Re: the concept of a database cluster

On Thursday, January 2, 2020, PG Doc comments form <noreply(at)postgresql(dot)org>
wrote:

> The following documentation comment has been logged on the website:
>
> Page: https://www.postgresql.org/docs/12/creating-cluster.html
> Description:
>
> In 18.2, a database cluster is said to be "a database storage area on
> disk",
> and then shortly afterward is is defined as "a collection of databases that
> is managed by a single instance of a running database server". Those seem
> very different things. Sometimes in the manual I can't tell which usage is
> intended.
>

A garage is a “car storage area for a house”. A garage can (typically)
store multiple cars just as a database cluster can store multiple
databases. The files are only useful if there is a running instance and
all databases stored in the cluster are managed by a single shared
instance. You will need to better explain your confusion because the
documentation is describing a complex system accurately but in parts that
are related - two sides of the same coin, if you will.

David J.