| --- |
| title: DROP PROTOCOL |
| --- |
| |
| # DROP PROTOCOL |
| |
| Removes a data access protocol from a database. |
| |
| ## Synopsis |
| |
| ```sql |
| DROP PROTOCOL [IF EXISTS] <name> |
| ``` |
| |
| ## Description |
| |
| `DROP PROTOCOL` removes the specified protocol from a database. You specify a protocol name in the `CREATE EXTERNAL TABLE` command to read data from or write data to an external data source. |
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| You must be a superuser or the protocol owner to drop a protocol. |
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| > **Caution** If you drop a data access prococol, external tables that have been defined specifying the protocol will no longer be able to access the external data source. |
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| ## Parameters |
| |
| **`IF EXISTS`** |
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| Do not throw an error if the protocol does not exist. Apache Cloudberry issues a notice in this case. |
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| **`name`** |
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| The name of an existing data access protocol. |
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| ## Notes |
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| Dropping a data access protocol, does not drop the protocol's call handlers. You must drop these functions manually. |
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| Be sure to remove any shared libraries that were used by the protocol from the Apache Cloudberry hosts. |
| |
| ## Compatibility |
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| `DROP PROTOCOL` is a Apache Cloudberry extension. |
| |
| ## See also |
| |
| [CREATE EXTERNAL TABLE](/docs/sql-stmts/create-external-table.md), [CREATE PROTOCOL](/docs/sql-stmts/create-protocol.md) |
