"Carlos Oliva" <carlos@xxxxxxxxxxx> writes: > Is there a way to create a database or a table of a database in its own > folder? We are looking for ways to backup the sytem files of the database > to tape and one to exclude some tables from this backup. We can selectively > backup folders of the file system so we figure that if we can create a > schema or database or table in its own folder, we can backup our database > and exclude the tables selectively. We are using Linux RedHat. Thank you. What you are describing is the use of tablespaces, which are documented here: http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.3/static/manage-ag-tablespaces.html There is, however, a severe problem with your backup plans, namely that an attempt to selectively include/exclude tables in a physical "file backup" is more or less certain to result in a totally unrecoverable database. Quoting from the section on filesystem level backup: <http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.3/static/backup-file.html> "If you have dug into the details of the file system layout of the database, you might be tempted to try to back up or restore only certain individual tables or databases from their respective files or directories. This will not work because the information contained in these files contains only half the truth. The other half is in the commit log files pg_clog/*, which contain the commit status of all transactions. A table file is only usable with this information. Of course it is also impossible to restore only a table and the associated pg_clog data because that would render all other tables in the database cluster useless. So file system backups only work for complete backup and restoration of an entire database cluster." Let me reiterate that last sentence: So file system backups only work for complete backup and restoration of an entire database cluster. Your attempt to selectively backup specific directories will render the backup effectively useless. -- "cbbrowne","@","linuxdatabases.info" http://linuxdatabases.info/info/unix.html "Microsoft builds product loyalty on the part of network administrators and consultants, [these are] the only people who really count in the Microsoft scheme of things. Users are an expendable commodity." -- Mitch Stone 1997 -- Sent via pgsql-general mailing list (pgsql-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx) To make changes to your subscription: http://www.postgresql.org/mailpref/pgsql-general
