Changes/DatabaseServerRole

Database Server Role

Summary

The Fedora Server Product will provide a standard deployment mechanism for a Linux Database Server (powered by the postgresql project).

Owner

• Name: Kevin Fenzi and Truong Anh Tuan
• Email: server@lists.fedoraproject.org
• Release notes owner: To be assigned by docs team

• Product: Server
• Responsible WG: Server WG

Current status

• Targeted release: Fedora 21
• Last updated: 2014-03-29
• Tracker bug: #1089261

Detailed Description

The Fedora Server Product will be shipped with a role-deployment mechanism. One such role will be to act as a primary or replica Database Server for the Linux machines in the network.

This will be implemented by taking advantage of the postgresql project, packaging it up within the Server Role Framework and enabling it to be deployed through the mechanisms described in the Framework for Server Role Deployment Change Proposal.

Note that this role is a secondary target of the Server Working group.

Benefit to Fedora

The major advantage to Fedora is a vast simplification in the setup and deployment of a managed Linux network. With the Database Server Role, the user will be asked to provide a few very basic pieces of information about their network and the role deployment tools will do the rest of the work for them. With the Database Server in place, users will have a ready to use datastore without lengthy configuration.

Scope

• Proposal owners:
  • Postgresql server and related tools need to be packaged appropriately for use with the Server Role Infrastructure.
  • A D-BUS API plugin needs to be written and tested to support deployment and monitoring of the Database server.

• Other developers:
  • None

• Release engineering:
  • Pre-loading roles will need to be a capability of the Anaconda install system, both in the graphical installer and kickstart

• Policies and guidelines:
  • Packaging guidelines for this Change should be inherited from the Framework for Server Role Deployment Change Proposal.

Upgrade/compatibility impact

Fedora Server Roles are applicable only to machines that have been installed using the Fedora Server Product install media. As such, there is no direct way to upgrade to this state from Fedora 20, which did not have the Fedora Server Product.

How To Test

1. What special hardware / data / etc. is needed (if any)?
   • This Role should work on any Fedora Server installation.
2. How do I prepare my system to test this change? What packages need to be installed, config files edited, etc.?
   • Testing should be performed on a clean installation of Fedora Server, both through kickstart and interactive install.
3. What specific actions do I perform to check that the change is working like it's supposed to?
   • There will be a role-deployment tool provided, as well as possibly a Cockpit module, to deploy the Database Server Role. These tools should be run to do the initial deployment. Subsequent testing should be performed by remotely accessing the database.
4. What are the expected results of those actions?
   • A usable database server for whatever database application needs you have.

User Experience

Users will now be provided with an easy way to deploy a Database Server for their Linux environment. If they are using Cockpit, this will be presented to them with a simple GUI.

Dependencies

This Change depends heavily on the Framework for Server Role Deployment Change.

Individual parts of this Change may or may not be completed in time for Fedora 21. This may include a Cockpit graphical UI tool and an OpenLMI remote management tool.

Contingency Plan

• Contingency mechanism: Do not ship the Database Server role in f21. It is a secondary target for Fedora Server.
• Contingency deadline: Beta
• Blocks release? No
• Blocks product? No

Documentation

Documentation has not yet been written, but we will be coordinating with the Fedora Documentation team.