Cambria FTC/Cluster Guide to Using External PostgreSQL

Introduction

By default, Cambria FTC/Cluster installs PostgreSQL locally on the system disk.
In some environments, this may not be allowed — for example when installation into Program Files is required due to system policies, security restrictions, or disk-management rules.

In these cases, you can configure FTC / Cluster to use an externally installed PostgreSQL instance instead of the bundled one.

Disclaimer:
FTC and Cluster do not officially support externally installed PostgreSQL instances.
Certain features will not function as expected:

• Cluster redundancy will not work (you will receive an error if you try to enable it).
• Automatic PostgreSQL upgrades will not occur — you must perform upgrades manually.
  Capella will provide advance notice for any required database version changes.
• Administrative knowledge is required to complete setup, including familiarity with:
  • Windows UAC
  • Windows Registry
  • PostgreSQL command-line tools
• The PostgreSQL bin folder must be readable and executable by the Cambria FTC/Cluster service.
• The PostgreSQL data folder must be fully controllable by the Cambria Cluster service.
• A compatible PostgreSQL version must be properly installed and configured.
  Registry keys must be updated according to the instructions below.
• The PostgreSQL password will be visible in the Windows Registry.

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Steps for Using an External PostgreSQL with FTC/Cluster

1. Install PostgreSQL

Install a compatible version of PostgreSQL either:

• Externally, or
• Inside the FTC/Cluster Bin folder.

2. Install FTC

Proceed with the normal FTC installation.

3. Update the Windows Registry

Modify the following registry entries under:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\CAPELLA\CAMBRIA

Required Values

Key	Type	Example Value	Description
cpPostgresRootDir	String	C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\14	Root directory of the PostgreSQL installation
cpPostgresPort	DWORD (Decimal)	5434	Port used by PostgreSQL (must match your installation)
cpPostgresPassword	String	1234	Password for the PostgreSQL user

Optional Keys

Key	Type	Example Value	Description
cpPostgresDataDir	String	C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\14\data	Path to the PostgreSQL data directory
cpPostgresServiceName	String	postgresql x64 14	PostgreSQL service name
cpPostgresUser	String	postgres	PostgreSQL username
cpPostgresDbname	String	postgres	PostgreSQL database name

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Troubleshooting

If you see this error message:

A required component (PostgreSQL database) is not running. You may need to reboot the machine.

Check the following:

• ✅ The PostgreSQL service is running
• ✅ The configured port and service name match your PostgreSQL setup
• ✅ FTC / Cluster services have the necessary permissions for both the PostgreSQL bin and data folders
• ✅ You have rebooted the machine after changing registry entries

If you don’t remember the port used, you can find it in:

C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\14\data\postgresql.conf