Databases as a service: why?
Originally created as a way to provide users certain functionalities not available in the central database services (different vendors, exotic configurations or privileged access to the database), the Database on Demand platform is in its core a way of automatizing database administration operations which can then be exposed or delegated to the end user.
The DB On Demand service addresses these needs: offering users an easy way to create and manage their own databases, empowering users to perform tasks that are traditionally carried out by database administrators or to use different database engines (currently MySQL, PostgreSQL, and InfluxDB) whilst abstracting for them operating system and database engine updates, providing access to highly efficient backup and recovery services and some support for service continuity in case of hardware failure.
How do I request an instance?
The DB On Demand service is integrated into the CERN Resources Portal (https://auth-resources.web.cern.ch/) and instances can be requested in the Database Services section.
In the Resources Portal interface you will define:
- a unique instance name (DB Name)
- the database category (Production or Test)
- an e-group which will act as the list of instance administrators
- the name of your project
- the type of database (MySQL, PostgreSQL, or InfluxDB)
- the database version (if there are two versions available, we recommend the highest)
- a brief description of the purpose of the requested database
We will contact you via SNOW ticket to communicate the connection parameters once the instance is available.
The Resources Portal can also be used to change the ownership and administrative e-group of your instances. If this is not done before your CERN account expires, your database instance(s) will be transferred to your supervisor, as for any other computing resource (e.g. web sites).
The DB On Demand website, a must in your bookmarks!
DB On Demand’s website (https://dbod.web.cern.ch/) is integrated with CERN’s Single Sign-On mechanism for authentication and authorization; as before, you must **first** subscribe to the dbondemand-users e-group to get access to it. The website is intended to be as ergonomic and intuitive as possible. The Home page displays a list with basic information about the instances that you are authorized to manage, either as the owner or because you belong to the administration e-group of someone else’s instance.
Clicking on an instance name takes you to a page where you can see and edit all the information related to the selected instance, execute jobs and check the logs generated after job execution.
The functionality provided by DB On Demand, includes: start-up, shut-down, restart, file management (upload/download of configuration files and DB logs), backup management, restore, upgrades, and monitoring.
More information
More information about the functionality provided by DB On Demand service, as well as some other useful information, is available on a Help page that can be accessed by following the link included in the bottom bar of the website, or directly in the URL https://dbod-user-guide.web.cern.ch. Please do not hesitate to visit this page if you need more information about DB On Demand.
You can also report an incident or submit a request using the CERN Service Portal, or sending an email to the Service Desk stating "Database on demand Demand" as the service.