pg_dumpall

The command line tool "pg_dumpall" is used in PostgreSQL database management systems. It allows you to create a complete and consistent backup of all databases in a PostgreSQL cluster. By default, it creates a plain-text script that can be used to re-create the database objects and data. This tool can be helpful for migrating databases between servers or for disaster recovery purposes. It captures database objects such as tables, views, indexes, functions, triggers, and schemas. The backup is created in a format compatible with PostgreSQL's SQL dialect. It supports various options to specify the output file, compression, and inclusion/exclusion of certain objects. Using the "--clean" option in pg_dumpall ensures that the backup includes SQL commands to drop and recreate the objects, ensuring a clean restore. Users can authenticate using their respective passwords or specify the "--no-passwords" option to exclude password authentication. Pg_dumpall is typically run as a superuser since it requires extensive access to database objects and system catalogs.