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AnalyticDB:Typical scenarios

Last Updated:Aug 25, 2026

This topic describes the typical scenarios and capabilities of AnalyticDB for PostgreSQL.

Typical scenarios

Build a cloud data warehouse

Migrate data from Alibaba Cloud database services such as ApsaraDB RDS and PolarDB, or self-managed databases, into AnalyticDB for PostgreSQL by using Data Transmission Service (DTS) or Data Integration. Schedule extract, transform, and load (ETL) pipelines on petabyte-scale datasets through DataWorks. Connect BI tools such as Quick BI, DataV, Tableau, and FineReport to query live data and publish reports.

Compatible data sources and tools:

Role

Compatible options

Data sync

DTS, Data Integration

Source databases

ApsaraDB RDS, PolarDB, self-managed databases

Task scheduling

DataWorks

BI and reporting

Quick BI, DataV, Tableau, FineReport

Accelerate big data analytics

Import data from MaxCompute, Hadoop, and Spark by using Data Integration or Object Storage Service (OSS). Run high-performance analysis, processing, and online data exploration directly on that data.

Query data in OSS directly

Use OSS foreign tables to run parallel queries against data stored in OSS. Build an Alibaba Cloud data lake analytics platform on top of your existing OSS data.

Capabilities

AnalyticDB for PostgreSQL provides the following OLAP capabilities:

ETL and offline data processing

AnalyticDB for PostgreSQL handles complex SQL workloads at scale:

Capability

Details

SQL compatibility

Standard SQL syntax, OLAP window functions, and stored procedures

Query optimization

ORCA query optimizer handles complex queries without manual tuning

Processing architecture

MPP architecture processes petabytes of data in seconds

Storage efficiency

Column store with high compression for fast large-table scans

Online high-performance queries

For workloads that mix real-time exploration, data warehousing, and data updates:

Capability

Details

Write throughput

High-throughput INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE operations

Point query latency

Row store with B-tree and bitmap indexes for millisecond results

Transaction support

Distributed transactions, standard isolation levels, and hybrid transaction/analytical processing (HTAP)

Multi-modal data analysis

For workloads that go beyond structured data:

Capability

Details

Geospatial analysis

PostGIS extension for geographic data queries

Machine learning

MADlib in-database ML library for AI-native analytics

Unstructured data

Vector retrieval for images, audio, and text

Semi-structured data

JSON support for log analysis and processing