PuppetDB is awesome. Here's some tips on accessing the data in the Postgresql database...most of 'm just reminders for myself.

puppetdb postgres hacks

**NB**: The following examples where done on Puppet Enterprise 3.0. Should be similar for OS versions, except for some file locations.

### 1. Logging into the PuppetDB PostgresQL database on Linux

The easiest way to snoop around in de actual PuppetDB postgres database is using the command prompt. You have to be the peadmin user though. Couldn't get it working just under root.
  
    [root@master bin]# sudo su - pe-postgres -s /bin/bash
    -bash-4.1$ /opt/puppet/bin/psql
    psql (9.2.4)
    Type "help" for help.
    
    pe-postgres=# \c pe-puppetdb
    You are now connected to database "pe-puppetdb" as user "pe-postgres".
    pe-puppetdb=#
    
### 2. Snooping around the data

Using the REST interface is the way to go, but for some testing purposes I needed to check and/or manipulate some data. Just use the `psql` console for this:

a. List all tables:

    pe-puppetdb=# \d
                       List of relations
     Schema |          Name           | Type  |    Owner
    --------+-------------------------+-------+-------------
     public | catalog_resources       | table | pe-puppetdb
     public | catalogs                | table | pe-puppetdb
     public | certname_catalogs       | table | pe-puppetdb
     public | certname_facts          | table | pe-puppetdb
     public | certname_facts_metadata | table | pe-puppetdb
     public | certnames               | table | pe-puppetdb
     public | edges                   | table | pe-puppetdb
     public | reports                 | table | pe-puppetdb
     public | resource_events         | table | pe-puppetdb
     public | resource_params         | table | pe-puppetdb
     public | schema_migrations       | table | pe-puppetdb


b. Get all nodes:

    pe-puppetdb=# SELECT * FROM certnames;
        name    | deactivated
    ------------+-------------
     agent      |
     dummy174   |
     dummy76    |
     agent2     |
     dummy25    |
    ...

c. Get some resources for a specific node. First get the catalog hash for a node:

    pe-puppetdb=# SELECT catalog FROM certname_catalogs WHERE certname = 'agent';
                     catalog
    ------------------------------------------
     42115d6afda63764e16536153441f55efd83c8f4

Then use that hash to get the resources:

    pe-puppetdb=# SELECT title FROM catalog_resources WHERE catalog = '42115d6afda63764e16536153441f55efd83c8f4';
                                   title
    --------------------------------------------------------------------
     peadmin-public.pem
     /etc/puppetlabs/mcollective/ssl/clients
     pe-mcollective-metadata
     Settings
     /opt/puppet/libexec/mcollective/mcollective/agent/puppetd.rb
     default
     /etc/puppetlabs/mcollective/ssl
     /etc/puppetlabs/mcollective/ssl/clients/mcollective-public.pem
     Pe_mcollective::Server::Plugins
     Pe_mcollective::Shared_key_files
     /opt/puppet/libexec/mcollective/mcollective/agent/puppetd.ddl
     Pe_mcollective
     main
     /etc/puppetlabs/mcollective/server.cfg
     Pe_mcollective::Server
     Pe_mcollective::Params
     mcollective-private.pem
     pe-mcollective
     main
     /opt/puppet/libexec/mcollective/mcollective
     /opt/puppet/libexec/mcollective/mcollective/application/puppetd.rb
     mcollective-cacert.pem
     /opt/puppet/sbin/refresh-mcollective-metadata
     main
     mcollective-cert.pem
     Pe_mcollective::Role::Agent
     puppet-dashboard-public.pem
     mcollective-public.pem
    (28 rows)

or in a one-liner:

    SELECT title FROM catalog_resources INNER JOIN certname_catalogs ON catalog_resources.catalog = certname_catalogs.catalog WHERE certname_catalogs.certname = 'agent';
    
## 3. Same thing, but now with facts

Get some nice fact data, or manipulate it for testing or modelling:

    SELECT * FROM certname_facts WHERE certname = 'agent';

Or, for example, get all the eth1 addresses for all nodes starting with dummy*:

    pe-puppetdb=# SELECT value FROM certname_facts WHERE name = 'network_eth1' AND certname LIKE 'dummy%';
       value
    -----------
     10.20.1.0
     10.20.1.0
     10.20.1.0
     10.20.1.0
     10.20.1.0
     10.20.1.0
     10.20.1.0
     10.20.1.0