In Chapter 2, PostgreSQL in Action, we discussed the history and main features of PostgreSQL. We also learned how to install PostgreSQL.
A database should be secure. From Chapter 10, PostgreSQL Security, you learned how to use PostgreSQL features that help to protect data from unauthorized access and control the ways the database is being accessed. This chapter provides some best practice recipes.
A big concern of developers of any software solution is performance. Making it work faster is important—we don't need to explain why. PostgreSQL is a complicated system with a huge amount of configuration parameters. Chapter 13, Optimizing Database Performance, we learn how to configure PostgreSQL to make it work faster, with different kinds of load patterns.