I found a work around for the problem: After changing access permissions and ownership of the symlink data directory, I logged into postgres using 'postgres' login as: >>> sudo -i -u postgres Then force started postgres from there as mentioned below. The execution doesn't return back to prompt, so had it run back in the background. Postgres started running back to normal. >>> /usr/bin/postgres -D /var/lib/pgsql/data & Thanks ! -Shibayan -----Original Message----- From: Laurenz Albe <laurenz.albe@xxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Sunday, July 14, 2019 9:05 AM To: Adrian Klaver <adrian.klaver@xxxxxxxxxxx>; Chatterjee, Shibayan <shibayan.chatterjee@xxxxxxxxxx>; pgsql-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: Issue: Creating Symlink for data directory of postgresql in CentOS7 Adrian Klaver wrote: > On 7/13/19 4:30 AM, Laurenz Albe wrote: > > On Fri, 2019-07-12 at 18:08 +0000, Chatterjee, Shibayan wrote: > > > > Jul 12 10:00:51 postgresql-check-db-dir: "/data/postgresql/data" is missing or empty. > > > > Jul 12 10:00:51 postgresql-check-db-dir: Use "postgresql-setup initdb" to initialize the database cluster. > > > > Jul 12 10:00:51 postgresql-check-db-dir: See /usr/share/doc/postgresql-9.2.24/README.rpm-dist for more information. > > > > > > For sure there's all the necessary files in '/data/postgresql/data'. > > > The startup process cannot read it, because of sym link. > > > > Well, where is the source for this fabled "postgresql-check-db-dir"? > > https://git.postgresql.org/gitweb/?p=pgrpms.git;a=blob;f=rpm/redhat/9. > 2/postgresql/EL-7/postgresql92-check-db-dir;h=550b31770cabacf32cbb1b8f > 272e8ce305fc9908;hb=HEAD Thanks. I read this: 30 # Check for the PGDATA structure 31 if [ -f "$PGDATA/PG_VERSION" ] && [ -d "$PGDATA/base" ] 32 then [...] 49 else 50 # No existing PGDATA! Warn the user to initdb it. 51 echo $"\"$PGDATA\" is missing or empty." 52 echo $"Use \"/usr/pgsql-9.2/bin/postgresql92-setup initdb\" to initialize the database cluster." 53 echo $"See $PGDOCDIR/README.rpm-dist for more information." 54 exit 1 55 fi That means that either there was no regular file /data/postgresql/data/PG_VERSION or no directory /data/postgresql/data/base, or that the user running the script lacked the permissions to access them. Since you say that there was a regular data directory there, that would point to permission problems. Witn that information, it should be simple to debug the problem. Yours, Laurenz Albe -- Cybertec | https://www.cybertec-postgresql.com This communication is the property of CenturyLink and may contain confidential or privileged information. Unauthorized use of this communication is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this communication in error, please immediately notify the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the communication and any attachments.