Adding/removing tablespaces
Tablespaces allow us to store PostgreSQL data across different devices. We may want to do that for performance or administrative ease, or our database may have run out of disk space.
Getting ready
Before we can create a useful tablespace, we need the underlying devices in a production-ready form. Think carefully about the speed, volume, and robustness of the disks you are about to use. Make sure that they have been configured correctly. Those decisions will affect your life for the next few months and years!
Disk performance is a subtle issue that most people think can be decided in a few seconds. We recommend reading Chapter 10, Performance and Concurrency, of this book, as well as additional books on the same topic, to learn more.
Once you've done all of that, you can create a directory for your tablespace. The directory must be as follows:
- Empty
- Owned by the PostgreSQL-owning user ID ...
