PostgreSQL: Up and Running, 4th Edition

Chapter 2. Roles, Configurations, Settings

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This is the first chapter in the book where we cover topics of interest to the database administrator (often abbreviated as DBA). Specifically, we’ll discuss roles, configuration files, and system settings.

Roles

PostgreSQL handles credentialing using roles. Roles can also be members of other roles; roles can inherit from other role(s). (Roles that can have other roles as members used to be called groups. Because, group roles can be members of other roles and so on, the term group roles could be misleading.) A role can have a role attribute of SUPERUSER. These roles have unfettered access to the PostgreSQL cluster and should be assigned with discretion. A role can also have an attribute of LOGIN. Roles with LOGIN attribute can log into the server and are the only roles that can log into a server.

Warning

Recent versions of PostgreSQL do not use the terms users and groups formally. You will still run into these terms; just know that they mean login ...