sampling.R

library("RPostgreSQL")

drv <- dbDriver("PostgreSQL")
con <- dbConnect(drv, dbname="remote_db", user="kenny", port="5432", host="remote_db_host")

# create an environment container
myData <- new.env()

# fetch data
cur <- dbSendQuery(con, "select * from some_table order by date desc limit 1000;")
myData$sample_1 <- fetch(cur,n=-1)

# write to file
save(wt, file="/home/kenny/mydata/mydata.Rdata")

# later on, to restore from file
load("/home/kenny/mydata/mydata.Rdata")