Odyssey
Odyssey is an open-source, self-hosted PostgreSQL connection pooler and request router designed for multithreaded operation.
What Odyssey is
Odyssey is an open-source, self-hosted PostgreSQL connection pooler and request router designed for multithreaded operation. It supports session pooling and transaction pooling, with transaction mode intended for stateless workloads that do not retain session state between transactions. Administrators can enable prepared statements in transaction pools, and configure separate authentication, pooling modes, and limits for each database and user pair. Odyssey distributes connections or requests across PostgreSQL servers using configured priorities. Read-write or read-only session attributes can direct traffic, while a catchup timeout can drop hosts whose replication lag exceeds a threshold. SSL/TLS, md5, clear-text, PAM, and LDAP authentication are documented. An administration console provides commands and metrics. A Prometheus exporter exposes metrics at /metrics, although its maker describes the exporter as in development. Deployment options include PGDG packages, Docker, and local builds.
Good
- Session and transaction pooling modes
- Per-database and per-user pool settings
- Read-write and read-only routing
- Replication-lag catchup timeout
- Online restart with two instances
Watch out
- Local builds run only on Linux
- Local builds support x86 and x86_64
- Prometheus exporter is still in development
- Docker quick-start requires version 1.5.0 or later
Who it suits
Odyssey suits teams running self-hosted PostgreSQL infrastructure on Linux. It is intended for connection pooling, query routing, and administrative control.
Verdict
Odyssey offers configurable PostgreSQL pooling, routing, authentication, and operational controls without a license fee. Linux deployment and the developing exporter may affect implementation plans.
The facts
Each one read from Odyssey's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Administration
- Its administration console accepts PostgreSQL client connections and provides administrative commands and metrics or statistics.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Authentication
- Odyssey supports SSL/TLS, md5 and clear-text authentication, and PAM and LDAP authentication.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Authentication and encryption
- The documentation describes SSL/TLS support, md5 and clear-text authentication, and PAM and LDAP authentication.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Connection pools
- Pools can be configured separately for each database and user, including authentication, pooling mode, and limits.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Deployment
- Odyssey can be installed from the PGDG repository, run from a public Docker image, or built locally.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Distribution
- The project documents Debian and Ubuntu packages from PGDG, public Docker images, Docker builds, and local builds.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Exporter maturity
- The maker describes the Prometheus exporter as being in development and directs users with problems to contact the project.checked 4 Oct 2026
- License
- The maker's license page permits redistribution and use of source and binary forms, subject to its listed conditions and disclaimer.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Load balancing
- Odyssey distributes connections or requests among multiple PostgreSQL servers and selects hosts using configured priorities.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Maintainer
- The documentation credits YANDEX LLC and says it is maintained by the Yandex Cloud MDB team.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Monitoring
- Odyssey metrics can be exposed in Prometheus format using an exporter that connects to the Odyssey console.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Monitoring integration
- A Go-based Prometheus exporter connects to the Odyssey console and exposes metrics at a /metrics HTTP endpoint.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Online restart
- Odyssey supports online restart using two instances so the existing instance serves current connections while the second accepts new ones.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Pool configuration
- Separate pools can be configured for each database and user pair, with individual authentication, pooling mode and limits.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Pooling modes
- Odyssey supports session pooling and transaction pooling, with transaction pooling suited to stateless workloads but not preserving session state between transactions.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Prepared statements
- Prepared statements can be used with transaction pooling when pool_reserve_prepared_statement is enabled.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Production use
- The maker says Odyssey is production-ready and used in large production setups.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Odyssey is an advanced, multithreaded PostgreSQL connection pooler and request router.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Read/write routing
- Target session attributes can route connections to PostgreSQL hosts according to read-write or read-only requirements.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Replication lag
- The catchup timeout feature can drop connections to PostgreSQL hosts whose replication lag exceeds a configured threshold.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Support
- Users can report issues on the project page or ask usage and development questions in the Telegram community; the project says responses may not be quick.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Version limitation
- The quick-start page says only Docker image versions starting with 1.5.0 are supported.checked 4 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Platform limit
- The local-build documentation says Odyssey runs only on Linux and supports x86 and x86_64.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Platform limitation
- The maker says local builds run only on Linux and support x86 and x86_64.checked 4 Oct 2026
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