Setup External DB Create an external database for logging. On the same PostgreSQL server, create a separate DB for logging (e.g. externaldblogs). On that DB, create a table similar to the structure of " mdl_logstore_standard_log ". Set an appropriate name (e.g. logstore_standard_log_external). External DB logstore Log in to moodle as admin Navigate to " Site administration / Plugins / Logging / Manage log stores " and enable " External database log " Configure the " External database log " and set the following accordingly: dbdriver - PostgreSQL (native/pgsql) dbhost - Server's hostname/IP dbuser - Username (e.g. postgres) dbpass - Password (e.g. moodle) dbname - The external DB name (e.g. externaldblogs) dbtable - The log table name (e.g. logstore_standard_log_external) Save the changes. Click " Test connection " Confirm that you can successfully connect to the external logstore DB. PgBouncer Install PgBouncer. If on Ubuntu, just do " sudo apt install pgbouncer " Edit /etc/pgbouncer/pgbouncer.ini. Add the external logstore DB and your moodle DB under the " [databases] " section. e.g. externaldblogs = dbname=externaldblogs integrationmaster = dbname=integrationmaster Under the " [pgbouncer] " section, set " auth_type " to " md5 ". Save the file Edit /etc/pgbouncer/userlist.txt. Add the username and password for the DB. e.g. "postgres" "moodle" Save the file. Start the pgbouncer service. e.g. sudo service start pgbouncer Try to login. e.g. psql externaldblogs -h localhost -p 6432 -U postgres Confirm that you can successfully connect given you enter the correct password. Test! Plugin Back to your moodle site, navigate to to " Site administration / Plugins / Logging / External database log " Set " dbport " to 6432 (PgBouncer's listen_port) Make sure " dbhandlesoptions " is unticked and save the changes. Click " Test connection " Confirm that you can't connect to the external logstore DB. Close the window and go back to the " External database log " settings page. This time, tick " dbhandlesoptions " and save the changes. Click " Test connection " Confirm that you can successfully connect to the external logstore DB. Set " dbport " to blank and save changes. Click again on " Test connection " Confirm that you can successfully connect to the external logstore DB. PHPUnit After the previous section, clear the " dbport " field and untick the " dbhandlesoptions " setting in the External database log admin page. Edit config.php and set the following: $CFG->dboptions = array ( 'dbhandlesoptions' => true, ); Run unit tests for " admin/tool/log/store/database/tests/store_test.php ". Confirm the test passes. Edit config.php and set the following: $CFG->dboptions = array ( 'dbhandlesoptions' => true, 'dbport' => 6432, ); Run unit tests for " admin/tool/log/store/database/tests/store_test.php ". Confirm the test passes. Set the following: $CFG->dboptions = array ( 'dbhandlesoptions' => false, ); Run unit tests for " admin/tool/log/store/database/tests/store_test.php ". Confirm the test passes.