Roles
=====

Configuring and managing PGD doesn’t require superuser access. We
recommend that you do not use superuser access. Instead, the privileges
required to administer PGD are split across the following predefined
roles:

.. csv-table::
  :header: Role,Description
  :widths: 10,30
  :align: left
  :class: longtable

  **bdr_superuser** ,"The highest-privileged role, having access to all PGD tables and functions."
  **bdr_read_all_stats** ,"The role having read-only access to the tables, views, and functions, sufficient to understand the state of PGD."
  **bdr_monitor** ,"At the moment, the same as bdr_read_all_stats. To be extended later."
  **bdr_application** ,The minimal privileges required by applications running PGD.
  **bdr_read_all_conflicts** ,Can view all conflicts in  :ref:``bdr.conflict_history`  columns<`bdr.conflict_history`  columns>` .

These roles are named to be analagous to to PostgreSQL’s ``pg_``
 `predefined roles <https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/predefined-roles.html>`_  :

The PGD ``bdr_`` roles are created when the BDR extension is installed.
See :ref:`PGD predefined roles <PGD predefined roles>`  for more details of what priviliges each one has.

Managing PGD doesn’t require that administrators have access to user
data.

Arrangements for securing conflicts are discussed in :ref:`Logging conflicts to a table <Logging conflicts to a table>`  .

You can monitor conflicts using the :ref:`bdr.conflict_history_summary <bdr.conflict_history_summary>`  view.

..  Note The BDR extension and superuser access::
   The one exception to the rule of not needing superuser access is in the management of PGD's underlying BDR extension. Only superusers can create the BDR extension. However, if you want, you can set up the `pgextwlist`  extension and configure it to allow a non-superuser to create a BDR extension. !!!