How to use (install) dblink in PostgreSQL?

Question

I am used to Oracle and to create a dblink in my schema and then access to a remote database like this: mytable@myremotedb, is there anyway do to the same with PostgreSQL?

Right now I am using dblink like this:

SELECT logindate FROM dblink('host=dev.toto.com
                              user=toto
                              password=isok
                              dbname=totofamily', 'SELECT logindate FROM loginlog');

When I execute this command I get the following error:

HINT: No function matches the given name and argument types. You might need to add explicit type casts.

Does anybody have an idea ? Do we have to "activate" dblinks or do something before using them?

Is there something to do on the remote database we are going to query? Do we have to activate dblink too? I keep having a could not establish connection. This is the line is type:

SELECT dblink_connect_u('host=x.x.x.x dbname=mydb user=root port=5432');

IP Address is correct and Postgres is running on the remote server. Any idea?

Answer 1

Since PostgreSQL 9.1, installation of additional modules is simple. Registered extensions like dblink can be installed with CREATE EXTENSION:

CREATE EXTENSION dblink;

Installs into your default schema, which is public by default. Make sure your search_path is set properly before you run the command. The schema must be visible to all roles who have to work with it. See:

• How does the search_path influence identifier resolution and the "current schema"

Alternatively, you can install to any schema of your choice with:

CREATE EXTENSION dblink SCHEMA extensions;

See:

• Best way to install hstore on multiple schemas in a Postgres database?

Run once per database. Or run it in the standard system database template1 to add it to every newly created DB automatically. Details in the manual.

You need to have the files providing the module installed on the server first. For Debian and derivatives this would be the package postgresql-contrib-9.1 - for PostgreSQL 9.1, obviously. Since Postgres 10, there is just a postgresql-contrib metapackage.