Input requested: How I built my own MySQL 5 appliance

[jonesy]

Hi all,

I wrote up a really quick-n-dirty howto describing how *I* went about creating a custom MySQL 5 appliance in AppLogic, starting with a LUX5 appliance and branching it. If it works for you, great. However, more interesting would be if anyone knows a better way to handle this. I'm by no means claiming that my way is best - just that it's working for me so far (but I'm not in production yet). Toward the end are a few questions that I'll be wading through the details of in the coming days & weeks. If you have input toward them, lemme know!

Here's the post: http://www.protocolostomy.com/2007/12/19/how-to-build-your-own-mysql-5-server-in-applogic/

Thanks!

[PeterNic]

Jonesy,

Great post!

All seems correct. A few notes:

1. First and foremost: thanks to everyone for their patience -- and, in some cases, impatience. We do have MySQL 5.x in the system catalog of the Xmas-released Applogic 2.1.1. 'Tis there, together with its friend WEB5 (apache 2.x + php5 on CentOS 5). Since version 2.1.1 appliances are backward compatible with the 2.1.0 release of AppLogic, you can get the MySQL 5 appliances and use it on 2.1.0 prior to your grid's upgrade. Our support will be happy to arrange this.

2. Once you are done installing MySQL 5, you may want to do the reverse steps:
- write-protect the /usr volume, so it can be shared between multiple instances of the class
- remove the net terminal
- resize the volumes back to smaller sizes (leave 20-30 MB free on the boot volume, for logs and temp files)
- rename the class to your new desired name
- clear logs and misc annoying temp files
- generally, follow the steps in and below http://doc.3tera.net/AppLogic2/GuideApplianceCreation.html#Review_and_finalize_th e_boundary
- move the class into the catalog of choice (likely, 'user')
- test

Of course, if you want to keep the MySQL as a singleton, you don't need these steps. However, if you make it a catalog class, then you can use it in any application and upgrade it from a single place for all apps.

3. Regarding some of the suggestions by haaseg in the comments to your post:
- you do want the distro build -- or MySQL directories built like the distro. It is important that nothing needs to be writable in and below the /usr directory. Of course, this matters only if you are going to make the appliance a class and make the /usr directory read-only and shared; if you keep your appliance a singleton or even use it as a physical server (like GSC), then you don't need the standard directory layout.
- rollback of installation -- not relevant in appliance classes, since you can keep a copy of the class.

Regards,
-- Peter

[jonesy]

Can you please elaborate on how I can get a mysql 5 appliance? I'm a TGL client, not a 3tera client, so I don't have a 3tera support contract. Is the appliance available for download or something? If so, is there an easy way to import the appliance into an existing application?

Thanks for all of the feedback!

[PeterNic]

Jonesy, that is even better. Please open a support ticket with TGL -- their support can do it just as well. Please include a link to this thread in the ticket.

You can PM me with the ticket number if you have any problems; we'll work with TGL to resolve any issues.

See docs on the MYSQL5 appliance at http://doc.3tera.net/AppLogic2/CatMiscMySQL.html

Regards,
-- Peter

(And, yes on your last question -- it is easy to import an appliance into your grid and make it accessible to all apps. In fact, what support will do is (1) export the MYSQL5 appliance from a 2.1.1 grid, (2) download it, (3) upload it to your grid and (4) import it into your 'user' catalog. You can do all these if you had a 2.1.1 grid or when we get our catalog download server set up -- working on that for a future AppLogic version, so that you could simply "import class xyz <downloadserver>...")