	x86-64
Sizing	Any current-generation instance with ≥ 4 vCPU (pay-as-you-go floor); 8 vCPU recommended for production.

Marketplaces

Google Cloud Marketplace — public on Google Cloud Marketplace (Compute Engine VM image + deployment package) (base: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS)
AWS Marketplace — view listing (base: Amazon Linux 2023)

Network ports

Port	Purpose	State
22	SSH (key-only)	default-open
5432	PostgreSQL — listens on localhost	customer-must-open (config + firewall)

"customer-must-open" means a cloud firewall rule and, where noted, an in-image configuration change — both deliberate. Closed by default is the design.

Access & credentials

No shared or default credentials are included in this image. Access uses the SSH key you supply at launch; any application credential is generated uniquely on your instance at first boot and stored only there — we never know it.

The postgres superuser has no password; access is via the local postgres OS account.

sudo -u postgres psql

Rotation: Create application roles with your own passwords: CREATE ROLE app LOGIN PASSWORD '...';

Step-by-step: first login / credentials.

Data & dependencies

Data locations: /var/lib/postgresql/16/main (GCE/Ubuntu); /var/lib/pgsql/data (AWS/Amazon Linux 2023) — snapshot the volume for full-instance backup — all data stays on your instance and volumes.
Does any data leave your tenant? No. Telemetry: none. Our images contain no phone-home, no usage beacons, no license servers. The only parties that know you deployed our software are you and your cloud provider's billing system.
We have no access to your deployment. Your instance runs in your tenancy under your IAM; remote access for a support session exists only if you explicitly grant it, and you can revoke it at any time.
External dependencies at deploy/runtime: None — the image is fully self-contained at deploy time; no internet access is required to boot and run.

Operate

First boot: GCE: the cluster was initialized by the distro packages at image build; service enabled. AWS: pg-firstboot.service runs initdb on first boot (guarded by /var/lib/pgsql/data/PG_VERSION), then postgresql.service starts. Ready when pg_isready succeeds (seconds after boot). No credential is generated.
Update / patch: Replace with the newest image version (monthly rebuild cadence), or `apt upgrade postgresql-16` / `dnf update` in place. Major-version upgrades via pg_upgrade — snapshot first.
Backup / restore: pg_dumpall via `sudo -u postgres pg_dumpall > backup.sql`, or stop the service and snapshot the volume.
Uninstall: delete the VM/deployment and its volumes — nothing else persists, and software billing stops with the instance under your cloud's marketplace terms.
Logs: GCE: /var/log/postgresql/postgresql-16-main.log. AWS: /var/lib/pgsql/data/log/. Both: `journalctl -u postgresql -f`
Health check: sudo -u postgres pg_isready → 'accepting connections'

Known limitations

Single-node image. HA (replication/failover) is an architecture you build deliberately — ask support for the reference pattern.

Support

Email support@dcassociatesgroup.com — first response within 1 business day (US Eastern), most tickets same-day. To escalate an open ticket, reply "ESCALATE"; it is reviewed by the founder within 1 business day. Security reports: vulnerability disclosure.

Privacy: policy · Terms: terms · Security practices: security & trust · Vulnerability reports: disclosure policy

PostgreSQL 16 (Hardened) — documentation & support card