Database connector

The PostgreSQL data catalog your whole team can trust.

The Dawiso PostgreSQL data catalog turns every database, schema, table and view into a searchable inventory, with relationships and dependencies resolved from the system catalog.

Read the docs

Live connector Stable connector

PostgreSQL

Dawiso

Metadata-only · your data never leaves the source

Type: Open-source relational database
Auth: Username & password (read-only role)
Sync: Scheduled, incremental
Direction: Read-only · metadata

First things first

What is a data connector?

Metadata-only Read-only access Incremental sync Cross-system lineage

A data connector is the bridge between a tool in your stack and the catalog that gives you a unified view of it. Once a connector is configured, it reaches into the source system on a schedule, reads out the metadata - schemas, tables, dashboards, jobs, ownership, lineage - and represents it inside the catalog. Your actual rows and values stay where they are.

Connectors are the reason a data catalog can answer questions like "which Power BI dashboard depends on this Snowflake table?" or "who owns the orders topic in Kafka?" - automatically, without anyone keeping a spreadsheet up to date.

Three properties separate a good connector from a brittle one: it should be read-only and safe, it should be incremental so a full re-scan isn't required for every refresh, and it should resolve lineage across system boundaries, not just inside one tool.

About the platform

What is PostgreSQL?

PostgreSQL is the open-source relational database that runs everything from a developer's laptop to petabyte analytics at Microsoft, Instagram, Reddit and OpenAI. It is SQL-compliant, extensible, and the default operational store for most modern application stacks.

Postgres exposes its own system catalog (pg_catalog) for schema introspection, but that lives inside each instance. Across a real estate of dozens of databases, no business glossary, no shared ownership and no policy live there. That's where the Dawiso PostgreSQL data catalog joins the picture: read-only, metadata-only, and cross-platform.

Architecture

How Dawiso connects to PostgreSQL

A small read-only role on the PostgreSQL side. The Dawiso scanner pulls metadata on a schedule. Everything ends up in your catalog, business-readable.

Source

PostgreSQL instance

Databases & schemas
Tables, views, materialized views
Columns & constraints
Functions & sequences

REST · JDBC

Dawiso scanner

Read-only metadata

Schema & object discovery
Dependency resolution
SQL flow parsing (optional)
Sampling on opt-in

Internal

Catalog

Dawiso platform

Searchable metadata
Lineage & ownership
Business glossary
Policy & classifications

Connection details

Protocol: PostgreSQL wire protocol · pg_catalog & information_schema
Authentication: Dedicated read-only role with CONNECT, USAGE and SELECT
Lineage: Object relationships and dependencies resolved from pg_catalog and information_schema (foreign keys, view and function dependencies)

Setup

Connect PostgreSQL in 4 steps

01

Create a read-only user

Connect as a superuser or a role with CREATEROLE and run CREATE USER dawiso_reader WITH PASSWORD '...'. Use a strong password and rotate it on your standard cadence.
02

Grant catalog access

GRANT CONNECT on the database, USAGE on pg_catalog and each business schema, plus SELECT and REFERENCES on tables. Add ALTER DEFAULT PRIVILEGES so new tables scan automatically.
03

Create the connection in Dawiso

Enter the host, port (5432 by default), database, user and password. Shared or Private connection types are supported; Private routes through the Dawiso Integration Runtime.
04

Run ingestion

Pick the databases to scan as a comma-separated list. Scheduled incremental sync keeps the catalog current; deletions on the Postgres side are reflected on the next run.

Capabilities

What you get with the PostgreSQL connector

Schema & table catalog

Every Postgres database, schema, table, view and materialized view is searchable, with column types, comments and constraints.
Relationships & dependencies

Foreign keys, view and function dependencies are resolved from pg_catalog so you can see how Postgres objects relate before you touch them.
PII classification

Classify a column once. Dawiso flags every Postgres column carrying email, IBAN or government IDs across every database in the fleet.
Ownership & certification

Mark tables as certified, deprecated or under review. The owner is visible in the catalog alongside grants pulled from pg_catalog.
Business glossary alignment

Tie Postgres tables and columns to glossary terms so a developer can answer 'is this the official customer table?' without pinging the data team.
Read-only by design

Dawiso ingests metadata through a dedicated role with SELECT and REFERENCES only. Row-level data stays in Postgres; profiling is opt-in.

Business value

Why teams turn on the PostgreSQL connector

−65%
Fewer 'which table?' pings

Developers find the certified Postgres table in Dawiso instead of pinging the data team to ask which schema holds the live customer record.
10×
Faster impact analysis

Before altering a Postgres column, see exactly which views and functions depend on it via resolved object dependencies. Seconds, not days.
Audit-ready
GDPR & DORA evidence

Sensitive Postgres columns are classified once and the catalog keeps a full audit trail of the classification and ownership that follow them.

Ready to catalog your PostgreSQL?

Set up the connector in an afternoon. See your first lineage graph the same day.

Read the docs

Frequently asked questions

Still curious? Talk to our team ->

What is a PostgreSQL catalog?

PostgreSQL's system catalogs (pg_catalog) and INFORMATION_SCHEMA describe databases, schemas, tables and columns. Dawiso reads them read-only and turns them into a searchable, governed catalog with relationships and ownership across your stack.

Does PostgreSQL have a built-in data catalog?

Postgres exposes catalog metadata via pg_catalog and INFORMATION_SCHEMA, but no business-facing catalog. Dawiso reads that metadata and adds search, glossary, classification and object relationships.

What is a data catalog used for?

A data catalog makes every Postgres table discoverable, documented and trustworthy. Dawiso turns system metadata into one searchable catalog the whole business can use.

What permissions does Dawiso need in PostgreSQL?

A dedicated read-only user with CONNECT on the database, USAGE on pg_catalog and each business schema, and SELECT plus REFERENCES on tables. ALTER DEFAULT PRIVILEGES is recommended so new tables are scanned without a re-grant.

Does Dawiso copy our Postgres data?

No. Dawiso queries pg_catalog and information_schema for metadata only. Row-level data stays inside PostgreSQL. Column profiling and sampling are opt-in per data source and never run automatically.

Which PostgreSQL versions and deployments are supported?

Self-managed PostgreSQL on Linux or Windows, plus managed services like Amazon RDS, Aurora PostgreSQL, Azure Database for PostgreSQL and Cloud SQL. Shared connections for public hosts, Private via DIR for VPC-only instances.

How are object relationships resolved?

Dawiso reads pg_catalog and information_schema to resolve foreign keys and the dependencies between tables, views and functions, so you can see how Postgres objects relate to one another inside the catalog.