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The Database On Demand Manifesto

Database On Demand (DBOD) is a service which aims to empower users to create and manage database instances using a simple and intuitive web interface. Although MySQL, InfluxDB and PostgreSQL are the only database systems supported at present, the architecture has been designed to be flexible and we should be able to support other relational database systems in the future.

DBOD has been developed to provide scalable database platform support for people who cannot use the Oracle relational database service offered at CERN, or they need DBA access to their databases. If you need to manage your own MySQL, PostgreSQL or Influxdb instance today to support a simple database application, the DBOD service offers automated backup and recovery services as well as warranty of service continuity in case of hardware failure.

The need to offer support based on different database systems is on the rise within our user community. For example, one use case includes certain applications certified for running with non-Oracle databases (i.e MySQL, PostgreSQL).

Additional use cases are based on the desire expressed by user groups in being able to easily deploy and maintain different DBMS systems for their internal application development.

DBOD will cover this need offering users an easy way to create and manage their databases through a system that is fully integrated with different CERN technologies.

The following document provides a brief introduction to DBOD and its architecture.

Disclaimer

DBOD users have database administration (DBA) privileges on their databases. As such, they are responsible for ensuring that the databases are always up-to-date and timely patched, that any specific security rules for databases are applied, and that their system and its usage fully complies with and adheres to the CERN Computing Rules.

Failure to comply with these guidelines may lead to the affected DB On Demand database being shutdown with little or no advance warning.

The IT-DA group will provide OS hotfixes together with new database vendor releases. DBOD instance owners shall be notified by email and provisioned with the DBOD Web interface link to upgrade (one click upgrade), so they can organize the upgrade at their service convenience. Note, however, that DBOD enforces the upgrade after certain amount of time depending on upgrade criticality, usually at least one week time. The IT-DA group will never provide application support and no bridge will be done by the service to export/import data among DBOD databases or between DBOD and Oracle.

Any operations involving the possibility of requiring a DBOD service administrator to intervene should be performed during CERN official working hours.

DBOD admins may ask for database owner actions, as explained above, to be fulfilled in a reasonable time (e.g. patching of an instance, debugging/performance of SQL statements,...). Failure to do so may disqualify an application to run on DBoD platform and therefore, and its corresponding database may be removed.

Administration rights for DBOD instances are granted through groups (e-groups are still working). It is the user's responsibility to maintain the corresponding e-groups, taking into consideration that every member of the specified e-group will be fully authorised to manage that corresponding instance.

DBOD offers

  • Full DBA privileges on a database running in a preconfigured machine.
  • Configurable backups.
  • Configurable point in time restore with binary logs/archive logs utilisation.
  • Schedulable database system updates which you perform on your own desired time (within an upgrade window), or, if you prefer, that can be performed by the service managers.
  • Configurable client access to the database either using operating system capabilities or database vendor ones.
  • In case of hardware failure based on the underlying virtualisation platform, databases will be migrated and restarted on a different host.

DBOD limitations

  • No application level support is provided.
  • No DBA support is provided other than the presented in this guide. If you find something is missing, please let us know.
  • DBOD instances are not reachable from outside the CERN network.
  • No support is provided for linking between DBOD databases or between DBOD databases and centrally managed Oracle databases.

MySQL

  • DBOD works with MySQL Community Edition
  • The InnoDB engine must be used to ensure correct functioning of the backup service.

TimescaleDB

  • The TimescaleDB Community Edition extension is available for PostgreSQL instances, providing enhanced time-series data capabilities.
  • CERN has entered into a Licensing and Publicity Agreement with Timescale Inc. to permit its usage as part of the DBOD service offering. Enabling the TimescaleDB extension in your instance is considered that DBOD users have accepted and agreed the usage conditions described in the Getting started with TimescaleDB document.