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CockroachDB includes a set of system catalogs that provide non-stored data to client applications. The following system catalogs are available as schemas preloaded to every database:
  • information_schema, a schema provided for compatibility with the SQL standard.
  • crdb_internal, a schema with information about CockroachDB internals.
  • pg_catalog, a schema provided for compatibility with PostgreSQL.
  • pg_extension, a schema catalog with information about CockroachDB extensions.
Access to the crdb_internal schema and to tables and built-in functions in the system database is controlled by the allow_unsafe_internals session variable, which defaults to off. Queries to these namespaces will fail unless access is manually enabled. Usage is also audited via the SENSITIVE_ACCESS logging channel. For more information, see crdb_internal access control. The system and crdb_internal schemas are intended for advanced support scenarios only, and should be accessed under the guidance of Cockroach Labs.
Tables in the system catalogs have varying levels of stability. Not all system catalog tables are meant for programmatic purposes. For more information, see API Support Policy.
To see all of the system catalogs for the current database, you can use a SHOW SCHEMAS statement:

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See also