Architecture of PostgreSQL
Understand the core architecture of PostgreSQL, including its client-server model, tablespaces, shared memory management, and utility processes. Learn how data flows within the system, how transactions ensure consistency, and how components like WAL and checkpointer maintain reliability and performance.
To understand how PostgreSQL stores and retrieves data, it’s important to understand its underlying architecture.
Key components of the PostgreSQL database
The architecture of PostgreSQL includes three major components: the client, the server process, and the database files.
Client: This refers to any program that requests data retrieval or storage with the PostgreSQL database.
Server: Server processes manage all the data stored in PostgreSQL databases. It interacts directly with database files to read and write their data.
Database files: These make up the physical storage for all the data in a PostgreSQL database. They contain information about each table, index, and other database components.
Tablespace
A tablespace is a location on a disk where the database system stores objects like tables, indexes, and other related files. When a database is created, a default tablespace is specified, and all database objects are created in this tablespace unless otherwise ...