src/health/guides/postgres/postgres_total_connection_utilization.md
### Understand the alert
This alert monitors the total `connection utilization` of a PostgreSQL database. If you receive this alert, it means that your `PostgreSQL` database is experiencing a high demand for connections. This can lead to performance degradation and, in extreme cases, could potentially prevent new connections from being established.
### What does connection utilization mean?
`Connection utilization` refers to the percentage of `database connections` currently in use compared to the maximum number of connections allowed by the PostgreSQL server. A high connection utilization implies that the server is handling a large number of concurrent connections, and its resources may be strained, leading to decreased performance.
### Troubleshoot the alert
1. Check the current connections to the PostgreSQL database:
You can use the following SQL query to check the number of active connections for each database:
```
SELECT datname, count(*) FROM pg_stat_activity GROUP BY datname;
```
or use the following command to check the total connections to all databases:
```
SELECT count(*) FROM pg_stat_activity;
```
2. Identify the source of increased connections:
To find out which user or application is responsible for the high connection count, you can use the following SQL query:
```
SELECT usename, application_name, count(*) FROM pg_stat_activity GROUP BY usename, application_name;
```
This query shows the number of connections per user and application, which can help you identify the source of the increased connection demand.
3. Optimize connection pooling:
If you are using an application server, such as `pgBouncer`, that supports connection pooling, consider adjusting the connection pool settings to better manage the available connections. This can help mitigate high connection utilization.
4. Increase the maximum connections limit:
If your server has the necessary resources, you may consider increasing the maximum number of connections allowed by the PostgreSQL server. To do this, modify the `max_connections` configuration parameter in the `postgresql.conf` file and then restart the PostgreSQL service.
### Useful resources
1. [PostgreSQL: max_connections](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/runtime-config-connection.html#GUC-MAX-CONNECTIONS)