The VMware Tanzu Greenplum platform extension framework implements a protocol named pxf that you can use to create an external table that references data in an external data store. The PXF protocol and Java service are packaged as a Greenplum Database extension.

You must enable the PXF extension in each database in which you plan to use the framework to access external data. You must also explicitly GRANT permission to the pxf protocol to those users/roles who require access.

Enabling PXF in a Database

You must explicitly register the PXF extension in each Greenplum Database in which you plan to use the extension. You must have Greenplum Database administrator privileges to register an extension.

Perform the following procedure for each database in which you want to use PXF:

1. Connect to the database as the gpadmin user:

   gpadmin@coordinator$ psql -d <dbname> -U gpadmin

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2. Create the PXF extension. You must have Greenplum Database administrator privileges to create an extension. For example:

   dbname=# CREATE EXTENSION pxf;

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   Creating the pxf extension registers the pxf protocol and the call handlers required for PXF to access external data.

Unregistering PXF from a Database

When you no longer want to use PXF on a specific database, you must explicitly drop the PXF extension for that database. You must have Greenplum Database administrator privileges to drop an extension.

1. Connect to the database as the gpadmin user:

   gpadmin@coordinator$ psql -d <dbname> -U gpadmin

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2. Drop the PXF extension:

   dbname=# DROP EXTENSION pxf;

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   The DROP command fails if there are any currently defined external tables using the pxf protocol. Add the CASCADE option if you choose to forcibly remove these external tables.

Granting a Role Access to PXF

To read external data with PXF, you create an external table with the CREATE EXTERNAL TABLE command that specifies the pxf protocol. You must specifically grant SELECT permission to the pxf protocol to all non-SUPERUSER Greenplum Database roles that require such access.

To grant a specific role access to the pxf protocol, use the GRANT command. For example, to grant the role named bill read access to data referenced by an external table created with the pxf protocol:

GRANT SELECT ON PROTOCOL pxf TO bill;

To write data to an external data store with PXF, you create an external table with the CREATE WRITABLE EXTERNAL TABLE command that specifies the pxf protocol. You must specifically grant INSERT permission to the pxf protocol to all non-SUPERUSER Greenplum Database roles that require such access. For example:

GRANT INSERT ON PROTOCOL pxf TO bill;