CREATE DIRECTORY

Description

CREATE DIRECTORY creates a directory. The directory defines an alias for a path in the server file system and is used to store data files used by users. Users can read and write these files through the dbe_file advanced package.

The read and write permissions for the directory can be granted to specified users to provide permission control for dbe_file.

Precautions

• When enable_access_server_directory is set to off, only the initial user is allowed to create the directory object. When enable_access_server_directory is set to on, users with the SYSADMIN permission and users inherited from the built-in role gs_role_directory_create can create directory objects.

• By default, the user who creates a directory has the read and write permissions on the directory.
• The default owner of a directory is the user who creates the directory.
• A directory cannot be created for the following paths:
  • The path contains special characters.
  • The path is a relative path.
• The following validity check is performed during directory creation:
  • Check whether the path exists in the OS. If it does not exist, a message is displayed, indicating the potential risks.
  • Check whether the database initial user omm has the read, write, and execution permissions on the created directory. If the user does not have all the permissions, a message is displayed, indicating the potential risks.
• In a cluster, ensure that the path is the same on all the nodes. Otherwise, the path may fail to be found on some nodes when the directory is used.
• You can view existing directory objects in the pg_directory table.

Syntax

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CREATE [OR REPLACE] DIRECTORY directory_name
    AS 'path_name';

Parameters

• directory_name

  Specifies name of a directory.

  Value range: a string. It must comply with the naming convention.

• path_name

  Specifies the OS path for which a directory is to be created.

  Value range: a valid OS path

Examples

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-- Create a directory object.
gaussdb=# CREATE OR REPLACE DIRECTORY dir AS '/tmp/';

-- View the created directory object.
gaussdb=# select * from pg_directory;
 dirname | owner | dirpath | diracl 
---------+-------+---------+--------
 dir     |    10 | /tmp    | 
(1 row)

-- Delete the directory object.
gaussdb=# DROP DIRECTORY dir;

Helpful Links

ALTER DIRECTORY and DROP DIRECTORY