Installing SugarCRM with separate DB & Web Server

[yorkylad]

HI,

Is it possible to install SugarCRM onto two servers, one being the web server and the second being the DB (MYSQL)? Installing with the normal installation routine doesn't work.

Are there any instruction available to describe how this can be done?

Thanks in Advance

[kpit]

Yes without a doubt... but it does require a little extra configuration of the database server to accept connections from other servers. I have set up several such installations. it is even capable to be scaled to several web servers to one db or large clusters of both web servers and db servers and load balancers. I spoke about this topic at the first SugarCon.

[kuske]

It's no problem to install webserver and dbserver on different machines.

You must first install the dbserver on one machine. Then the db-admin user must have access from any host to this server. Perhaps you must change the rigths of the admin user.
Then you can install Sugar on the other machine. During installation you are ask for hostname and database name. Here you can enter the dns host name of the first machine.

[yorkylad]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the quick reply, unfortunately I do not have good technical know how.

@kpit - Is there a presenetation or a step by step instructions available somewhere? If yes where?

@kuske - If I understand what you are saying I need a routing DB on the web server as well as on the DB server? Is that correct?

[kuske]

No, on the webserver you need no mysql server but only the mysql client software. All routing is done by the mysql client via tcp/ip.

[john.luat]

Yes without a doubt... but it does require a little extra configuration of the database server to accept connections from other servers. I have set up several such installations. it is even capable to be scaled to several web servers to one db or large clusters of both web servers and db servers and load balancers. I spoke about this topic at the first SugarCon.

Is there any resources in the web that pertains to how to do this? a forum or step by step guide maybe? Thanks in advance.

[stevec]

There are a few ways to do this but here is my recommendation.

On the database server, install mysql as recommended for that OS. For example, with Windows, use th official mysql installer. For linux, use the distribution's package management system.

Once installed, mysql will have an admin user. This user will have full rights on all databases but MAY be limited to access the databases only from the machine directly. This is a very common security-aware configuration so that you don't unexpectedly allow admin (root) access from outside with default passwords etc.

There are two options now to get this db server to work with a sugar install on another server. either.

1. BAD - allow the admin/root user access from over the network. it's bad because if it is compromised, they can do anything to the database server. The password is stored in the sugar config so if you web server is compromised, they might be able to get complete control of your db server.

2. GOOD - create a new user will full admin rights on the sugracrm database ONLY. that way, if the user/password is compromised, then they can only get to the sugar database and nothing else.

To do the latter, get to the command prompt and type the following. this assumes that the default database admin user is called root.

1. Type:

# mysqladmin -uroot -p create sugarcrm

this will create a blank database called sugarcrm - it will prompt for the root password.

# mysql -uroot -p

this will start the mysql shell - again the password is prompted for. Next type:

> create user 'sugaruser'@'%' identified by 'some_password';

this will create the user sugaruser - next give that user admin rights for the sugarcrm database

> grant all privileges on sugarcrm.* to 'sugaruser'@'%';

and to exit the mysql shell:

> quit

Now - on the other server, install sugar and when prompted use the username "sugaruser" with the give password when creating the database "sugarcrm".

If that doesn't work - then it might be that the mysql server is configured to not allow database connections from the network. If that's the case, let us know and we can take it from there.