Important
Regular upstream releases deliver security updates. Keep your HammerDB instance up to date to receive the latest patches.
Disclaimer
OSS Library requires internet connectivity and is not supported in air-gapped environments. Attempting to use it in an air-gapped environment may result in errors or unexpected behavior.
HammerDB isn't supported on GKE ARM64 clusters
HammerDB can't be deployed on a Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) cluster that uses arm64 node pools. The HammerDB pod spec is missing the toleration required for ARM64-tainted worker nodes, so the pod stays in the Pending state and the app never reaches Ready. If you need to run HammerDB benchmarks against a PostgreSQL cluster on GKE ARM64, deploy HammerDB on an AMD64 (x86_64) project and point it at the target cluster using its connection string. See Known issues for details.
GKE ARM64: use a persistent volume of at least 4Gi
On GKE ARM64 clusters, the default hyperdisk-balanced storage class enforces a minimum volume size of 4Gi. When deploying HammerDB on GKE ARM64, keep the size parameter at its default (5Gi) or explicitly set it to 4Gi or larger. Values below 4Gi cause the HammerDB PersistentVolumeClaim to stay Pending, and the app doesn't become healthy. See the Parameters section and Known issues.
HammerDB is an open-source database load testing and benchmarking tool supporting multiple database platforms. When deployed in Hybrid Manager (HM), HammerDB runs TPROC-C benchmarks against an existing PostgreSQL cluster and generates detailed performance reports with throughput, latency, and infrastructure metrics.
Note
The HammerDB package doesn't deploy PostgreSQL. You must provide your own PostgreSQL cluster with superuser or CREATEDB privileges.
Key features
- HammerDB database load testing and benchmarking tool.
- Configurable resources and replicas.
Requirements
Technical requirements
- PostgreSQL Cluster — An existing PostgreSQL instance accessible from the target namespace.
- Superuser or CREATEDB privileges required (HammerDB creates its own test schema).
- Connection string in the format:
postgres://user:pass@host:5432/db?sslmode=require.
Before deploying, have your database connection details ready (host, port, database name, username, and password). You can obtain these from the Connect tab of your cluster in the HM console. See Parameters for the full list of required and optional fields, including resource limits.
Supported database backends
| Database | Release |
|---|---|
| Oracle (TimesTen) | 12c / 18c / 19c / 21c |
| Microsoft SQL Server | 2017 / 2019 / 2022 |
| Db2 | 11.1 / 12.1 |
| MySQL (Amazon Aurora) | 5.7 / 8.0 |
| MariaDB | 10 / 11 |
| PostgreSQL | 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 / 16 / 17 |
Deploying HammerDB
Install HammerDB directly in HM.
- In the HM console, navigate to Asset Library, then select Apps.
- Select HammerDB and select Deploy.
- Under Identity, enter a name for your deployment and select the target project.
- Under Parameters, fill in the required fields. See Parameters for field descriptions.
- Select Deploy to install HammerDB.
Note
Once you've deployed HammerDB in HM, you can access it in the HM console from Estate > Apps or your project's Apps view.
Parameters
| Parameter | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|
connectionString | PostgreSQL connection string. Format: postgres://user:pass@host:5432/db?sslmode=require. Requires superuser or CREATEDB privileges. | Yes |
CPU limit | Maximum CPU for the HammerDB pod. Default: 1000m. | No |
Memory limit | Maximum memory for the HammerDB pod. Default: 2Gi. | No |
size | Size of the persistent volume for storing HammerDB data and benchmark results. Default: 5Gi. On GKE ARM64 clusters, this value must be 4Gi or larger because the default hyperdisk-balanced storage class enforces a 4Gi minimum. Values below 4Gi cause the PVC to remain Pending and the deployment to fail. | No |
Post-deployment configuration
Once you've deployed HammerDB, complete these steps to finish your setup:
- Navigate to your Project and select the Apps tab, or navigate to Estate > Apps to check the deployment status. When the status shows Ready, launch the app to continue.
- Open HammerDB from the HM console.
- Configure your benchmark workload and run TPROC-C tests against your PostgreSQL cluster.
Support resources
As HammerDB OSS is community-supported, use these resources for technical guidance and updates:
- HammerDB GitHub repository — source code, issue tracker, and peer-to-peer support from the community.
- HammerDB documentation — self-service deployment and feature guides, as well as additional information on HammerDB installation and configuration.
- HammerDB Blog — performance updates and guides.